1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,480 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,480 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,680 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,080 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,440 for us here today. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,840 We're going to be in Romans chapter 11. 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,230 If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Romans chapter 11 00:00:29,230 --> 00:00:29,590 11. 12 00:00:29,670 --> 00:00:32,190 We've been going through the book of Romans now for quite some 13 00:00:32,190 --> 00:00:32,470 time. 14 00:00:32,870 --> 00:00:36,990 Last week we took a little bit of a break looking at the love and 15 00:00:36,990 --> 00:00:38,390 the sacrifice of a mother. 16 00:00:38,470 --> 00:00:41,430 But now we're going to come back to Romans chapter 11 and be 17 00:00:41,430 --> 00:00:46,310 reminded of the mercy of God, our desperate need for God's mercy 18 00:00:46,310 --> 00:00:47,030 and grace. 19 00:00:47,430 --> 00:00:51,830 What we see here In Romans chapter 11 is Paul addressing a few 20 00:00:51,830 --> 00:00:54,750 different questions, a few different concerns from some people. 21 00:00:54,750 --> 00:00:58,790 Basically, there were people that were saying, is God not faithful 22 00:00:58,790 --> 00:01:03,250 because he has left his own people, the people of Israel, and 23 00:01:03,250 --> 00:01:06,010 essentially pulled his love from them and given it to the Gentiles? 24 00:01:06,010 --> 00:01:08,370 So does that show that God is not faithful? 25 00:01:08,450 --> 00:01:10,930 And certainly Paul has addressed that in many different 26 00:01:10,930 --> 00:01:13,410 ways here in Romans 9, 10, and 11. 27 00:01:13,810 --> 00:01:18,730 But now what really we see in Romans chapter 11 is Paul specifically 28 00:01:18,730 --> 00:01:22,970 speaking of the need for mercy and grace for the Jew and Gentile 29 00:01:22,970 --> 00:01:23,410 alike. 30 00:01:23,410 --> 00:01:28,070 And what he's emphasizing here in this chapter is that everybody 31 00:01:28,070 --> 00:01:31,870 comes to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 32 00:01:32,030 --> 00:01:33,870 There's no other way to salvation. 33 00:01:33,950 --> 00:01:37,390 There's no way through our lineage, there's no way through our 34 00:01:37,390 --> 00:01:41,550 works, there's no way through our giving, there's no way through 35 00:01:41,550 --> 00:01:44,030 anything else other than Jesus Christ. 36 00:01:44,030 --> 00:01:47,150 And we're reminded of that throughout the Scriptures when Jesus 37 00:01:47,150 --> 00:01:49,830 says he is the way, the truth, and the life. 38 00:01:49,830 --> 00:01:53,470 And what Romans chapter 11 is all about is talking about the role 39 00:01:53,470 --> 00:01:55,630 of the Gentile now within the Church. 40 00:01:55,630 --> 00:01:59,330 And then the the future of the nation of Israel. 41 00:01:59,650 --> 00:02:03,250 And where we left off last time was really in verse 18. 42 00:02:03,810 --> 00:02:07,170 The reminder was this boast, not against the branches, meaning 43 00:02:07,170 --> 00:02:11,490 for the Gentile who now has salvation, who looks upon the nation 44 00:02:11,490 --> 00:02:13,890 of Israel and sees their rebellion. 45 00:02:13,890 --> 00:02:15,690 There's no reason for us to boast. 46 00:02:15,690 --> 00:02:17,930 There's no reason for us to have pride. 47 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:22,690 Why he says, but if thou boast, thou bears not the root, but 48 00:02:22,690 --> 00:02:23,450 the root thee. 49 00:02:23,450 --> 00:02:25,170 Meaning you're missing the point. 50 00:02:25,170 --> 00:02:29,130 You're missing the whole picture of where you receive salvation 51 00:02:29,130 --> 00:02:29,490 from. 52 00:02:29,650 --> 00:02:32,770 Because if you're looking at someone else who has disobeyed, if 53 00:02:32,770 --> 00:02:35,530 you're looking at someone else who has rejected the Lord and you 54 00:02:35,530 --> 00:02:38,410 think you're better because you've received the Lord, that you've 55 00:02:38,410 --> 00:02:39,290 believed in the Lord. 56 00:02:39,290 --> 00:02:41,970 He says, you're, you're missing that because the, the same 57 00:02:41,970 --> 00:02:43,490 is given to us in John 15. 58 00:02:43,890 --> 00:02:45,810 We're the branches. 59 00:02:45,970 --> 00:02:47,570 It's Jesus who is the root. 60 00:02:47,650 --> 00:02:50,570 And we miss the picture if we think that it's something that we've 61 00:02:50,570 --> 00:02:50,810 done. 62 00:02:50,810 --> 00:02:56,590 So there's a, a warning here, a reminder that pride must be rejected 63 00:02:56,590 --> 00:02:57,350 in salvation. 64 00:02:57,910 --> 00:03:01,270 The pride for the Gentile who's a believer must be rejected. 65 00:03:01,510 --> 00:03:04,790 The pride for the Jewish person who believes that he or she 66 00:03:04,870 --> 00:03:07,910 is born in a lineage that saves them must be rejected. 67 00:03:08,150 --> 00:03:09,950 All of that pride should be rejected. 68 00:03:09,950 --> 00:03:12,590 And the Gentiles are warned against arrogance. 69 00:03:12,590 --> 00:03:16,190 He says in verse number 19, Thou wilt say, then the branches 70 00:03:16,190 --> 00:03:20,730 were broken off, that I might be grafted in, meaning the, the Jewish 71 00:03:20,730 --> 00:03:24,850 people have rejected the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and now we're 72 00:03:24,850 --> 00:03:27,010 the good ones and we're going to look down on them. 73 00:03:27,010 --> 00:03:29,290 He says, don't do that, don't do that. 74 00:03:29,290 --> 00:03:30,170 Verse number 20. 75 00:03:30,410 --> 00:03:33,450 Well, because of unbelief, they were broken off. 76 00:03:33,450 --> 00:03:37,210 So he says, it's not because they're good and, or they're bad, 77 00:03:37,210 --> 00:03:38,570 or you're good or you're bad. 78 00:03:38,730 --> 00:03:41,570 The reason why people are broken off from a relationship with 79 00:03:41,570 --> 00:03:42,810 God is their unbelief. 80 00:03:43,210 --> 00:03:45,940 It always goes back to faith or not faith. 81 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:49,220 It's, it's never about works, it's never about your heritage. 82 00:03:49,220 --> 00:03:52,660 He says here it's because of their unbelief and thou standest 83 00:03:52,660 --> 00:03:53,300 by faith. 84 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:55,060 So the contrast is this. 85 00:03:55,460 --> 00:03:59,900 The contrast is not Jew, Gentile, good, bad, churchgoer or 86 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:00,900 non churchgoer. 87 00:04:01,060 --> 00:04:06,500 The contrast is faith and not having faith, belief and unbelief. 88 00:04:07,060 --> 00:04:11,800 So he says, be not high minded, but fear. 89 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,920 And so the reminder here is he says, verse 20, well, because of 90 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,200 unbelief, they were broken off. 91 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:18,760 And thou standest by faith. 92 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,120 Be not high minded, be not prideful, but fear being in a place 93 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,480 of healthy respect and humility before the Lord, knowing 94 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,560 that the salvation that we have received is by nothing that 95 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,600 we have done, but only through the mercy and grace of God. 96 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,720 And I want to talk about that here this morning. 97 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,980 When it comes to the idea of what, what does God's mercy and grace 98 00:04:38,980 --> 00:04:42,700 bring to us, it should bring us to a place of humbled repentance. 99 00:04:42,860 --> 00:04:46,420 It should bring us to a place of complete humility before him, 100 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:49,980 saying, lord, everything that I have is because of you. 101 00:04:50,220 --> 00:04:53,540 And so the Gentiles here, and I believe we as the church today 102 00:04:53,540 --> 00:04:55,420 are warned against arrogance. 103 00:04:55,660 --> 00:04:59,980 And we're reminded that it's always salvation is always by grace 104 00:04:59,980 --> 00:05:01,660 and not superiority. 105 00:05:02,140 --> 00:05:04,380 We're not superior because we're believers. 106 00:05:04,830 --> 00:05:09,590 We are graced by God and therefore blessed by God as believers. 107 00:05:09,590 --> 00:05:12,390 But we're not superior over anybody else other than the fact 108 00:05:12,390 --> 00:05:14,430 that we have a relationship with God. 109 00:05:14,750 --> 00:05:17,470 And so they're reminded here in verse 21. 110 00:05:17,470 --> 00:05:21,550 For if God spared not the natural branches, meaning if God 111 00:05:21,630 --> 00:05:26,510 judges those who are part of the chosen people of Israel. 112 00:05:26,750 --> 00:05:27,150 Right. 113 00:05:27,310 --> 00:05:29,150 That's already been mentioned here in Romans. 114 00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:32,260 If God judges them for their unbelief, how much more will God 115 00:05:32,260 --> 00:05:33,660 judge us for our unbelief? 116 00:05:33,900 --> 00:05:36,900 The reality is, is that everybody is judged in unbelief or 117 00:05:36,900 --> 00:05:37,300 belief. 118 00:05:37,300 --> 00:05:40,980 And so what we see here in this case is that we are reminded 119 00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:45,700 that if God judge unbelieving Israel, he can judge prideful Gentiles. 120 00:05:45,700 --> 00:05:47,740 He can judge a prideful church. 121 00:05:48,300 --> 00:05:51,580 So that brings us back to a place of what do we boast in? 122 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:54,380 And there's a lot of things that we can think about when we use 123 00:05:54,380 --> 00:05:55,260 the word boast. 124 00:05:55,900 --> 00:05:58,380 The King James uses sometimes the word glory. 125 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,480 I glory in something, meaning I'm excited about something, I'm 126 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:03,400 boasting in something. 