in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 9, Romans chapter 9. Please give careful attention to the reading of God's very word. I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. Who is God over all, blessed forever? Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. but through Isaac shall be your offspring named. This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said. About this time next year, I will return and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls, she was told, The older will serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then, is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up. that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay, To make out of the same lump one vessel For honorable use, and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory? Even us whom He has called not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. As indeed he says in Hosea, those who were not my people I will call my people, and her who was not beloved I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay. And as Isaiah predicted, if the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah. What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is a righteousness that is by faith, but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone as it is written. Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandment shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have. for their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation. With a foolish nation, I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel, he says, all day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. I asked then, Has God rejected his people? By no means, for I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? Lord, they've killed your prophets, they've demolished your altars, and I alone am left and they seek my life. What is God's reply to him? I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written. God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day. And David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see and bend their backs forever. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means. Rather, through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? Now I am speaking to you Gentiles, and as much then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others, and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God. Severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you. Provided you continue in his kindness, otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, How much more will these than natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree? Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved as it is written. The Deliverer will come from Zion. He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As regards to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience. So they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. how unsearchable are his judgments, and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor, or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. That ends the reading of God's very Word. Let's pray. Father, we pray that as we look at this overview of this amazing portion of the book of Romans, your amazing book to the church at Rome, which is your eternal word, which is part of your amazing word from Genesis to Revelation. Indeed, Lord, you would press the gospel upon our hearts and that we would see you. More of your glory, more of your power, more of your sovereign work and plan. And we would be humbled before you. And we would be thrilled with who you are and amazed at your grace. and captivated anew by your love. And we would break out in humble faith in you, Lord Jesus, and joy and comfort and confidence and praise and wonder as you take the word of your mouth and press it upon our hearts The Lord bless us not only as individuals, but as families and as a congregation. Have mercy upon our nation. Have mercy upon the other nations of the world. Thank you that you're at work. Thank you that you have a plan for history. Thank you that your gospel indeed is your power unto salvation. In Jesus we pray, amen. This section is like a bite that is so big you can't get it all in your mouth at one time. This section of the book of Romans is so amazing it would not do it justice to just look at one little verse. And so we're going to look at all three chapters in the next 10 minutes. Now we're not finished when we just do this flyover for the next few minutes. But I think it is very, very important for us to look at the theme of these three chapters again. Now, we began looking at this in a sense, but we didn't read the whole section together. And I don't know what struck you as we read, but every time I look at this section, Where do you stop? When I was in English class, one of my teachers in high school loved to ding me for my run-on sentences. And if I had only known about the writings of the Apostle Paul in detail, I would have at least had an argument. Because this whole section just flows one powerful truth built upon another, upon another, upon another. And we want to be very, very careful that we don't misunderstand any of the particulars that he is saying. This section of scripture is either generally in our culture treated with one of two ways, wrongly. It's either neglected or there are people who have come up with all kinds of bizarre arguments to try to get around the clear, plain teaching of the argument of the Apostle Paul speaking by God the Holy Spirit. And so the things that we're going to look at in these chapters may be very new to your ears. I dare say very few here today have heard sermons going through this section, particularly if you grew up. I grew up in a Presbyterian church. I never heard these verses even ever referred to in all the years that I went to Sunday school and church, ever. Why? We're going to look at an overview. I want you to look in chapter 9. You remember the Apostle Paul begins this section by burying his heart. And he says, oh, if it would be possible for me to experience the eternal wrath of God so that my fellow kinsmen, according to the flesh, could be saved, I would do so. That's how this section of Romans begins. And then we saw in verses 4 and 5 last week the incredible privilege that the children of Israel had present in the Apostle Paul's day, looking back over their history of what God had blessed them with to know the gospel, to see the person and work of Christ predicted, for then, who has now come in the fullness of time, the