Let me start with a question. Can a person become a citizen of the United States then ignore, even hate, the founding fathers of this country??
It’s happening now isn’t it?
Because of secular humanism, which started with Darwin in the early 1900s, and because the word “God” can not be found in the U.S. Constitution, people today can claim that America should be a secular country. Indeed in many areas of life in America, we have become secular, almost atheistic! Can we find the 10 Commandments in public schools?
Is praying to God in public events seen as offensive?
Secular humanists in America ignore the fact that the roots of the Founding Fathers were Christian. There were 3 significant documents which started America; anyone knows what they were?? The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. These three crucial documents, the basis for America, required the approval of 204 individuals! Those were the founding Fathers of U.S.A.!
Now, how many of the Founding Fathers do you think believed in secular humanism?? Zero!! Secular Humanism didn’t exist in America back then! How many of them do you think believed in God and Creation?? 100%! The root of America was not only godly, it was Christian! But changes today are happening in America because the Founding Fathers were humans and they are all dead now! But you know what, all of these Founding Fathers are turning in their graves with what’s happening to America. Yes this country is about “We the people”. But you see, if the people are ungodly, then the country will be ungodly. If Americans are no longer Christian, then the country will not be Christian! By the way, be careful who you elect in government leadership.
Now, what does this all have to do with the message today?
You see the church in Rome were made up of mainly Jews and Gentiles and God loves the Jews; they are God’s Chosen People! But here’s the problem that came up, (and by the way, we still have these problems today!): The Gentiles who became Christians who were ignorant of the Jewish Faith ignored the root of the Christian Faith and they looked down on the Jews. Do you think God was happy with that type of attitude? Many Christians today can be so arrogant that they would ignore God’s teachings from the Old Testament! Some supposedly Christians would not even listen to what Jesus said to the first disciples because they only believe in Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!
They are called “superdispensational” Christians.
What’s our attitude? Arrogant or humble?
Let me ask another question before reading our text.
We say we believe in God and His Commandments.
Where in the Bible can you find the 10 Commandments??
The 10 Commandments are in Exodus and Deutoronomy!
Please open your Bibles to Exodus Chapter 20; look at v3-6.
God will punish sin but will also give His love. This should not be a surprise to the Israelites. But turn now to the New Testament and look at what God tells the church in Rome 2000 years ago; look at Romans 11:10-12…..
This has always been true with God: God is Holy and hates sin but God is love! And so, because this is true, people can approach God but not with sin! This is true for all people, whether Jew or Gentile, Christian or not, every person who has sin will be judged by God!
In our passage today, God warns Christians of arrogance in light of who Israel is! Before reading our main text for today, let us remind ourselves of the Gospel. What is the Gospel? Look with me again Romans 1:16-17….
The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes! In the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Christians are saved by faith and are to live by faith!
But what is faith? We studied this a few weeks ago by looking at the word faith in this letter to the Romans and we can conclude that Christian faith is a decision to believe and trust in Jesus Christ so complete, that actions result from it.
There are 2 points that we need to stress:
1. A Believer of Jesus Christ is secured by God’s Grace.
2. Christians are to live by faith but this doesn’t mean the Christian is to be perfect.
What does it mean to be secured and to live by faith? With our belief in Jesus Christ, God sees us perfect and we are secured in His love, but we will not be truly perfected till we go to heaven. Therefore, because God sees us as perfect and we are bound for perfection, we are to aim for this perfection as we live on earth.
And so, let us keep these truths in mind as we read a complicated passage this morning.
God is Holy, hates sin, but is loving!
God calls everyone to have faith in Jesus Christ and to live by faith in Christ.
Belief in Christ is the only way to have a right relationship with God!
Please take a moment right now to quietly pray. By the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, ask God to cleanse your hearts and that you will have a true understanding of the Bible passage today. Let us quietly pray for a moment..