127 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,520 And oftentimes we're tempted to boast in something that we have 128 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:06,840 done. 129 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,120 I know that there have been periods of my life that maybe I've 130 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,320 seen some type of success or maybe there's been a blessing for 131 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:18,360 me or to me, and I've been tempted to boast and in many ways 132 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,200 have boasted in myself. 133 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,280 The Bible says there's nothing that we should be boasting in other 134 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:26,360 than what Jesus Christ has done for us and what he continues 135 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,220 to do for us in our salvation. 136 00:06:28,220 --> 00:06:31,740 I want to take you to a few passages that speak of what we should 137 00:06:31,740 --> 00:06:34,740 boast in, because as Christians, believe it or not, we 138 00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:39,020 are called and we are really even challenged to boast in something. 139 00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:43,340 And oftentimes what happens is, is that we as churches, we as 140 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:48,620 groups of believers who have been redeemed and restored and given 141 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:52,900 an equipping of the gift of grace that we can serve and we can 142 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:55,730 have blessings, that oftentimes we think that, hey, we're 143 00:06:55,730 --> 00:06:57,970 better and we can boast in what we have done. 144 00:06:57,970 --> 00:06:58,930 Look what we have done. 145 00:06:58,930 --> 00:07:00,610 Look how much we have accomplished. 146 00:07:00,610 --> 00:07:05,570 Well, Paul reminds us In Galatians, chapter 6, verse 14, what 147 00:07:05,570 --> 00:07:09,330 we are to boast in when it comes to the believer in his or her 148 00:07:09,330 --> 00:07:09,650 life. 149 00:07:09,970 --> 00:07:12,610 And it's not boasting in oneself. 150 00:07:12,610 --> 00:07:17,890 Because if anyone could boast, if anybody could boast, it could 151 00:07:17,890 --> 00:07:18,690 be Paul, right? 152 00:07:18,690 --> 00:07:20,610 Paul had all of the credentials. 153 00:07:21,410 --> 00:07:25,530 Paul was looked up to by many people because of his lineage, because 154 00:07:25,530 --> 00:07:30,410 of his education, because of his work that he had done as a Pharisee. 155 00:07:30,410 --> 00:07:32,930 And so if anybody could boast, it was Paul. 156 00:07:33,090 --> 00:07:35,810 But Galatians, chapter 6, verse 14. 157 00:07:36,610 --> 00:07:43,410 Paul says, But God forbid that I should glory or boast save in the 158 00:07:43,410 --> 00:07:45,970 cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 159 00:07:46,940 --> 00:07:51,220 He says, hey, it is wrong for me to boast in anything else other 160 00:07:51,220 --> 00:07:55,460 than what Jesus Christ did for me by whom the world is crucified 161 00:07:55,460 --> 00:07:59,820 unto and I unto the world, meaning I identify with Jesus. 162 00:07:59,900 --> 00:08:03,660 I recognize what he has done for me, and I boast in him. 163 00:08:03,740 --> 00:08:06,180 There's other passages of Scripture that speak to where our 164 00:08:06,180 --> 00:08:07,420 boasting should come from. 165 00:08:07,980 --> 00:08:09,500 Second Corinthians, chapter 10. 166 00:08:09,580 --> 00:08:14,050 Two Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 17 and 18 tell us where our 167 00:08:14,050 --> 00:08:15,050 boasting should go. 168 00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:18,250 You know, and as a church, we have a lot of reasons to celebrate. 169 00:08:18,890 --> 00:08:21,690 I. I look around and I see wonderful growth. 170 00:08:21,770 --> 00:08:23,610 I see ministries starting. 171 00:08:23,610 --> 00:08:25,930 I see new families coming in. 172 00:08:25,930 --> 00:08:27,850 I see new children being born. 173 00:08:27,850 --> 00:08:31,290 Look, there's a lot of reasons why Christians should be excited. 174 00:08:32,010 --> 00:08:32,970 It's an amazing thing. 175 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:35,130 Sometimes we see Christians that aren't excited about life. 176 00:08:35,370 --> 00:08:37,730 We sometimes see Christians that walk around looking miserable. 177 00:08:37,730 --> 00:08:40,050 And the Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. 178 00:08:40,050 --> 00:08:42,930 One of the elements of the fruit of the Spirit, the to prove 179 00:08:42,930 --> 00:08:45,250 that the Holy Spirit lives within us is joy, right? 180 00:08:45,410 --> 00:08:47,210 Excitement in what God is doing. 181 00:08:47,210 --> 00:08:50,050 There should be a level of excitement and celebration within 182 00:08:50,050 --> 00:08:52,530 the church, folks, if we're not celebrating and if we're not 183 00:08:52,530 --> 00:08:55,730 full of joy, there's a major issue in where our faith is placed. 184 00:08:55,810 --> 00:08:59,250 But again, we go to Second Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 17, 185 00:08:59,250 --> 00:09:02,210 and we see that, yes, even though we're celebrating, what are 186 00:09:02,210 --> 00:09:07,170 we celebrating in, he says, but he that glorieth or he that boasteth, 187 00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:12,860 let him glory in the Lord, for not he that commendeth himself is 188 00:09:12,860 --> 00:09:15,980 approved, but whom the Lord commendeth, meaning everything that 189 00:09:15,980 --> 00:09:18,140 we have is not brought about through what we have done. 190 00:09:18,140 --> 00:09:20,540 We don't commend ourselves, we can't prove ourselves. 191 00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:24,340 It's only through what God has done for us, only what God has demonstrated 192 00:09:24,340 --> 00:09:24,700 to us. 193 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:27,580 And we know that God demonstrated his love towards us. 194 00:09:27,820 --> 00:09:28,660 Romans 5, 8. 195 00:09:28,660 --> 00:09:31,820 God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, 196 00:09:31,980 --> 00:09:33,180 Christ died for us. 197 00:09:33,180 --> 00:09:36,300 Therefore, what Paul is talking about In Romans chapter 11 198 00:09:36,300 --> 00:09:37,300 is Gentile. 199 00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:39,380 Don't fall into the pit of pride. 200 00:09:39,780 --> 00:09:42,740 Don't allow yourself to be arrogant in your salvation. 201 00:09:43,060 --> 00:09:45,260 Don't allow yourself to think that you're better than somebody 202 00:09:45,260 --> 00:09:45,500 else. 203 00:09:45,500 --> 00:09:49,380 Because it really just goes down to who you are believing in. 204 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:52,980 Look, there's a lot of people within our church and within the 205 00:09:52,980 --> 00:09:56,180 Christian community that have a lot of great natural talent. 206 00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:59,300 I mean, I, I love to hear people sing. 207 00:09:59,540 --> 00:10:01,180 And you know what I like in general? 208 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:03,060 Just people doing something that they enjoy. 209 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,240 You ever just been around someone and they love something so 210 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,680 much and they're good at it, it's just really entertaining to 211 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:08,600 watch them do that. 212 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:09,640 And I love that. 213 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,200 But we know that sometimes natural talent is given to us for 214 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:13,960 a purpose. 215 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,200 The natural talent is given to us so that we can use it for the 216 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:17,560 Lord. 217 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,560 And we know that the spiritual gifts that are given to us are given 218 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:21,920 to us to use for the Lord. 219 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,040 And oftentimes we think that it's all about us. 220 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,480 But What Romans chapter 11 is telling us is that we be not high 221 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:28,840 minded, but we be in fear. 222 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:29,160 Why? 223 00:10:29,530 --> 00:10:32,970 Because God spare not the natural branches, that's Israel. 224 00:10:33,130 --> 00:10:34,210 Because of their unbelief. 225 00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:37,850 He says, take he less also he could not spare thee. 226 00:10:37,850 --> 00:10:41,690 Meaning we can find ourselves as the church in judgment because 227 00:10:41,690 --> 00:10:45,530 of our rebellion, because of our pride, because of our selfishness. 228 00:10:46,010 --> 00:10:49,770 And so we come back to this idea here that pride must be rejected. 229 00:10:50,890 --> 00:10:52,610 One, one person said it this way. 230 00:10:52,610 --> 00:10:55,050 Grace leaves no room for boasting. 231 00:10:55,550 --> 00:10:56,910 At least boasting in ourselves. 232 00:10:57,630 --> 00:11:01,390 And when we really understand what God's mercy is, when we really 233 00:11:01,390 --> 00:11:04,950 understand what God's grace is in our life, then that allows us 234 00:11:04,950 --> 00:11:07,150 to see ourselves for who we really are in Him. 235 00:11:07,950 --> 00:11:08,790 What is mercy? 236 00:11:08,790 --> 00:11:11,110 By the way, we've said that word quite a bit here this morning. 237 00:11:11,110 --> 00:11:11,910 What is mercy? 238 00:11:11,910 --> 00:11:16,510 Well, literally mercy is God withholding from us what we deserve. 239 00:11:17,630 --> 00:11:21,580 And the Bible very clearly tells us what we deserve for the 240 00:11:21,580 --> 00:11:24,580 wages of sin or the payment of sin is death. 241 00:11:25,380 --> 00:11:28,660 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 242 00:11:29,060 --> 00:11:31,380 So in our sin, what we deserve is separation. 243 00:11:31,380 --> 00:11:32,820 What we deserve is pain. 244 00:11:32,820 --> 00:11:34,180 What we deserve is suffering. 