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God is not through with Israel vs. 1-6

  • Has God cast away His people… vs. 1-2
    • Replacement Theology…
      • A VERY destructive doctrine commonly taught today in many churches…
      • It states – God has rejected Israel – and been replaced by the church…
      • Galatians 6:16 – “Peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
      • The reason is – because Israel betrayed and crucified Jesus Christ…
      • Matthew 27:25 – “All the people… said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
      • This doctrine has led to intense persecution of the Jews by the church over the years…
      • Martin Luther – Protestant reformer / Augustine – early father of the Catholic church…
      • All hated Jews – thought were a stain that should be wiped out – subjugated…
      • As a result Adolph Hitler – Holocaust 6 millions Jews dead – quoted ‘Martin Luther’…
    • Paul uses himself as an example – he was an Israelite (son of Abraham/tribe of Benjamin)…
      • All of the Apostles and everyone in the church up to Acts 10 were Jews!
      • They are the proof that God has not rejected Israel – Jews were/are still being saved…
      • It would be like asking – does anyone in the ‘bukid’ desire to follow Jesus…
      • Now the answer might be – not many – but we are here…
    • God has not cast away His people – whom He foreknew…
      • God promised to the nation of Israel would always be His people…
      • Jeremiah 31:36 – “I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to do away with the laws of nature!”
      • As long as the sun rises – waves crash on the seashore – Israel is God’s nation!
      • Even thought they were hard – they did not want to receive Jesus – God was not done…
      • Since God can’t break His Word – forsake Israel – that means God also cannot reject us…
      • That should bring great comfort to our hearts – it means no matter how bad we get…
      • Like the parable of the ‘Lost sheep’ – Matthew 18:12 – God never gives up on us…
      • If a sheep sees a hole – thinks that ‘looks like fun’ – jumps in – then complains he fell…
      • When the shepherd pulls him out – the sheep looks back at the hole again – ‘looks fun’…
      • Like sheep we can be really dumb – we follow the crowd away from our shepherd…
      • But Jesus is never ever farther away than turning around (repentance)
      • He is always right there looking for us when we wander – seeking His lost lamb
  • The remnant… vs. 4-6
    • Just as in the days of the prophet Elijah – I Kings 18:21-40
      • Elijah was a prophet to the Northern tribes of Israel during the reign of King Ahab…
        • The people of Israel had all forsaken God – and begun worshiping false gods…
        • Elijah faced off against 400 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel…
        • Two sacrifices – two alters – the one whose God lit the alter was the true God…
        • God won the contest – and Elijah put to death the 400 prophets of Baal…
        • Jezebel – the wife of King Ahab – heard what Elijah had done…
        • I Kings 19:2 – “May the gods also kill me if by this time tomorrow I have failed to take your life like those whom you killed.”
        • Elijah ran for his life – to the mountain of God – Mt. Sinai…
      • Elijah felt like he was the only one left who wanted to follow the Lord…
        • And all the people around him wanted to kill him for following the Lord!
        • I Kings 19:4 – “‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life…’”
        • Overwhelmed – Elijah was done – exhausted – lonely – wiped out…
        • When everyone we know does not want to go to church – or hear about Jesus…
        • When we are under constant pressure to conform to the world around us…
        • It is easy sometimes to think we stand alone – the whole world is against us…
        • It can seem an insurmountable task to simply stand up for Jesus…
      • A remnant – chosen by God (election) saved by Grace…
        • But when God spoke to Elijah – in a still small voice – there at Mt. Sinai…
        • I Kings 19:18 – “You are not the only one left. I have seven thousand others…”
        • 1st – One person – with God on their side – equals the majority! – Romans 8:31
        • 2nd – We do not stand alone – God always has a remnant that stands with us…
        • We may not know – till we get to heaven – just how many people really love Jesus…
        • But no matter how dark/difficult things seem to be – we are never alone…
        • In fact – often its when we stand up for Jesus – we find we are not alone
        • It gives boldness to others – who are quietly on the side – to stand for Jesus too!
        • I was attending the party of an unsaved coworker– invited to go to a strip bar…
        • When I stood up and refused to go – I faced a lot of ridicule / mocked
        • But not only did they see Jesus in me – it gave a friend the strength to stand up too!

God’s plan for Israel… vs.7-14

One day all of Israel will be saved!

Their fall… vs. 7-11

So what then – the whole nation of Israel wasn’t saved – just those whom God choose…

All the rest of Israel was hardened (Passive/Indicative) to the truth of the Gospel…

Isaiah 29:10 – Eyes that cannot see – ears that cannot hear – to this very day…

‘Spirit of slumber’ – only here in the NT – over stimulated into apathy…

The idea being they heard about God so much – became calloused to the message…

Much the same as today – if you ask people if they have heard about Jesus – yes…

But they have heard the ‘message’ so many times – they are calloused to its truth…

People think they are going to heaven – because they ‘know about’ Jesus…

They do not know – nor are they willing to see – they do not ‘know Jesus’ personally!

Psalms 69:22-23 – Blinded – in bondage (bow down / bent back)…

The Jews had been freed from slavery – but they choose to go back into bondage…

Rather than receive the freedom that Jesus offered through the Cross…

They choose to live under the Law – blinded to the freedom in Grace…

Most people today choose to be under the Law – rules and traditions…

Bound to rules – baptize you children / go to church on ‘Holy Friday – kiss Jesus…

Bound to fear – don’t sweep your house at night / don’t break a termite mound…

Instead of the incredible freedom that comes from the Grace of God…

We don’t have to do anything – God changes our heart so we want to!

We have nothing to fear – our Father is greater than anything in this world!

So the Jews stumbled at Jesus – but not so they would fall…

It was through their ‘fall’ – salvation came to the gentiles!

If the Jews had embraced the Gospel – the believers would have stayed in Israel…

But instead they faced ‘persecution’ – to chase, hunt, pursue, persecute

The result of the persecution – the disciples were scattered all over the world…

Acts 1:8 – “You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

It’s easy to get comfortable in the familiar – so sometimes God shakes things up

Persecution in the Christian walk is not an option – John 16:33

God allows challenges to come into our lives to stir us up

To make us dependant on Him rather than on the familiar…

Their restoration… vs. 12-15

Paul – speaking as the Apostle to the gentiles – lets us know…

God saved us (the gentiles) to provoke the Jews to jealousy – so they’d want Jesus too…

God intended to make the Jews jealous of the work He was doing in the gentiles!

When God takes care of all our needs – as He promises to do…

When we have peace in the midst of turmoil – confidence in difficulties…

The Lord will pour out His blessings on His kids – because He loves us…

But also to provoke those around us to jealousy – so they might accept Jesus too…

Since Israel’s fall was riches to the world / their failure riches to the gentiles…

Since their being cast away – was the reconciling of the world to God…

How much more their fullness / their acceptance will be life from the dead…

It is true that by rejecting and crucifying Jesus – the Jews gave the world salvation…

By rejecting the Gospel – persecuting the church – the Gospel went into all the world

But God still has a plan for Israel – He is not finished with them by any means…

Not only are there still Jews who are being saved – Galatians 3:28


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