Chosen To Believe - Pt 2 Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: June 23, 2012

Date Preached: June 24, 2012

Where Preached: OPBC (AM)

Sermon Details:

Sermon Title: Chosen – to believe (part 2)!

Sermon Text: Romans 9:14-21 [HCSB]

Introduction:

Now I want us to remember back 2 wks ago when we looked at the how God CHOSE us for belief! As Christian we have been CHOSEN by God to believe in His Son…

This fact lets us know that God has chosen the people whom He is going to bless… and that God, the sovereign Lord of the Universe has a plan and He has chosen his children!

2 wks ago we saw this evident in God’s choice of Isaac over Ishmael… and His choice of Jacob over Esau! God has MADE His choice!

But preacher what about those passages of Scripture where it clearly states that we must confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord? So, if God has chosen us… how can we have a choice in the matter?

Well, I led us to the conclusion that this was a type of contradiction that we could define as a paradox. We looked at the definition of a PARADOX – that it is a statement or situation that seems contradictory or absurd, but is true, even though it is very difficult to understand!

So this morning I want us to jump back in and we will get back to where we left off in v.13 where God said, “Jacob I loved and Esau I hated…”

Today, in our society, we have come to a point of almost absurdity when it comes to what some people call ‘fairness’… THAT’S NOT FAIR!

This is a cry from many people about situations that don’t go their way! Today in our society there are many who have taken this to a NEW level!

• It’s not FAIR that lil Johnny’s team has to lose, so let’s just not keep score!

• It’s not FAIR that lil Susie didn’t make all stars so let’s give them all a trophy!

•

• It’s not FAIR that Joanie got the promotion instead of me; I have been here much longer than she has…

• Even I have cried out that it is not fair that my Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908…

For some reason we have come to the conclusion that life is supposed to be fair and the same to EVERYONE!

But when we examine the examples I have given we can easily see WHY these things happen…

Lil Johnny’s team lost because the other team was better, sports is about competition and doing our best… and sometimes others do it better!

Lil Susie didn’t make all stars because lil Susie was not good enough, others were better, and why do we think rewarding those who do NOT achieve the same reward with those who DO achieve is a good thing, failure is a part of life & let’s face it, some people are just better that we are at things… there will always be someone better!

Joanie got that promotion because she was willing to do what we needed OR she has a skill set that is more valuable than your skill set, a job is not about YOU it is about the needs of the company providing the job…

Finally my Cubbies have not won a World Series since 1908 because they have not been good enough! Professional sports is NOT about who’s turn it is or about moral victories… its about hard work and great talent! They have not won a World Series because they have not been good enough…

“That’s NOT fair” is a statement that is poisoning our society… but it did not begin with us! You see Paul was dealing with that very thing here as well.

Paul understood human nature and here he responds to what he knows is going to be the reaction to what he wrote in v.13!

In v.13 it seems as if God is being unfair… why Jacob and not Esau? In v14-18 Paul uses 2 declarations, 2 illustrations and an applications to help us to understand that God is NOT being unfair!

14What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

This is Paul’s declaration about the mere thought of God’s seeming UNFAIRNESS… Paul discounts any argument about this and his response is that if you think God is unfair that it was absurd…

What he actually says here in v14 asks a rhetorical question “Is God unfair?” and his answer is translated “May it NEVER be…” but it can actually be translated “May that thought never become reality in your mind… OR that sort of though should not even exist!”

So Paul makes this declaration that to believe God is unfair is an absurd thought that should not even exist in your mind… then we find in v15 Paul giving us his 1st illustration for this point…