245 00:11:34,340 --> 00:11:36,220 And again, that's not popular preaching. 246 00:11:36,220 --> 00:11:38,740 That's not something that our flesh wants to hear. 247 00:11:38,820 --> 00:11:41,860 But then think about that second part of Romans 6:23. 248 00:11:42,020 --> 00:11:45,780 But the gift of God's eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, 249 00:11:45,860 --> 00:11:48,180 it's the mercy of God that changes our life. 250 00:11:48,730 --> 00:11:49,650 It's the grace of God. 251 00:11:49,650 --> 00:11:51,610 Now, grace is just the flip side of mercy. 252 00:11:51,690 --> 00:11:54,250 Things that God gives to us that we don't deserve. 253 00:11:54,250 --> 00:11:57,130 And so mercy and grace go interchangeably together. 254 00:11:57,450 --> 00:12:01,010 Mercy and grace of God brings us to a place of knowing that there 255 00:12:01,010 --> 00:12:02,730 is good news, that there is hope. 256 00:12:03,130 --> 00:12:06,890 We read in Ephesians chapter two here this morning for our scripture 257 00:12:06,890 --> 00:12:07,370 reading. 258 00:12:07,370 --> 00:12:10,650 Those first three verses are pretty hard verses to hear. 259 00:12:11,130 --> 00:12:14,410 That we were of the world, that we were serving the Prince of 260 00:12:14,410 --> 00:12:16,970 the power of the air, that we were children of disobedience. 261 00:12:17,870 --> 00:12:20,750 If you just stop there in verses 1, 2, and 3, you would say, 262 00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:21,630 that's pretty bleak. 263 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:24,750 That's looking like we don't have any hope. 264 00:12:24,910 --> 00:12:28,750 But then we see two words in verse number four, but God. 265 00:12:29,550 --> 00:12:35,230 But God, who is rich in mercy, the one who is completely merciful, 266 00:12:35,230 --> 00:12:37,750 comes onto the scene and he does the work for us. 267 00:12:37,750 --> 00:12:41,350 And therefore we can have that new life and we can have that hope. 268 00:12:41,350 --> 00:12:42,590 And so that's all. 269 00:12:42,590 --> 00:12:45,630 What Paul is talking about here in Romans 11 is he's reminding 270 00:12:46,050 --> 00:12:49,010 that the same salvation for the Gentiles, the same salvation 271 00:12:49,010 --> 00:12:52,890 for the Jew, both sides of the coin, it's not like one way or the 272 00:12:52,890 --> 00:12:54,530 other way, it's the same salvation. 273 00:12:54,610 --> 00:12:59,850 So we go to verse number 22 in Romans chapter 11, and he. 274 00:12:59,850 --> 00:13:02,690 And he's going to now talk about the provision that must be 275 00:13:02,690 --> 00:13:03,410 remembered. 276 00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:06,810 God shows both goodness and severity. 277 00:13:06,810 --> 00:13:08,290 Think about it from this perspective. 278 00:13:08,290 --> 00:13:11,610 It says here, behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity 279 00:13:11,610 --> 00:13:12,010 of God. 280 00:13:12,010 --> 00:13:16,390 He says, you must know both sides of the way that God works. 281 00:13:17,670 --> 00:13:21,830 There is the beauty, there is the goodness of God when we come 282 00:13:21,830 --> 00:13:22,790 to him in faith. 283 00:13:23,350 --> 00:13:26,950 But then on the other side of the coin, we must note the severity 284 00:13:26,950 --> 00:13:30,470 of God, the judgment of God, the holiness of God. 285 00:13:30,710 --> 00:13:34,550 Folks, to preach only one side of that would be preaching half of 286 00:13:34,550 --> 00:13:35,030 the story. 287 00:13:35,830 --> 00:13:39,990 Oftentimes you'll hear solely the fact that God is good and that 288 00:13:39,990 --> 00:13:40,550 he's loving. 289 00:13:40,550 --> 00:13:43,980 And we leave out the part that there are going to be elements of 290 00:13:43,980 --> 00:13:45,940 judgment to those that are in unbelief. 291 00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:49,540 I wish I could tell you that you can just keep living your life 292 00:13:49,540 --> 00:13:51,780 the way that you want to live it and everything will be okay. 293 00:13:51,860 --> 00:13:54,500 But that would be lying to you, because the Bible says that 294 00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:58,139 God does address those that are in unbelief and in rebellion 295 00:13:58,139 --> 00:13:58,660 to him. 296 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:01,780 And so to tell the good news is to tell the whole story. 297 00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:03,380 If I. 298 00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:05,740 If I had my children come up to me and I said, hey, what happened, 299 00:14:05,740 --> 00:14:06,060 guys? 300 00:14:06,060 --> 00:14:06,460 All right. 301 00:14:06,460 --> 00:14:09,970 So the three of them get into a little skirmish and I got to hear 302 00:14:09,970 --> 00:14:10,890 the whole story, right? 303 00:14:11,130 --> 00:14:13,730 I don't want my son or my Daughter to give. 304 00:14:13,730 --> 00:14:16,250 Because right now Silas would be really hard to give us the full 305 00:14:16,250 --> 00:14:16,570 story. 306 00:14:16,650 --> 00:14:17,210 Okay. 307 00:14:17,370 --> 00:14:20,130 And he usually gets the, the, the good treatment because he's the 308 00:14:20,130 --> 00:14:20,730 two year old. 309 00:14:21,050 --> 00:14:24,490 But I, I wouldn't want my child to tell me half of the story. 310 00:14:24,490 --> 00:14:25,850 I'd want them to tell me everything. 311 00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:29,850 It's the same idea when, if I love somebody. 312 00:14:29,850 --> 00:14:32,690 Because we hear a lot about love within the church today, and 313 00:14:32,690 --> 00:14:34,170 we should, rightfully so. 314 00:14:34,250 --> 00:14:37,770 Love is a defining element of what it means to be a believer. 315 00:14:37,930 --> 00:14:39,210 God is love. 316 00:14:39,210 --> 00:14:41,810 And so we hear, hey, love people, we should love people. 317 00:14:41,810 --> 00:14:43,050 It all should be about love. 318 00:14:43,130 --> 00:14:44,570 But what does that mean? 319 00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:47,370 If I love someone, I want to tell them the full story. 320 00:14:48,250 --> 00:14:49,930 I want to, I want to tell them everything. 321 00:14:50,090 --> 00:14:52,930 Like if my child came up to me and they, they, they were asking 322 00:14:52,930 --> 00:14:55,290 me something, I don't want to just tell them a partial truth because 323 00:14:55,370 --> 00:14:57,730 that second part of the truth might actually bring them to some 324 00:14:57,730 --> 00:15:00,330 pain and, and, and, and judgment. 325 00:15:01,060 --> 00:15:05,180 So therefore, as a believer, Paul is reminding us that we need 326 00:15:05,180 --> 00:15:09,900 to understand the goodness and severity of God to know the full 327 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:10,500 picture. 328 00:15:11,060 --> 00:15:14,380 And so for me to preach the gospel to you, for you to preach 329 00:15:14,380 --> 00:15:17,299 the gospel to someone in your community, your family, your friends, 330 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:21,380 whatever it might be, it would be to tell the whole story of God's 331 00:15:21,380 --> 00:15:24,420 love, God's holiness, God's judgment. 332 00:15:24,420 --> 00:15:28,200 Because to love someone does not mean to accept or continue to 333 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:29,240 condone anything. 334 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,600 It means to tell the truth and to do what's best for one. 335 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,720 And so what's best for everybody is to know and believe 336 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:37,640 and to live in the gospel. 337 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:42,200 And so Paul says to know the goodness and severity of God on them 338 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:47,400 which fell severity, but toward the goodness, he says God 339 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,960 judges those who are in unbelief. 340 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:53,880 Therefore he's judging at this point in time, he's judging the nation 341 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,080 for the most part of Israel because of their rebellion. 342 00:15:57,850 --> 00:16:01,250 That we know that there were Jewish Christians, obviously at PENTECOST 343 00:16:01,250 --> 00:16:02,490 There was 5,000 of them. 344 00:16:02,490 --> 00:16:05,970 And so it's not the whole nation that was in rebellion, but 345 00:16:05,970 --> 00:16:09,210 for the most part he's speaking of generalities as a whole. 346 00:16:09,690 --> 00:16:12,650 And so he says, yes, there are Jewish Christians and the only reason 347 00:16:12,650 --> 00:16:16,010 that they're saved is because of faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 348 00:16:16,090 --> 00:16:20,730 But he says, those that are in rebellion, those that do not believe, 349 00:16:20,890 --> 00:16:21,930 what do they experience? 350 00:16:23,210 --> 00:16:25,610 They experience the severity of God. 351 00:16:26,430 --> 00:16:29,470 It says on them which fell severity, but towards thee, talking 352 00:16:29,470 --> 00:16:32,630 to the gentile believer, or even the Jewish believer for that 353 00:16:32,630 --> 00:16:36,550 matter, Goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise 354 00:16:36,550 --> 00:16:37,710 thou shalt be Cut off. 355 00:16:37,870 --> 00:16:41,150 And the idea really would be here is of God's preserving grace 356 00:16:41,150 --> 00:16:42,109 that's in our lives. 357 00:16:42,990 --> 00:16:45,190 There are some debate on what does this mean. 358 00:16:45,190 --> 00:16:48,470 Does this mean that if you don't continue on in faith that that 359 00:16:48,470 --> 00:16:49,670 you lose your salvation? 360 00:16:49,670 --> 00:16:52,710 Well, no, because we look at other passages like Romans chapter 361 00:16:52,710 --> 00:16:55,560 8 that tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of 362 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:55,920 God. 363 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,520 Nothing in this world, not even myself, not even my hesitancies. 364 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,880 And so what I believe this is to say is that those that have true 365 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,600 faith will be the ones who stay faithful. 