Apostle Paul says. He is none other than God over all, who is blessed forever. That's who the Christ is. He is God who has come and taken on human flesh. Well, look at verse 6, because here is the heart of the matter, but it is not as though the Word of God has failed. You remember we saw from Romans chapter one that the theme of the book of Romans is the Apostle Paul says, you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. I've heard, I'm excited to come and to share with you more of the glory of Christ. But I wanted to write this letter to you. And this letter is all about the gospel. In chapter 1, verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. And so for eight chapters, the Apostle Paul had built and explained this glorious gospel. And now he comes to answer the problem of Israel's unbelief. If the gospel is so great, if Jesus is such a wonderful Savior, then what do you say, Paul? What do you say, Scoffer? at the fact that the vast majority in the Apostle Paul's day, and even down to this day, who are physical descendants of Abraham, have rejected this gospel, have rejected this glorious Savior. What do you say? And so at the beginning now of this section, we see the Apostle Paul declaring, it is not as though the Word of God has failed. And these next three chapters are going to be the proof of that statement. These next three chapters are going to be the Apostle Paul's argumentation in great magnificent detail proving that God's gospel indeed is his power unto salvation and just because the vast majority of the physical descendants of Abraham have not yet embraced Messiah is no argument against the power of the gospel. And the Apostle Paul in chapter 9 declares very simply, God saves whom he is pleased to save. God is not caught unaware of this controversy. This was the plan of God. God saves those that He is pleased to save. And we see over and over in the verses of chapter 9, the Apostle Paul coming back to this truth. that God saves whom he is pleased to save. Look at verse 14. What then shall we say? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then, He has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills. That's what chapter 9 is presenting. You want to know the answer to, well, how do we explain so many physical descendants of Abraham who don't believe in Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and Lord? It is because it was not God's good pleasure to rescue them. You will say to me then, why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? What will what is molded say to its molder? Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump? one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use. What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He has called? So, beginning next week, we're going to dig into chapter nine, and we'll look at the details of these arguments where the Apostle Paul, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is proving that God is saving whom he pleases to save. Romans chapter 10, The Lord again begins this chapter, brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them. And who's the them? His kinsmen according to the flesh. And the apostle Paul says, it is my heart's desire for their salvation. My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." You see, Romans chapter 10 is the Apostle Paul saying, well the problem is not that the Jews did not know the gospel. He hammers over and over through this whole chapter that they were confronted with the truth. as no other people had ever had privilege, as we saw last Lord's Day, looking at Romans 9 verses 4 and 5. And Romans chapter 9 tells us that God saves whom He sovereignly wills to save, and Romans 10 declares that God freely offers the gospel calling all men everywhere to repent. A lot of people think it's one or the other, but Holy Scripture teaches us that yes, God has a people that He has chosen and He is going to save His elect sheep and Our job is to proclaim the gospel, calling people, all people around us to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. And Romans chapter 10 is the argument from the Old Testament that that is how it has always been. that as God had revealed his glory through all of those Old Testament shadows and the sacrificial system and the prophets and the people that he had sent over and over, God was calling them to the Christ. But they stumbled over the stumbling stone. And it was not because they had not heard the gospel. It is because of the hardness of their heart. They rejected the message of life and hope. They rejected the fountain of life. Verse 18 of Romans 10, but I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have. Do you see his argument? Do you see how he's saying, look, the problem is not that God has done anything wrong, the problem is that These people's heart were so hard, they rejected the very one who could give them life. Look at the end of chapter 10. But of Israel, he says, all day long, and who's he? God Almighty. All day long I, who's the I? God. All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. Now you talk about a testimony of the horror of the plight of mankind apart from the grace of God. This ought to cause us to tremble. Of all the people in the history of the world, there is one group of people who should have run to Jesus of Nazareth. There is one group of people that should have delighted to give themselves to the Lord of Glory. But they rejected. in the most powerful, clear presentation of the truth. A testimony of the hardness of men's hearts. Well, you might think, then God's through with them. And here in Romans chapter 11, What an amazing God the God of the Bible is, because Romans chapter 11, the Apostle Paul anticipates. You're thinking, well, if they're that hard, then there's no future. But he says just the opposite. He says, I want you to see that even though at the present time there may be few, just like in Elijah's day. And you remember what Elijah thought? What he said, and it's recorded in Romans 11, Lord, they've killed your prophets, they've demolished all of your altars, and I'll own him left, and they're trying to kill me. And after I'm gone, there won't be any who love you left. And the Lord says to him, Elijah, I have kept for myself 7,000 men in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal. You may not know about them or see them, but I am at work. And so, God says at the present time, I have saved a remnant of these physical descendants of Abraham, and before history's over, I'm going to do an amazing work. He says, I want you to understand that it was my design that through their rejection of Messiah that riches would come to the world. Look at verse 11. