Our Awesome God - Part 3

Our Awesome God - Part 3

Romans 11:22-36

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Oct. 2, 2016

BACKGROUND:

*Tonight we get to the end of Romans 11, and all of you probably know that in the last three chapters Paul was led by God's Holy Spirit to discuss the Jews. The big question was: If salvation is by grace through faith in the blood of the cross of Jesus Christ, then, what about the Jews? What about the Jewish nation? And what about the promises that God made to them as a nation? These were crucial questions, because if God wasn't going to keep the promises He made to the Jews, we couldn't count on Him to keep His promises to us? (1)

*In Romans 9, Paul answered these questions to the best of his understanding. And the bottom line is that God is going to keep every single one of His promises. Nobody loves the Jews more than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Nobody loves all lost people more than Jesus, and He proved this forever when He died on the cross for our sins.

*That is the big picture in Romans 11, but one of the other things that stands out here is the awesome nature of our God. In vs. 1-21, we've already explored some of the reasons why God is so awesome. And tonight we will see more great reasons, so let's get started by reading Romans 11:22-36.

INTRODUCTION:

*How many times this week have you stopped to think about how infinitely awesome and our God really is? Maybe you thought about it when you saw a beautiful sunset, or when you looked closely at a beautiful flower. But we all need to focus more on the incredible awesomeness of God, so let’s look into tonight's Scripture, and behold our awesome God.

1. First: Behold the awesome strictness of our God.

*We can see God's strictness in vs. 22-23, but remember here the Bible is speaking about two bloodlines of people: The Jews and the Gentiles. The Jewish race basically includes everyone who descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Everyone else in the world is a Gentile.

*God's Son Jesus Christ came into the world 2,000 years ago as the long promised Messiah of the Jews. Jesus was born in the line of Abraham, Judah and David. And He came as the eternal Redeemer, Savior, Prophet, Priest and King of the Jews. But though many of the Jews received Jesus as their Messiah, the vast majority of them strongly rejected the Lord. God then turned to the Gentiles in part to provoke His Old Testament people to jealousy.

*Paul talked about this plan back up in vs. 11, where he wrote, "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

*Then, starting in vs. 16, Paul used the symbol of an olive tree to explain what happened after the Jews rejected Jesus the Messiah. And in vs. 16-23, Paul wrote:

16. . . If the root be holy, so are the branches.

17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

20. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

*It is crucial for us to know that Paul is not speaking about individuals here, but peoples: The Jews and the Gentiles. William McDonald explained: "It must be constantly borne in mind that Paul is not speaking of the church or of individual believers. He is speaking about the Jews and Gentiles as such. Nothing can ever separate the Body of Christ from the Head, and nothing can separate a believer from the love of God, but the Gentile peoples can be removed from their present position of special privilege." (2)

*So, again in vs. 22-23:

22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.