366 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,680 Though there will be stumbles up and down, we'll never turn our 367 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:09,560 backs against the Lord. 368 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:09,759 Why? 369 00:17:09,759 --> 00:17:11,480 Because he's the one that's holding us tightly. 370 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,160 So he says we won't turn our backs. 371 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:17,000 And if we do, it's an obvious cut off as severity and judgment 372 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:17,440 of God. 373 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,399 So verse 22 speaks of God showing his goodness and severity. 374 00:17:21,719 --> 00:17:25,719 And so the Gentiles, they only stand in God's goodness through faith. 375 00:17:25,959 --> 00:17:29,639 The Jews who are going to stand in the severity of God because 376 00:17:29,639 --> 00:17:32,079 of their rebellion, stand in the severity of God because of the 377 00:17:32,079 --> 00:17:32,599 rebellion. 378 00:17:32,919 --> 00:17:36,519 And so what he's going to teach here is that Israel as a nation 379 00:17:36,599 --> 00:17:39,239 can be grafted in again with the Gentiles. 380 00:17:39,559 --> 00:17:40,279 Through what? 381 00:17:40,279 --> 00:17:41,239 Through belief. 382 00:17:41,879 --> 00:17:43,159 Verse 23. 383 00:17:43,959 --> 00:17:48,840 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, meaning if 384 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,320 they don't stay where they are and they move in faith and believe 385 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,200 in the Lord, they shall be grafted in. 386 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,800 And so what is Paul teaching here? 387 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,200 Paul is teaching that there's hope for those that are in rebellion. 388 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,160 It's not like they're cut off and there's no hope for them. 389 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,880 The Bible says that there's hope for those that are in unbelief. 390 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:08,280 He says, what's the hope? 391 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,880 Well, it's very clearly the hope is belief. 392 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,800 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted 393 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:16,080 in. 394 00:18:16,380 --> 00:18:19,980 For God is able to graph them in again. 395 00:18:20,860 --> 00:18:22,700 This speaks of God's faithfulness. 396 00:18:23,260 --> 00:18:25,260 This speaks of God's saving plan. 397 00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:29,780 This speaks of God's plan for all to come to know him through his 398 00:18:29,780 --> 00:18:31,140 mercy and faithfulness. 399 00:18:31,140 --> 00:18:32,139 And so what does he say here? 400 00:18:32,139 --> 00:18:35,900 He says, just as you as wild branches, because remember it's been 401 00:18:35,900 --> 00:18:36,620 a few weeks. 402 00:18:37,020 --> 00:18:42,260 But in this passage of Scripture, God speaks of the salvation 403 00:18:42,260 --> 00:18:44,460 that he extends to us as an olive tree. 404 00:18:45,110 --> 00:18:49,150 And remember there was the unbelieving Israel that were cut 405 00:18:49,150 --> 00:18:53,270 off and a wild olive tree which would be the Gentiles, were 406 00:18:53,270 --> 00:18:55,750 grafted in and this would be something that would happen even 407 00:18:56,550 --> 00:18:57,990 in the time of Jesus. 408 00:18:57,990 --> 00:19:01,750 And even now, when a tree was not being fruitful, they would cut 409 00:19:01,750 --> 00:19:04,830 off the unfruitful branches, they would prune those, and they 410 00:19:04,830 --> 00:19:08,550 would bring in wild fruitful olive branches and graft it to the 411 00:19:08,550 --> 00:19:08,950 tree. 412 00:19:09,110 --> 00:19:10,430 And so what is he saying here? 413 00:19:10,430 --> 00:19:11,110 He says this. 414 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,480 Just as you, as the Gentiles, as wild olive branches were brought 415 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,800 in and grafted into the family of God, so Israel can come back as 416 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,240 the natural branches and be grafted in as well. 417 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:22,840 Through what? 418 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:23,760 Through belief. 419 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,480 And so God's saving plan is always in grace, it's always in faith, 420 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,760 and it's always through not our works, but through what he has 421 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,200 done and trusting in that. 422 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,080 So that's all what Paul is trying to explain here. 423 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,450 He says, hey, you think that they're done forever? 424 00:19:39,450 --> 00:19:40,490 Well, they're not done forever. 425 00:19:40,490 --> 00:19:42,090 They can come back in through faith. 426 00:19:42,570 --> 00:19:44,090 Gentiles come through faith. 427 00:19:44,730 --> 00:19:46,370 And so there's no reason to boast. 428 00:19:46,370 --> 00:19:49,610 It's only to boast in the mercy that God has extended to us. 429 00:19:50,330 --> 00:19:56,370 So now we see in verse 24, he says, for if thou were cut off of 430 00:19:56,370 --> 00:19:59,770 the olive tree which is wild by nature, meaning you are the wild 431 00:19:59,770 --> 00:20:03,930 branches brought in and were graft contrary to nature, into a 432 00:20:03,930 --> 00:20:09,890 good olive tree, how much more shall these talking about the Israel, 433 00:20:09,890 --> 00:20:13,330 the natural branches that were cut off, which be natural, be the 434 00:20:13,330 --> 00:20:16,730 natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree. 435 00:20:17,370 --> 00:20:21,610 So it's the idea that we've been talking about that there's still 436 00:20:21,610 --> 00:20:24,130 hope for the nation of Israel, even though they were in rebellion 437 00:20:24,130 --> 00:20:24,970 for the most part. 438 00:20:25,370 --> 00:20:28,690 Now, now we will see that there's an argument that throughout 439 00:20:28,690 --> 00:20:32,450 all of Romans 9, 10, and 11, that Paul is talking about spiritual 440 00:20:32,450 --> 00:20:36,190 Israel, which we know in the book of Galatians that Jew or Gentile 441 00:20:36,190 --> 00:20:39,230 alike, when we believe in Jesus, we are all part of the family 442 00:20:39,230 --> 00:20:39,870 of Abraham. 443 00:20:39,870 --> 00:20:41,510 So therefore we're spiritual Israel. 444 00:20:41,670 --> 00:20:41,990 But. 445 00:20:41,990 --> 00:20:45,310 But we know that's not the case here because we see that in 446 00:20:45,310 --> 00:20:49,070 this time he's talking about an Israel that has been blinded to 447 00:20:49,070 --> 00:20:49,590 the truth. 448 00:20:49,750 --> 00:20:52,230 Well, that would be contradictory because Christians 449 00:20:52,390 --> 00:20:54,310 spiritual Israel is not blinded to the truth. 450 00:20:54,310 --> 00:20:55,190 They're in the truth. 451 00:20:55,190 --> 00:20:58,150 So he's obviously talking about a group of people who are blinded 452 00:20:58,230 --> 00:21:02,420 at that very moment that can be and will be grafted back in. 453 00:21:02,660 --> 00:21:04,660 So look at verse number 25 with me. 454 00:21:04,740 --> 00:21:08,180 So he gives the plan that God has laid out that will be revealed 455 00:21:08,340 --> 00:21:09,100 over time. 456 00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:13,300 And really in this passage, he says here, verse 25, for I would 457 00:21:13,300 --> 00:21:17,060 not, brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery. 458 00:21:17,620 --> 00:21:19,940 Now you got to put your thinking hats on here this morning. 459 00:21:19,940 --> 00:21:21,860 But what's, what's he talking about mystery? 460 00:21:21,940 --> 00:21:24,740 Well, anytime you see the word mystery in the Bible, it doesn't 461 00:21:24,740 --> 00:21:26,900 mean like it's this mystery that we can't figure out. 462 00:21:27,390 --> 00:21:30,190 It just means that a mystery in Scripture was something that before 463 00:21:30,350 --> 00:21:35,110 was unknown by the people of God and now it's being revealed to 464 00:21:35,110 --> 00:21:35,470 them. 465 00:21:36,110 --> 00:21:39,950 And so for many ways before this, this was blinded. 466 00:21:40,030 --> 00:21:41,550 People could not see this. 467 00:21:41,710 --> 00:21:45,190 But now what Paul is doing, by the power of God, he's opening their 468 00:21:45,190 --> 00:21:45,470 eyes. 469 00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:48,030 He says, I don't want you to be ignorant to this truth. 470 00:21:48,270 --> 00:21:49,310 What truth is that? 471 00:21:49,470 --> 00:21:52,750 Lest you should be wise in your own conceits, meaning you're 472 00:21:52,750 --> 00:21:55,530 going to be thinking that you're wise and that, that you're 473 00:21:55,530 --> 00:21:58,410 in your own man wisdom and miss what God has for us. 474 00:21:58,490 --> 00:22:02,250 He says that the blindness in part is happened to Israel. 475 00:22:02,250 --> 00:22:06,010 So he says right now there's a partial blindness to the nation of 476 00:22:06,010 --> 00:22:06,330 Israel. 477 00:22:06,330 --> 00:22:06,890 Not everyone. 478 00:22:07,450 --> 00:22:08,730 Why do we know not everyone? 479 00:22:08,730 --> 00:22:12,850 Well, like I said, Pentecost had 5,000 Jewish Christians, but 480 00:22:12,850 --> 00:22:15,690 even Paul himself Jewish Christian. 481 00:22:15,850 --> 00:22:17,490 So it's, it was a partial blinding. 482 00:22:17,490 --> 00:22:18,850 That's what he says in verse 25. 483 00:22:18,850 --> 00:22:23,120 He says that they're, they're blinded in part is happened to Israel. 484 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:25,160 So it's not all believers. 485 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,960 It's talking about the nation and the people of Israel. 486 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:29,480 And then he goes a little bit further. 