Romans 11:17-24 (NIV)

Romans 11:17-24 (NIV)
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."
20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

It is my interpretation that when Paul is talking about the branches being grafted in that he is talking about the church. The branches that were broken off were the nation of Israel as a channel of redemption to the world. The new way of reaching people for Christ and bringing God's glory to this earth is through the church. In verses 20-22 it looks as if Paul is teaching that we as individuals can lose our salvation. That would be true if he were talking about individuals and not God's overall plan for reaching His mission. God's plan certainly includes individuals, but the part about not becoming arrogant has to do with the church. If God corrected the original plan because His people would not obey do not think for a moment God will not correct His plans with the church, if we as the church do not do His work. In verse 23 Paul again addresses the issue of Israel as a nation and not just individuals. Israel will be coming back at the right time. Individual Jews can come to faith in Christ right now, as Paul came to faith. Even in the O.T. individual Gentiles came to faith in the Lord and were baptized to show their new life. It is the nation of Israel that has been set off to the side not individual Jews. It is the same with the church. God will set aside the church as a whole if we do not do what God asks us to do. This also applies to individuals because we must obey God and never become arrogant. Verse 22 is a great verse to help us grasp who God is to some degree. God is not some pushover as we see His sternness with Israel. We also see His kindness in reaching out to the "wild by nature" people and giving them a place in the cultivated olive tree. We serve a kind God who is also all powerful and holy through and through. It is only by His grace and mercy that we walk with Him.

Romans 11:11-16 (NIV)

Romans 11:11-16 (NIV)
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Where is Israel in God's plan? This is the question Paul is asking and answering. For your information there are two dominant theological paradigms in the American church. One is called "Covenant Theology" which says that the church is Israel. In other words, the one and only plan/church and Israel are really interchangeable terms. The other paradigm is called "Dispensationalism" which says the church and Israel are two separate entities. The Dispensationalists like to ask, "Did you sacrifice your lamb today?" and if you say 'no' then you are a Dispensationalist. Trust me there are extreme elements in each of these theological systems. I land in the Dispensationalist camp with what I call a modified version of their system. I believe when you read Romans 9-11 you cannot help but to see two ways that God was relating to His people and hence to the world. God has literally put Israel on the 'injured reserve'. The Gentiles were not even on the bench but now they are the starters! God is using this plan of reaching the Gentiles to arouse Israel to faith in Yahweh.

God has not forgotten His people, the Jews. In the book of Revelation, we see that God has a remnant of 144,000 Jews protected and ready to receive the Messiah. God wanted to use Israel to fill this earth with His glory and they went after other gods. God has now brought in the Gentiles by using the church in order to reveal His glory to the earth. Some theologians call this "the age of the church" while others call it "the age of grace." It is probably both in that God is revealing His grace through the church in Jesus Christ. We live in extraordinary times and for that we all should be grateful. We may be the generation to see Jesus come back and take His people home. These extraordinary times call for ordinary people to rise up above their circumstances and live out the purposes and plans of God in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8). Before I go, be sure to check out Paul's reasoning on the rejection of Israel as a blessing to the Gentiles. He comes back and lets us know that when Israel is reinstated what a blessing that will be for all of life. God is not finished with His people! AMEN!

Romans 11:7-10 (NIV)

Romans 11:7-10 (NIV)
7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."
9 And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."

Why did God seemingly just give up on some and others got in no matter what? I believe that Paul is back arguing about the whole package of Israel being hardened and not individuals. In the next verses Paul picks up the argument about the Gentiles being grafted into the vine which is Israel. You will see that Paul lets us know that if the church does not do its job, then that branch will be pulled out. The whole nation of Israel sought God's blessing, but on the whole they were disobedient. Israel sought God's presence in wrong way and paid a heavy price for it. There were those that God had set aside so that all Israel would not be lost. There are two lines of reasoning that Paul has to deal with in this letter of Romans. He has to deal with the individual as in Romans 10:10 "...that everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved." Then Paul has to deal with the Israel and church issue. Israel thought that the kingdom was going to come and Jesus announces at Peter's confession that he will build his church. What is a church? It wasn't long afterwards that Israel found out and they, for the most part, did not like it. They were going to lose their identity and yet, in Christ, they would find their true identity. Jesus was Israel's messiah. We got in on this by the grace of God!! Thank God He did not darken our eyes and allowed us in as who were, so far from His promises, to participate in His grand and glorious promises.

Romans 11:1-6 (NIV)

Romans 11:1-6 (NIV)
1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he appealed to God against Israel:
3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?
4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

This is a huge concern for people who call themselves followers of Christ. Here is why it should concern you. Does God reject His people? Does He choose people to follow Him and then arbitrarily turn His back on them? Why follow a God that is going to dump you? The answer of course is no, God has not rejected His people. Paul being a Jew of the Jews could say this with a lot of authority. God always protects a group that truly believe in Him. In the Scripture the term "a remnant" is used to describe that group of people. The question that is going to arise is how did they get in on this and the answer is God. God chose these people to make sure there was always going to be a witness. If it was left up to us it would not happen. They were chosen by the grace of God. I do believe they responded to God's grace out of obedience. It was not something that those particular people had done in order to get in on God's grace. If it was, as Paul argues, it would be of works and not of grace. Have you ever pondered why you are His child? Have you thought back to all the events that led up to you saying yes to Christ Jesus? Have you thought through as to why you are still a follower of Christ? Are you just lucky? You and I are a grace child. We have been adopted by our heavenly Father. Grace, grace, grace how stupendous is His grace! It is truly amazing grace.

