God Wants Us To Live Like The Apostle Paul Series

God Wants Us to Live Like the Apostle Paul

The Book of Romans

Romans 9:1-5

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - August 14, 2016

(Revised February 8, 2021)

BACKGROUND

*We have been going through Romans verse-by-verse, and we just finished chapter 8. That great chapter includes some of the most uplifting, encouraging words we can ever hear as Christians.

*In Romans 8:1 Paul began by saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." In Romans 8:28 he said, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

*Then in Romans 8:31-35 Paul asked:

31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33. Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

34. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

*And Paul finished Romans 8 in vs. 38-39 by saying, "I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

*Praise the Lord for Romans chapter 8! Later in Romans 12, Paul will begin to focus on the practical side of our new life in Christ. But in chapters 9-11, Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to discuss the Jewish nation.

*In Romans 1:16 Paul already boldly said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

*But what about the Jewish race? What about the Jewish nation? And what about the promises that God made to them as a nation? Warren Wiersbe explained, "It seems strange that Paul would interrupt his discussion of salvation and devote a long section of three chapters to the nation of Israel, but a careful study of Romans 9-11 reveals that this section is not an interruption at all. It is a necessary part of Paul’s argument for justification by faith.

*To begin with, Paul was considered to be a traitor to the Jewish nation. He ministered to Gentiles, and he taught freedom from the Law of Moses. Paul also preached in many synagogues, and that led to trouble from the Jews who rejected Jesus. No doubt many of the Jewish Christians in Rome had heard of his questionable reputation. So, in these chapters, Paul showed his love for Israel and his desire for the welfare of his people.

*This was the personal reason for this part of his letter, but there was also a doctrinal reason. Someone might ask, 'What about the Jews? Did God fail to keep His promises to Israel?' In other words, the character of God was at stake. If God was not faithful to the Jews, how do we know He will be faithful to the Church?

*The emphasis in Romans 9 is on Israel’s past election. In Romans 10, it's Israel’s present rejection. And in Romans 11, it's Israel’s future restoration." So, here in Romans 9, we will look at Israel's Old Testament past. In Romans 10, we will see Israel in the present Church age. And in Romans 11, we will see all of God's promises fulfilled in Israel's future. (1)

*Tonight, our focus is Paul's opening thoughts on these topics, and as God lets us look into Paul's heart, we see a man who loved the Jews as much as anybody possibly could. We see a man who loved lost people as much as anybody could. And Paul's heart for the lost shows us how God wants us to care for them too. God wants us to live like the Apostle Paul.

*Please think about these things as we read Romans 9:1-5.

MESSAGE:

*The Apostle Paul must be the greatest Christian who ever lived. He wrote 13 or 14 of the 27 books in the New Testament. He suffered greatly for the Lord and was executed for the cause of Christ. As he got near the end, Paul wrote his last letter. It was written to Timothy. And in 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."