487 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,240 He says, unto the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 488 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,320 So he actually says that there's a purpose to this blindness 489 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,560 because of Israel's rebellion. 490 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,280 God is using Israel's rebellion for a purpose. 491 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,480 And that purpose would be that the Gentiles would be grafted in 492 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,640 and that the church could grow and expand to all of the world. 493 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,480 The fullness of the Gentiles. 494 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,400 And so that's really, I believe, a picture of God's sovereignty. 495 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,800 A lot of times God's sovereignty is portrayed in such 496 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,560 a way that God forces everything to happen and there's 497 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,240 no choice of the matter to people. 498 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,240 And though I know that God is completely sovereign in every way, 499 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,280 we know that people do make choices. 500 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,440 And God can use any choice that we make, whether it be a good 501 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,320 choice of obedience or a bad choice of disobedience. 502 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,320 And he can use it for his bigger purpose. 503 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:19,550 So God is using the rejection of Israel, of Jesus Christ for the 504 00:23:19,550 --> 00:23:24,430 most part as a nation for his goodness to bring about the fullness 505 00:23:24,430 --> 00:23:25,590 of the Gentiles. 506 00:23:25,990 --> 00:23:27,670 So, so he says that There's a blessing here. 507 00:23:27,670 --> 00:23:32,630 So Israel's blindness is, as we see here, partial and temporary. 508 00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:35,350 Partial to the fact that there were still Jewish people getting 509 00:23:35,350 --> 00:23:38,870 saved then, as there is today, Jewish people getting saved today. 510 00:23:39,350 --> 00:23:41,830 So partial blindness, not a complete blindness. 511 00:23:41,910 --> 00:23:45,030 And secondly, we see that it's a temporary blindness, meaning that 512 00:23:45,030 --> 00:23:46,550 blindness will be pulled back. 513 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,560 And eventually there will be a great restoration of the nation of 514 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,160 Israel in faith through Jesus Christ. 515 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,680 So the fullness of the Gentiles, Gentiles will come in, 516 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,000 and then ultimately God will fulfill his covenant promises to 517 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,919 Israel, verse 26. 518 00:24:02,919 --> 00:24:05,720 And so all Israel shall be saved. 519 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,680 Meaning this partial and temporary blindness will then be 520 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:11,480 pulled away. 521 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:16,120 And there will be a great national revival for the nation of 522 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:20,880 Israel coming through faith in Jesus Christ, God will ultimately 523 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,000 fulfill all of this. 524 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,200 And so God is never finished with a people. 525 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,440 God is never finished with this plan. 526 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,400 And what we can see there is a picture of God's faithfulness to 527 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:30,960 Israel. 528 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,040 And we would say, if I'm not a Jewish person, what does that mean 529 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:34,360 for me? 530 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:35,520 Why is that important to me? 531 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,760 Well, just as God has been faithful to the nation of Israel 532 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,450 for thousands and thousands of years, God will be faithful to you. 533 00:24:42,450 --> 00:24:46,130 And whatever you are going through, God's faithfulness is demonstrated 534 00:24:46,130 --> 00:24:48,250 throughout all of the generations. 535 00:24:48,250 --> 00:24:51,450 And so therefore we see that God is not finished with his people 536 00:24:51,450 --> 00:24:53,650 of Israel, and God is not finished with you. 537 00:24:54,050 --> 00:24:57,330 And so the plan will be that one day there will be this great 538 00:24:57,570 --> 00:24:59,090 revival in the nation of Israel. 539 00:24:59,090 --> 00:25:00,770 And some people ask, when will that happen? 540 00:25:01,730 --> 00:25:04,970 Well, we know prophetically, if you had more time, and if we have 541 00:25:04,970 --> 00:25:06,530 more time, we could talk about this. 542 00:25:06,530 --> 00:25:09,570 But we know prophetically in Zechariah chapter 12, that that will 543 00:25:09,570 --> 00:25:10,570 be at the end of the. 544 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:12,800 Of the time of the tribulation, and that there will 545 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,920 be that great national revival of the people of Israel. 546 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,920 And the Bible says that they will turn their eyes to the Redeemer, 547 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,920 they will turn their eyes to the Messiah. 548 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,280 And Zachariah chapter 12 tells us that they will be. 549 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:24,720 They will be convicted. 550 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,520 They will realize that the one that they rejected was the one that 551 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:28,640 was pierced for them. 552 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,240 There will be a recognition that they missed the mark with the 553 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:36,360 Messiah, and they will come back into that repentant heart and 554 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:37,200 come in faith. 555 00:25:37,710 --> 00:25:39,470 And so we see verse 26. 556 00:25:39,470 --> 00:25:42,750 It says, and so all of Israel shall be saved. 557 00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:46,910 And it is written, and there's a Old Testament quote here. 558 00:25:47,070 --> 00:25:51,430 There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, the Redeemer, and 559 00:25:51,430 --> 00:25:55,670 shall take away ungodliness from Jacob or from Israel where is 560 00:25:55,670 --> 00:25:56,350 that quote from? 561 00:25:56,350 --> 00:26:00,150 That's from Isaiah 59, 20 and 21. 562 00:26:00,150 --> 00:26:04,090 You can cross reference that that's a prophecy that there will 563 00:26:04,090 --> 00:26:05,490 be this restoration. 564 00:26:05,650 --> 00:26:09,770 And it's not through the law, it's not through the temple, it's 565 00:26:09,770 --> 00:26:12,490 not through their lineage, it's not through works. 566 00:26:12,490 --> 00:26:13,170 What's it through? 567 00:26:13,170 --> 00:26:17,650 It's through, as it says there in verse number 26, the deliverer, 568 00:26:17,650 --> 00:26:18,530 the Redeemer. 569 00:26:18,850 --> 00:26:21,890 And they'll turn away from their ungodliness, and they will 570 00:26:21,890 --> 00:26:22,970 turn to the Lord. 571 00:26:22,970 --> 00:26:26,930 And so redemption, revival is always through Jesus the Redeemer. 572 00:26:27,170 --> 00:26:32,030 And so Zechariah, chapter 12, Isaiah 59, passage after passage 573 00:26:32,030 --> 00:26:34,710 speaks of this revival that will come to pass. 574 00:26:35,510 --> 00:26:37,710 And in our hearts we say, what does that mean for us? 575 00:26:37,710 --> 00:26:38,830 Well, it means a lot of things for us. 576 00:26:38,830 --> 00:26:40,230 It means that God keeps his word. 577 00:26:40,230 --> 00:26:42,150 It means that God has a plan for the future. 578 00:26:42,390 --> 00:26:45,349 It means that there will be a time of judgment one day, that there 579 00:26:45,349 --> 00:26:48,710 will be a time of tribulation, and ultimately God will come out 580 00:26:48,710 --> 00:26:49,270 on top. 581 00:26:49,350 --> 00:26:52,630 But what it also tells us is this, if we want revival in our own 582 00:26:52,630 --> 00:26:55,300 nation, if we want revival in our own church, we. 583 00:26:55,370 --> 00:26:56,010 Where does it start? 584 00:26:56,010 --> 00:26:58,170 Well, it doesn't start with us following more rules. 585 00:26:58,410 --> 00:27:02,410 The revival doesn't start with us just giving more money or singing 586 00:27:02,410 --> 00:27:04,970 louder or being more passionate about something. 587 00:27:04,970 --> 00:27:06,490 The revival always comes through. 588 00:27:06,490 --> 00:27:08,690 What does verse number 26 say? 589 00:27:08,690 --> 00:27:11,610 Through the deliverer, through the Redeemer, through Jesus Christ. 590 00:27:11,850 --> 00:27:13,210 We fall at his feet. 591 00:27:13,450 --> 00:27:17,130 We stand at the cross, we lay on our faces at the cross. 592 00:27:17,130 --> 00:27:20,290 And we realize that it's only through what Jesus Christ has done 593 00:27:20,290 --> 00:27:23,640 for us that can bring us ultimate and complete and sufficient 594 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:24,760 salvation. 595 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,280 And so there's this promise that Israel will be restored. 596 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,840 Verse number 27, he says, for this is my covenant unto them, when 597 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:35,440 I shall take away their sins. 598 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:36,760 God keeps his covenant. 