As the earth can produce nothing unless it is fertilized by the sun, so we can do nothing without the grace of God.

Saint Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney (1786–1859)

Romans 10:16-21 (NIV)

Let's roam.

Romans 10:16-21 (NIV)
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."
20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."
21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

The message has to go out and that is job number one. After we do our part of getting out the message then our responsibility is almost done. We are not done if someone responds and they need more help to grow in their new found faith. However, if people do not respond we can do nothing for them except pray that God would open their hearts to His message. We have all felt the urge do something more, but in truth there is nothing we can do. Paul asks the question, "Did they (Israel) not hear?" and Paul answers with, "Of course they did." I think it is very important to read these verses carefully and see how they apply in your life and mission. I have seen people in Key West, Fla., Columbia, S.C., Sumter, S.C., Charlotte, N.C., Northbrook, Ill., Dallas, Texas, and in the Lake Country area who are so ready to hear the message and receive it that it blows my mind. The opposite has also been so true in all these places that people really don't want to have anything to do with Christ's message. In Isaiah we see where the Lord lets His people know that there will be a people that will believe and they don't have near the understanding of the Israelites. You can see why the Jews were so upset about this Gentile thing. The Gentiles didn't have a clue and now they are heading up the mission. Perhaps the saddest words in this passage are in verse 21 where we see God holding out His hand to the Jewish people who are disobedient and obstinate. Just because someone hears and has some degree of understanding does not mean they will respond to God and His message. There have been times in my life that I felt I let people down when they brought their friends to hear the Gospel to be presented by me and then nothing happened. I feel I have let down my own family, friends, etc., in my attempts to share my faith with them and then see no response. I think, to some degree, we have all felt that way at one time or another in our life. Yet, the Word of God is clear that we must present the Gospel in the clearest way possible and then leave the results with the Lord. For me that is easier said than done. Before I close did you get the irony of verse 20? God was found by those who did not seek Him. Go figure.

People say that it is so hard to bring Jesus Christ and present him before the lives of men today. Of course it is, it is so hard that it is impossible except by the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)

It is a great day to roam in Rome!

Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

This passage is used at mission conferences around the world. It should be used at mission conferences and it should be used in the local church. In Romans 1:16 we learned that the Gospel is the power of salvation unto all who believe. The theme of the book of Romans in this message is lived out by faith. Paul is bringing this passage right back to the theme of the book and asking some very pertinent questions. You can't call on one you have not believed. You can't even believe in something if you have not heard of it. People can't hear about it unless someone is sent to tell them. I believe in the missionary gift. I also believe that everyone is responsible to reach their friends, relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors. All of us have different gifts but we all have one mission and that is to tell the world about the Gospel of God! Now Paul comes back to the Israelites to say they have heard and they have rejected. This is very hard for all of us. We have friends, relatives etc., who have heard and as far as we can tell they have rejected or at least shown no interest. I believe in the fertile ground principle. When Jesus was teaching about the seed being sown by the farmer he talked about the soil being ready. The seed is good, but for a seed to grow it must have good soil. The good soil is the hearts of those where the seed of the Gospel is sown. I believe we must pray and find out where the good soil is for sowing the Gospel and then pour our resources there in those people. We can't afford to keep sowing good seed into the bad soil. Where does faith come from in order to believe? Faith comes from hearing the message. Even for the believer we must hear the message again and again in order for our faith to grow and be sustained. We must tell people the message of Christ if they are ever to believe. When is the last time you shared your testimony with an unbeliever? When is the last time you really shared the message of Christ with an unchurched person? I have to constantly be on my toes about this action step in my life. It is easy for me to get up and share from the so-called pulpit compared to my sitting down face to face with someone and sharing Christ's message. Let us help one another in this arena.

The church is under orders. Evangelistic inactivity is disobedience.

John R. W. Stott (1921– )

Romans 10:5-13 (NIV)

The Lord is good and He is good all the time.

Romans 10:5-13 (NIV)
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."
6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

If you live by the law you will live or die by the law. The righteousness that is by faith can do nothing to affect Christ. Righteousness that is by faith simply receives what the Lord has done. We are now coming to the heart of the Gospel. Perhaps you have used the Romans road presentation where you start out with Romans 3:23 to show we are all sinners. Then you move to Romans 6:23 where it is revealed that the wages of sin is death, but through Christ we live. How do I then connect with God. Now we are at Romans 10:9. It is summed with confession and belief in Christ. Some have asked me, "Do you have to first say Jesus is Lord and then believe." The answer is no. The point Paul is making in context is that we do nothing for this gift of salvation. Anyone who truly believes will eventually confess with their mouth. They will tell others of their faith in Christ. If they don't do that, then there is a chance they have not believed in Christ. In verse 10 Paul goes into the mechanics that happen inside of us. We believe in our hearts and with our mouths we make that belief known to others. Let it be said here and now there are no secret believers. In verse 13 we move to the next part of the Romans road plan of salvation. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved! Do you believe that the Gospel is truly for everyone? The Lord blesses, no richly blesses, all who call upon Him. We have a great message and I believe the only message of salvation for the world.

Please pray with me and for me and our team that we become even more effective in helping people understand Christ's message.

Our task is to live our personal communion with Christ with such intensity as to make it contagious.

Paul Tournier (1898–1986)