Don't Trip Over God Series

Recovered By Grace: Don’t Trip Over God

Romans 9-11

Introduction

So far in our study of the book of Romans, we have read:

-The Good News is God’s Power to Save Everyone 

-Everyone needs saving - all have sinned. We cannot overcome on our own.

-Salvation is a matter of God’s grace, accessed by faith/trust.

-When we trust, God credits us with righteousness.

-Only the power of grace can overcome the power of sin.

-In spite of the war within, we are more than conquerors and remain uncondemned because of Jesus Christ.

Today we are going to hit some high points in Romans 9-11.

-Yarbrough: Romans 9-11 pose formidable interpretive challenges. (So, it’s not just me - good!).

-In this section we find some detailed discussion in view of what Paul has shared in the first 8 chapters. One would think that the issues faced in the Roman church would be solved, but Paul wants to dive down deeper into the issues that divide them - attitudes toward God and truth and our own struggles with ourselves.

-The Jews will struggle with this because not only are the Gentiles welcomed into the church with open arms, it seems like the history and journey of Judaism is being disdained.

-The Gentiles will struggle with this because they do not see the point of learning from the Jews anything about their practices and history. They fail to realize that they are in Christ because God has been working through the Jewish people all the way to the cross.

The ultimate overarching point is that God has a plan to save everyone and He has brought everyone to this point in the faith journey. No one has a right to look down on anyone else, because we are only victorious in Christ, not in our heritage!

The problem is that we get tripped up on God’s plan as we try to seek our own path in life.

-Our recovery from sin and struggle requires us to put in the effort every step of the way, while depending upon God.

-The only path to real recovery from sin is to pursue God on his terms and seek His will for our lives.

-This is where many people trip up - trying to do it themselves.

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Ways we trip over God in our recovery from sin…

1. Some Reject the Rescue (9:1-4a)

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.

Paul is anguished over his fellow Jews and their rejection of Jesus. He is in anguish over his fellow Jews who have rejected Jesus. He understands this because he was one of them - persecuting Christians. I think he is talking about his fellow Jews who have not become Christians, but he wants the Jews in the church at Rome to remember that their confidence is in Christ, not in their heritage.

Today many people reject the rescue that is provided through Jesus Christ.

When Americans are asked to check a box indicating their religious affiliation, 28% now check 'none.' (NPR report) This always remains a great concern among Christians - to be moved to help other people find their way to Jesus. We realize that when people reject the rescue enacted by God, they reject the only way they can be saved.

2. Some Reject God’s Plans (9:4b-33)

The Hebrew people had every advantage and opportunity to know God and walk with Him!

Romans 9:4 Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

The Gentiles were always part of God's plan to rescue every sinner.

Romans 9:25 "As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”"

God always intended to save everyone who believes - something that the Jews were tripped on.

Romans 9:32-33 “Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”