599 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:38,840 God keeps his word. 600 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,040 We pray for these people that are spiritually blinded right now. 601 00:27:44,360 --> 00:27:48,850 We, we pray for anybody, no matter what their heritage is, that 602 00:27:48,850 --> 00:27:50,450 are blinded to the truth of God. 603 00:27:50,450 --> 00:27:53,770 And but we're remembering that it's a partial and temporary blindness, 604 00:27:53,770 --> 00:27:55,850 that ultimately we will see a great revival. 605 00:27:56,570 --> 00:28:02,650 So therefore we see verse number 28 as concerning the gospel. 606 00:28:03,290 --> 00:28:05,530 So he goes back to kind of like present day. 607 00:28:05,530 --> 00:28:08,250 He, he kind of took a, a period of time where he was talking 608 00:28:08,250 --> 00:28:10,970 about what was going to happen in the future and what can happen 609 00:28:10,970 --> 00:28:12,410 and will happen in the future. 610 00:28:12,570 --> 00:28:16,120 But now he goes back to the present and he says, as concerning 611 00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:18,640 the gospel, the good news, what we've been talking about all 612 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,880 this morning, he says they are enemies for your sakes, meaning right 613 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,600 now they're enemies of the gospel. 614 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:29,960 Anybody who rejects Jesus as Messiah is an enemy of the gospel. 615 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,840 We know that there are people that might look similar to us. 616 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:40,280 They might use certain language that is similar to our language. 617 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,800 They might be very palatable to our culture. 618 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,720 But what we know is that anybody who is against the gospel 619 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:49,760 is against Jesus. 620 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:50,960 Therefore they're against us. 621 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:55,320 So he says, you, you do have enemies in the gospel, particularly 622 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:56,720 the people that are rejecting Jesus. 623 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,320 But as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's 624 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:01,680 sake. 625 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,360 And so what is he saying here? 626 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:08,370 He's saying this, though the Jews that are rejecting the Lord 627 00:29:08,370 --> 00:29:10,090 at this point are against you. 628 00:29:10,090 --> 00:29:12,930 And they are resistant to the gospel and they're resistant to the 629 00:29:12,930 --> 00:29:13,370 movement. 630 00:29:13,690 --> 00:29:17,690 There's still hope for them because of the Father's sake. 631 00:29:17,690 --> 00:29:20,530 Now, that's not talking about God the Father, that's talking about 632 00:29:20,530 --> 00:29:22,730 the patriarchs, the ones who came before them. 633 00:29:22,970 --> 00:29:25,650 And so essentially, that God still has a plan for them because 634 00:29:25,650 --> 00:29:26,330 of their history. 635 00:29:26,330 --> 00:29:29,050 God has a plan for them because of their election, because 636 00:29:29,050 --> 00:29:31,450 of their selection for a specific purpose. 637 00:29:32,010 --> 00:29:34,650 And so God's gifts and talents. 638 00:29:35,050 --> 00:29:37,890 God's gifts and callings are irrevocable. 639 00:29:37,890 --> 00:29:38,730 Verse 29. 640 00:29:38,810 --> 00:29:42,090 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 641 00:29:42,170 --> 00:29:45,410 That doesn't mean that when God calls us and gives us a gift 642 00:29:45,410 --> 00:29:46,490 that we're not repentant. 643 00:29:46,490 --> 00:29:48,810 What that means is that God doesn't pull back the gifts that 644 00:29:48,810 --> 00:29:49,850 he's already extended. 645 00:29:50,090 --> 00:29:54,210 So just as God has saved us and gifted us, he doesn't pull those 646 00:29:54,210 --> 00:29:54,570 back. 647 00:29:55,450 --> 00:29:57,930 You know, there could be a person who thinks that. 648 00:29:57,930 --> 00:29:58,680 Well, know what? 649 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,600 There's a time where I was saved and there was a time where 650 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,200 God gave me the gift of this, but now he's pulled that back. 651 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,480 He doesn't want me to have that. 652 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,560 Well, the truth is, is that, yes, God might change the perspective 653 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:10,160 that you have. 654 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,520 You might not be able to do the things that you used to do for 655 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:12,800 Him. 656 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,120 But God has never pulled back the gift of salvation. 657 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,640 God has never called back, pulled back the purpose of the church, 658 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,320 and that is to proclaim the truth of God. 659 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,920 And so that's the same thing for the nation of Israel. 660 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,520 And so what we see in this case is that as. 661 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:30,040 As a church, we are living, and many people disagree with this 662 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,480 phraseology, but we are living in the age of the church. 663 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,440 We're living in the age of grace. 664 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,960 We're living in the age of God's patience. 665 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,880 But One day, God's patience, and when that is, I don't know, but 666 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,160 that will run out and God will bring about judgment upon all of 667 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:45,400 those that are in unbelief. 668 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,160 And we as the church have a responsibility to be busy about that 669 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:49,640 right now. 670 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,400 And you know, there's a lot of people that have a lot of opinions 671 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,440 about what happens in the end times. 672 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,200 And if we're in the end times now, I can tell you, theologically 673 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,080 speaking, we are in the end times. 674 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,760 It started at the time where Jesus ascended to heaven. 675 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,200 That process, that clock started ticking. 676 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,160 And all those things that are being described in the Old, in the 677 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,280 New Testament about the end times, about the way that there's 678 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,440 going to be apostasy and there's going to be people loving 679 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,320 themselves, and there's going to be people that are, are, are pulling 680 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,840 together, pastors and preachers that will tickle their 681 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:20,280 ears. 682 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:21,360 That's all happening. 683 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,640 And what happens is, is that we believe that the, the end times 684 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,000 are in somewhat of birth pangs, right? 685 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,080 And so we're seeing waves of the end times. 686 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,520 Now someone might say, do we have 50 years? 687 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,240 I have no idea if we have 50 years, 50 minutes, 50 seconds, or, 688 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:36,440 or 5,000 years. 689 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,280 But the reality is, is that we're closer every single day. 690 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,600 And the Bible says that we should be busy about the time that 691 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:43,120 we have. 692 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,680 We, we were just as lost as anybody else. 693 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,200 And you say, no, I grew up in church. 694 00:31:47,530 --> 00:31:48,890 No, I've always been a good person. 695 00:31:49,050 --> 00:31:51,370 The Bible says it's not about being a good person. 696 00:31:52,410 --> 00:31:55,530 For all have fallen short of the glory of God, for all of sin 697 00:31:55,530 --> 00:31:56,650 and fallen short of the glory of God. 698 00:31:56,730 --> 00:32:00,410 So even if I was saved at a young age and really didn't go into 699 00:32:00,410 --> 00:32:03,730 a life of debauchery and rebellion, the Bible says I was just 700 00:32:03,730 --> 00:32:05,770 as lost as anybody else. 701 00:32:05,850 --> 00:32:09,530 And the Bible says that the power of the Gospel is so powerful, 702 00:32:09,850 --> 00:32:12,570 Romans, chapter 1, verse 16, that it can change us. 703 00:32:12,570 --> 00:32:13,810 It brings salvation to us. 704 00:32:13,810 --> 00:32:17,350 So the person who is in terrible sin, what do we do? 705 00:32:17,350 --> 00:32:20,230 We remind ourselves of who we were before we were saved and how 706 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:21,150 God changed us. 707 00:32:21,310 --> 00:32:23,830 And that brings us all the more reason to preach the Gospel 708 00:32:23,830 --> 00:32:24,270 to people. 