Read along with me Romans 11:13-32……
Indeed, Paul, an Israelite, was called by God to be the Apostle, the Lead Pastor, for the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul knew his calling. But did you notice again his love for his own people, the people of Israel? But again what’s more important is that God loves the people of Israel. And so, the amazing thing is God is building His church with non-Jews so that many Jews will be envious and come back to God by way of Jesus Christ, the Savior Messiah!
And did you notice how this was going to happen? As the apostle Paul, a Jew, pours his heart out to the Gentiles, the people of Israel would be curious to wonder why!
Now verses 16-25 will be confusing unless we have an understanding of who the Olive Tree is. For the Jews, they knew exactly who the Olive Tree was because God told them over and over again that Israel is like an Olive Tree! For the Gentiles 2000 years ago and for us who may not be educated with the Old Testament, we may not know what the dough is about or who the Olive Tree is.
I think this is interesting: God was speaking to the Gentiles (non-Jews), do you really think those Gentiles knew the meaning of v16?
I think God intended for those Gentiles to be confused and forced them to think about Israel because of their arrogance!
I remember one time when my son Nathan was so arrogant about something when I was trying to help him, maybe it was my frustration, but I prayed that it was discipline, when I left him and told him to go figure it out himself because he was so sure about himself.
I do remember him figuring it out but what was beautiful was he came back to me and apologized about his attitude.
God will discipline those He loves. And parents, if we love our kids, we will discipline them; but of course do it in love, not in anger!
Now of course, God loves all people, and so God didn’t leave those Gentiles confused for very long. The meaning of the Olive Tree is in the context of the passage! Look again at how the discussion ends in v25-27…….
The Olive Tree is Israel.
The original olive branches were the people of Israel. The grafted branches are the Gentiles who have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
And so, what can we learn from this passage?
1. What God started, He will finish! In spite of the disobedience of the people, Israel will survive as God had promised!
A quick life application: If you and I hang on to Jesus Christ, we will survive for forever because that’s God’s promise! Philippians 1:6, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion!
2. The Root of Israel is Holy, because it is God Himself.
And look again at v17…
3. Branches are nourished by the Root! The branches survive not because of themselves but because of the root!
Another quick life application question: What are we nourishing ourselves, with Jesus Christ or something else? Jesus Christ is the root for the Christian!
And because branches are nourished by the root,
4. Branches can not be arrogant and boast about themselves!
And also because the branches can only live because of the Root, 5. Branches not believing (depending) on the Root will not survive.
And lets us note again that the Root is God Himself. And what have we noted about God as affirmed in v22? God is kind and stern! God is Holy and will judge sin but He is loving! And so, how do the branches continue to be nourished by God and not judged? Look again at v22-23…
How do branches of the Olive Tree survive??
Branches survive by being nourished by the root! If branches think they can survive on their own or think they are better than other branches, they will not get nourished and die!
And so, 6. “Branches” (Jew or Gentile) must believe in the Root and continue to receive nourishment from the Root!
Now, one more look at v25-26……
“Grafting” to the Olive Tree and disobedience of the people of Israel will continue until God says enough.
7. The final Israel bound for heaven is the Complete Church of Jesus Christ which includes Old Testament Saints and Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament who believed and continued to believe in Jesus Christ!
What else can we apply to our lives today?
The Apostle Paul knew his calling from God and he was so diligent in responding that it made the Jews curious to wonder why!
A. Each one of us should know our personal calling from
God and do it diligently to bring curiosity to our Lord.
By the way, our calling may not necessarily be a direct ministry. For example, I know I am called to be a minister but I know I am also called to be a husband, a father, a friend. Each area of my life can impact someone. Am I answering these specific callings in my life with diligence to make those who know me wonder why I do what I do?
B. Arrogance is not part of the Christian! Christians are not to be arrogant about who they are. God is looking for humble hearts. We should all memorize and live out James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Are you and I totally dependent on the Root and believe in Israel, the Church of Jesus Christ?
If we believe in Jesus Christ and His church, then we are to:
C. Continue to depend and be spiritually nourished by Jesus Christ and nothing else. How often do we think about our relationship with Jesus Christ?
Everyday, we are to thank Jesus Christ and learn from Him!