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? This is Romans 11. By no means, rather through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles. so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, what was their trespass? Rejecting Messiah. That was their trespass. That was their horrifying sin that even though Messiah comes in the fullness of time and walks God in the flesh walking in their midst, they rejected Him. It wasn't an accident. You remember Acts 2? The Apostle Peter preaching, he said, this man, Jesus, delivered up according to what? The predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. You, these unbelieving Jews, took by the hands of godless men, the Romans, and you crucified him. But death could not hold him. He came forth on the third day. He's exalted at the Father's right hand. And the reality of what they had done came upon them. And that day there were 3,000 that were saved. They said, what must we do to be right with God? And Peter tells them to repent and believe in Jesus. Well, here in Romans 11, the Apostle Paul says, it was the plan of God, and God yet has an amazing plan for the physical descendants of Abraham. Look at verse 12. Now, if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? And then he talks about how that it was the plan of God to cause the Gentiles to be the ones who would embrace in huge numbers Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. And as the Jews in time, in history, look at the blessing of God upon the goyim, these yucky Gentiles, they will be moved to jealousy and they'll go, you know, It's obvious the blessing of God Almighty is upon these Gentiles. Why? How? Jesus of Nazareth. And the Lord's going to open their eyes and they will repent en masse. and embrace Jesus as Messiah and what will happen to the world when that takes place. He says it will be like a revival from the dead for the world, the whole world will experience this incredible awakening and revival and blessing. Look at verse 13, now I am speaking to you Gentiles inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order to somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them for if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead for the world? If their rejection meant Reconciliation for the world. Reconciliation with God. What will their acceptance mean for the world? But life from the dead. It will be a revival. We talk about revivals. We haven't seen nothing yet. This is describing an incredible revival. The Lord then talks about the olive tree of his people. God has a people. And the natural branches were broken off because of their unbelief. And Gentiles, we, or as we would say, usans, who are wild olive shoots, contrary to nature. By the grace of God, as we believe in Jesus, we've been grafted where? Into the tree of God's people. And the Lord says two things. He says, look, understand how you got there. understand how you're going to stay there. Simple, childlike faith in the Lamb of God. And how did that happen? The sovereign grace of God. We stand by God's grace, by His mercy, And he says, don't be arrogant toward these natural branches. They were broken off by, because of their unbelief. We stand just by God's kindness. And God is able to graft them in again. And he will, in his good time. And between now and then, what does God want us to be doing? believing in Jesus, living for Him, and seeking to make the Jews around us jealous. Now let me ask you, you look at the state of the church in our country, how many people do you think are getting jealous as they look at the church? The church is in great need of Jesus' saving presence and of Him grabbing hold of us and growing us and transforming us. When people look at your family, do they see the glory of Jesus and is it moving them to jealousy and they go, You people love each other. That's crazy. How can you do that? I mean, all we do is fuss and fight. How can you love each other? And it gives you the opportunity to tell them about who. Let me tell you about my Jesus. I was left to myself. You wouldn't like me. But because he has come and captured me by his spirit, I'm a new creation in Christ. Well, the Apostle Paul ends this whole section by doing what? Just breaking out into praise. He says, what a God we have. That God is at work. And so that's an overview of these three chapters. And we're going to go through and look at verse by verse and try to be faithful to accurately understand what does God mean by these words. We're not going to be appealing to all kinds of extra biblical material. We're just going to be looking at the scriptures. What does God Almighty say? But that's the overview. And I pray that God will encourage you this day, child of God. If you love Jesus, keep clinging to him, keep praying, keep standing for him, keep seeking to grow, to love him more and better and pray. Lord, I pray for my Jewish neighbors and friends and I pray that they would come to see the beauty of Jesus. And Lord, I pray that you would clean this pitiful mirror up. Lord, clean this mirror, clean the mirror of my life up more so that Jesus is more clearly reflected. Lord, bless our homes to reflect the glory of Jesus better so that the world sees. the reality of who Jesus really is. Lord, bless our church families so that when people look at us, they'll say what they did in the days of the early church, when the old pagan Roman emperor, he said, oh, I just hate these Christians. They treat their enemies better than we treat our friends. What a testimony. See how they love one another. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, we thank you for this quick flyover that we have had the joy of looking at the big picture of your answer to the scoffers who would say that Jesus must not be much of a savior because of the huge number of physical descendants of Abraham who had and said still reject Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and Lord. And Father, we thank you for your word and we just bow before you. Lord, we pray that you would teach us to think your thoughts after you, and to see the beauty of Jesus, and to stand in amazement of your mighty, all-powerful, sovereign plan that you have revealed to us for history in these chapters. And Lord, that it would give us great comfort, it would give us great joy, it would give us humility, it would give us a desire to worship and praise you as never before. And so Lord, bless now as we continue to worship you, in Jesus we pray, amen.