709 00:32:24,590 --> 00:32:27,430 Think of, think about, think about the guy writing these very 710 00:32:27,430 --> 00:32:32,710 words in Romans, who was Paul before he got saved. 711 00:32:32,710 --> 00:32:34,750 He was a persecutor of Christians. 712 00:32:34,830 --> 00:32:36,270 He was killing Christians. 713 00:32:36,350 --> 00:32:39,150 He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. 714 00:32:39,310 --> 00:32:42,510 And so if anybody knows the power of the Gospel, it's Paul. 715 00:32:44,090 --> 00:32:46,810 And that's why Paul is so compelled to preach to the people 716 00:32:46,810 --> 00:32:47,690 who did not believe. 717 00:32:47,690 --> 00:32:52,250 And folks, we can look at people as our enemies that are in 718 00:32:52,250 --> 00:32:55,970 sin and that are unsaved, or we can look at them as folks who 719 00:32:55,970 --> 00:32:59,890 need the gospel and who are in the same place that we were in before 720 00:32:59,890 --> 00:33:03,410 we came to the gospel and have a desire to share with them the truth 721 00:33:03,410 --> 00:33:04,330 of Jesus Christ. 722 00:33:04,570 --> 00:33:05,730 Verse 31. 723 00:33:05,730 --> 00:33:10,660 He says, Even so, these also now believed, now not believed, that 724 00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:13,500 through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 725 00:33:13,500 --> 00:33:13,820 Meaning. 726 00:33:13,820 --> 00:33:16,900 This verse 31 tells us something very interesting. 727 00:33:18,180 --> 00:33:23,060 God allows the Gentiles to be saved so that those who don't have 728 00:33:23,060 --> 00:33:26,580 the gospel at that time, the Jewish people could see the mercy 729 00:33:26,580 --> 00:33:28,100 of God and then believe in it. 730 00:33:28,660 --> 00:33:32,900 Mercy triumphs as the centerpiece of redemption. 731 00:33:33,300 --> 00:33:34,220 So verse 32. 732 00:33:34,220 --> 00:33:38,690 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, meaning all of us 733 00:33:38,690 --> 00:33:39,570 have started there. 734 00:33:40,050 --> 00:33:43,330 Everyone who was ever born starts in the default setting of 735 00:33:43,330 --> 00:33:43,970 unbelief. 736 00:33:43,970 --> 00:33:47,210 Now, there's a lot of questions about when a person becomes 737 00:33:47,210 --> 00:33:50,010 responsible for the decisions that they make and the belief that 738 00:33:50,010 --> 00:33:50,450 they have. 739 00:33:51,010 --> 00:33:54,089 And I don't have all those answers, but what I do know is that 740 00:33:54,089 --> 00:33:56,850 Scripture tells us that when we are at that appropriate age and 741 00:33:56,850 --> 00:34:00,930 ability to know that we have a decision to make. 742 00:34:00,930 --> 00:34:05,080 The Bible says all of us are in that place of needing mercy. 743 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:06,660 All, all of us are in unbelief. 744 00:34:06,740 --> 00:34:10,540 And then what's the remedy to that at the end of verse 32, that 745 00:34:10,540 --> 00:34:12,980 he might have mercy upon all? 746 00:34:13,140 --> 00:34:16,460 It's so all of us are in unbelief, so that the mercy of God 747 00:34:16,460 --> 00:34:18,500 can be seen through our transformation. 748 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:21,620 So what does salvation do? 749 00:34:21,620 --> 00:34:22,660 Well, salvation does a lot. 750 00:34:22,660 --> 00:34:24,740 Salvation saves us from destruction. 751 00:34:24,740 --> 00:34:29,540 Salvation saves us from hell and punishment forever. 752 00:34:29,860 --> 00:34:33,220 But salvation also magnifies the mercy of God. 753 00:34:33,650 --> 00:34:37,530 Not the mercy of Pastor Josh, not the mercy of Paul, not the mercy 754 00:34:37,530 --> 00:34:40,010 of anybody, but the mercy of God. 755 00:34:40,010 --> 00:34:43,970 And so the salvation message is a message of mercy and grace only 756 00:34:43,970 --> 00:34:44,850 through Jesus Christ. 757 00:34:44,850 --> 00:34:46,610 And we have no reason to boast. 758 00:34:46,610 --> 00:34:49,730 And sometimes our pride holds us back from doing things that God 759 00:34:49,730 --> 00:34:50,690 has called us to do. 760 00:34:51,010 --> 00:34:53,970 For example, preaching the Gospel to people who are not like 761 00:34:53,970 --> 00:34:56,690 us, preaching the gospel to people who are in rebellion. 762 00:34:56,690 --> 00:34:59,570 The Bible says it's our pride that brings us to a place of not 763 00:34:59,570 --> 00:35:00,130 doing that. 764 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,640 And some might say, well, it's not my pride, it's my fear. 765 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:03,840 I'm just afraid. 766 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,800 Well, in many ways, that fear is tied to pride. 767 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:07,040 Why? 768 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,080 Because it's that I need to protect myself. 769 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,600 I need to have nobody say anything harmful to me. 770 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,400 The Bible says that we must extend ourselves in faith and in 771 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:19,160 believing in him to understand that everybody needs the mercy of 772 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:19,520 God. 773 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:25,080 And so salvation magnifies the mercy and grace of God and God alone. 774 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:31,370 Not the messenger, not, not, not the movement, but of the Messiah. 775 00:35:31,530 --> 00:35:36,330 And so therefore, as we see Romans chapter 11 coming to a conclusion, 776 00:35:36,330 --> 00:35:39,770 we see that throughout all of this, Paul is essentially just giving 777 00:35:39,770 --> 00:35:43,650 the Gospel and explaining the role of the Gentile, explaining the 778 00:35:43,650 --> 00:35:46,570 role of the nation of Israel, and saying that there's still a plan 779 00:35:46,570 --> 00:35:48,730 for them, and we can't give up on that. 780 00:35:48,970 --> 00:35:52,210 But at the same time, we have to understand that the only way that 781 00:35:52,210 --> 00:35:55,570 they come to belief, the only way that they come to salvation is 782 00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:56,490 through Jesus. 783 00:35:56,970 --> 00:36:00,330 And so our prayer for the world, our prayer for our community, 784 00:36:00,730 --> 00:36:04,090 our prayer for our family, should be that we all experience 785 00:36:04,250 --> 00:36:07,850 what it means to know the mercy and grace of God and to rest 786 00:36:07,850 --> 00:36:11,610 in that and then not boast in anything other than as Paul says, 787 00:36:11,690 --> 00:36:13,530 save in the cross of Jesus Christ. 788 00:36:14,330 --> 00:36:16,850 So next week we'll come back and we'll look at Romans chapter 789 00:36:16,850 --> 00:36:19,930 11, and we'll go through verses 33 through 36. 790 00:36:19,930 --> 00:36:23,580 And really, I'm going to tell you, those last few verses, there 791 00:36:23,900 --> 00:36:28,820 are an amazing theological doxology of how we should worship 792 00:36:28,820 --> 00:36:29,260 the Lord. 793 00:36:29,340 --> 00:36:31,620 And when we come back, we're going to look at that, because that's 794 00:36:31,620 --> 00:36:34,540 really what Paul's culmination of all of this is. 795 00:36:34,940 --> 00:36:38,860 When we understand God's faithfulness, when we understand 796 00:36:39,100 --> 00:36:42,700 God's grace, when we understand God's mercy, His love, 797 00:36:43,020 --> 00:36:44,940 his plan, his. 798 00:36:44,940 --> 00:36:51,050 His goodness and his severity, what's the only logical response? 799 00:36:51,610 --> 00:36:55,210 Well, the only biblically logical response is for us to worship 800 00:36:55,450 --> 00:36:58,650 to us, to praise, to die to self. 801 00:36:58,810 --> 00:36:59,210 As. 802 00:36:59,370 --> 00:37:03,130 As John the Baptist said, he must increase, I must decrease. 803 00:37:04,090 --> 00:37:06,530 And so here this morning, the challenge would be this. 804 00:37:06,530 --> 00:37:08,490 The call to action is this. 805 00:37:09,530 --> 00:37:13,530 Do we, number one, boast in anything outside of the cross? 806 00:37:14,180 --> 00:37:18,500 Do we boast in anything in our personal lives, boasting in ourselves, 807 00:37:18,580 --> 00:37:21,780 boasting in our selfishness, boasting in our flesh? 808 00:37:21,860 --> 00:37:24,260 Or do we give all the glory to the Lord? 809 00:37:24,980 --> 00:37:28,180 Folks, if I'm honest, there's times in my life where I don't boast 810 00:37:28,180 --> 00:37:30,340 in the Lord, I boast in something else. 811 00:37:30,740 --> 00:37:33,700 Therefore, the Bible says that we can come to him and we can trust 812 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:36,500 in him and we can repent and we can turn our hearts to Him. 813 00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:39,620 And the second part of this is, where is our heart when it comes 814 00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:40,820 to sharing the Gospel? 815 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,000 Do we share it with our enemies? 816 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,800 Do we share it with those who are difficult? 817 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,880 Do we share with those who look different than us, talk different 818 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:50,440 than us, seem hopeless? 819 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,880 But what the Bible says is that there is hope for those who 820 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:54,760 are hardened. 821 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:58,640 There is hope for those who have come to a place that are partially 822 00:37:58,640 --> 00:37:59,320 blinded. 823 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,200 The blindness for Israel is partial and it's temporary. 824 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,600 And one day there will be a great revival. 825 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:10,090 And one day there will be celebration in that, and we'll be 826 00:38:10,090 --> 00:38:12,930 able to see God's full plan coming to pass. 827 00:38:13,170 --> 00:38:14,610 But until then, we trust. 828 00:38:14,610 --> 00:38:15,650 Until then we believe. 829 00:38:16,050 --> 00:38:19,290 Until then, we continue to do the work that he has called us to 830 00:38:19,290 --> 00:38:19,570 do. 831 00:38:20,290 --> 00:38:22,970 And so are we celebrating the faithfulness of God? 832 00:38:22,970 --> 00:38:26,130 Are we celebrating the goodness of God? 833 00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:30,050 Are we celebrating the severity of God, the judgment of 834 00:38:30,050 --> 00:38:30,250 God? 835 00:38:30,250 --> 00:38:32,370 Often we don't celebrate the judgment of God. 836 00:38:32,690 --> 00:38:35,850 But what I will tell you is that just as much as we celebrate 837 00:38:35,850 --> 00:38:39,330 the goodness of God, we should celebrate the severity of God. 838 00:38:39,330 --> 00:38:39,650 Why? 839 00:38:39,730 --> 00:38:43,050 Because the severity of God shows God's complete holiness upon 840 00:38:43,050 --> 00:38:43,330 us. 841 00:38:43,650 --> 00:38:46,810 And I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness to me. 842 00:38:46,810 --> 00:38:49,410 I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness to you. 843 00:38:49,570 --> 00:38:50,170 And I'm. 844 00:38:50,170 --> 00:38:52,650 I'm thankful for those times in my life where God convicted my 845 00:38:52,650 --> 00:38:54,130 heart and changed my heart. 846 00:38:54,209 --> 00:38:57,210 And I hope that's something that you're embracing in your life 847 00:38:57,210 --> 00:38:57,810 as well. 848 00:38:58,370 --> 00:38:59,970 And so God is faithful. 849 00:39:00,450 --> 00:39:03,930 Are we magnifying God's mercy, or are we magnifying something else 850 00:39:03,930 --> 00:39:04,450 in our life? 851 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:06,960 What do I mean by magnifying? 852 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:08,400 What. 853 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:10,880 What are we making important in our life? 854 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:12,360 What are we celebrating? 855 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:13,520 What are we talking about? 856 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:14,800 What. 857 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:16,640 What are we spending our time on? 858 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,000 For me, I spend time on things that I love. 859 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:25,520 I. I spend time on things that I feel are giving me the best benefit. 860 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,680 And if I believe that God has changed me, if I believe that the 861 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,160 greatest thing that I can have in my life is a relationship with 862 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,260 God, that's what's going to be magnified. 863 00:39:35,660 --> 00:39:39,740 That's what's going to be the final authority on faith and practice. 864 00:39:39,980 --> 00:39:42,340 And so here this morning, I challenge you all to think about 865 00:39:42,340 --> 00:39:42,620 that. 866 00:39:42,620 --> 00:39:44,500 I challenge myself to think about that. 867 00:39:44,500 --> 00:39:47,420 And as we come to the end of Romans chapter 11, hopefully next 868 00:39:47,420 --> 00:39:51,460 week we'll all come in with that spirit of worship and just talk 869 00:39:51,460 --> 00:39:55,980 about how great and how big and how loving and how powerful God 870 00:39:55,980 --> 00:39:56,300 is. 871 00:39:56,620 --> 00:39:58,820 And I hope that's something that all of us can do throughout 872 00:39:58,820 --> 00:39:59,980 our week here this week as well. 873 00:40:00,330 --> 00:40:02,850 If you're able to stand with me, every head bowed, every eye closed, 874 00:40:02,850 --> 00:40:06,130 as the music plays here this morning, we're going to have an opportunity 875 00:40:06,130 --> 00:40:09,050 to respond to the word of God here today. 876 00:40:10,330 --> 00:40:14,170 There's been a lot of information given this morning, whether 877 00:40:14,170 --> 00:40:17,930 it be through the nation of Israel or through the Gentile Church, 878 00:40:17,930 --> 00:40:22,330 or through what Paul was writing about the enemy of the Gospel 879 00:40:22,330 --> 00:40:23,890 and being grafted in. 880 00:40:23,890 --> 00:40:26,370 And I know there's so much that you could be processing right 881 00:40:26,370 --> 00:40:31,270 now, but I do believe that God speaks to us in very clear ways. 882 00:40:31,270 --> 00:40:34,630 And so if God is clearly speaking to you about something this 883 00:40:34,630 --> 00:40:37,550 morning, whether it be the gospel, whether it be your faith, 884 00:40:37,550 --> 00:40:40,870 whether it be your appreciation of the mercy and grace 885 00:40:40,870 --> 00:40:44,110 of God, whether it be your boasting or your pride, whether it 886 00:40:44,110 --> 00:40:47,150 be you are sharing your faith to those around you, I don't know 887 00:40:47,150 --> 00:40:50,390 what it might be here this morning, but God might be speaking 888 00:40:50,390 --> 00:40:51,390 to you here today. 889 00:40:51,870 --> 00:40:55,440 And what I would encourage you to do is to follow in that, to get 890 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,280 before him, and we even use the word here this morning. 891 00:40:58,280 --> 00:40:58,920 Revival. 892 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,000 There will be a great revival in the nation of Israel. 893 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,400 And where does that revival come from? 894 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:04,120 Through Jesus. 895 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:06,640 Maybe you need that revival in your heart. 896 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:08,840 Maybe you've just been feeling in a spiritual rut. 897 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:11,920 Maybe you've been feeling discouraged, maybe you've been feeling 898 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:12,440 confused. 899 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,560 Maybe you've just been feeling apathetic about the things of God 900 00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:16,120 today. 901 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:16,920 Come back. 902 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,160 And it's not about being more churched. 903 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:21,720 It's not about being more religious. 904 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:22,000 It's about. 905 00:41:22,230 --> 00:41:23,670 About having more Jesus. 906 00:41:23,670 --> 00:41:27,310 It's about tapping into what he is for you in your life. 907 00:41:27,310 --> 00:41:31,190 And so if you need Jesus this morning by way of salvation, come 908 00:41:31,190 --> 00:41:31,510 forward. 909 00:41:31,670 --> 00:41:34,550 We can show you in the word of God what it means to know Jesus and 910 00:41:34,630 --> 00:41:36,230 start a relationship with Him. 911 00:41:36,390 --> 00:41:38,870 But maybe you have a relationship, but that relationship 912 00:41:38,870 --> 00:41:40,470 is lacking right now. 913 00:41:41,190 --> 00:41:44,390 Well, you don't have to get resaved again, but it's a rededication 914 00:41:44,630 --> 00:41:47,430 to Jesus and to renew that relationship with Him. 915 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,800 If any of us in this room are married, we all understand there's 916 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,680 a time and a place that we were excited in our wedding day, 917 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,000 but there's going to be times and places where we have to come 918 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:59,280 back to that love and restore that love and renew that love. 919 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:01,680 Sometimes that's what happens within our relationship with the 920 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:02,000 Lord. 921 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:05,320 So maybe today you just want to refresh and renew that relationship 922 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,720 with him so that you can do the things that he's called you to 923 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:11,280 do so that you can proclaim his word to a lost and dying world. 924 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:12,800 Lord, I pray that you'd be with us today. 925 00:42:13,290 --> 00:42:15,450 Lord, thank you for giving us your mercy and grace. 926 00:42:15,930 --> 00:42:17,970 But I pray that we can live in light of that. 927 00:42:17,970 --> 00:42:20,370 Never boasting in anything other than what you have done for 928 00:42:20,370 --> 00:42:20,650 us. 929 00:42:21,130 --> 00:42:22,770 We thank you Lord. 930 00:42:22,770 --> 00:42:23,170 We love you. 931 00:42:23,170 --> 00:42:25,770 I pray that you be in the hearts of these people here today. 932 00:42:25,850 --> 00:42:29,690 Challenge us, encourage us, comfort us. 933 00:42:30,170 --> 00:42:32,010 And so Lord we just thank you for all that you do. 934 00:42:32,010 --> 00:42:33,690 I pray that you be in this time of invitation. 935 00:42:33,930 --> 00:42:35,050 Jesus name Amen. 936 00:42:35,050 --> 00:42:37,450 As the music plays follow as the Lord leads us here this morning. 937 00:44:39,020 --> 00:44:41,500 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 938 00:44:41,500 --> 00:44:42,140 podcast. 939 00:44:42,380 --> 00:44:44,700 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 940 00:44:45,500 --> 00:44:47,700 You would like to find out more information about our church 941 00:44:47,700 --> 00:44:51,160 or this sermon you can find us at middletown baptist church.org 942 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:53,960 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 943 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:59,640 You can also email me directly at Josh massaroiddletownbaptistchurch.com 944 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:01,800 if you've enjoyed this podcast. 945 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:06,439 Please subscribe and follow along for future podcast and updates. 946 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:08,040 Thank you so much. 947 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:09,000 God Bless. 948 00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:10,520 Have a wonderful day.