God’s Sovereign Choice
Romans chapter 9:14-9:21
Introduction-
Last week we looked at Holiness.
God’s Holiness and I said that there was a hole in holiness when we begin to define holiness by our standards instead of God.
When we begin telling God why we are good enough for heaven. That is a problem.
Why we should be blessed and avoid having all of life’s trials. That is a problem. (That was chapter 8 of Romans.)
Today I want to look at chapter 9- probably one of the hardest scriptures to digest.
All of the pre-destined people “why bother? God knows who will be saved.”
All of those that grab grace and tell God “I’m not perfect, but I am yours.” Then live their lives the way they want and wonder why God does not respond to their prayers.
Those that live in the past, and wonder why God seems far away. He is screaming to you, I have forgiven you! Move forward!
Those that got victory last week over fear, how is your first week of freedom? Live your life as if God did something amazing, because he did!
Chapter 9 is Paul addressing the people that he loved (Jews)
(1) I tell you the truth, Holy Spirit confirms it, the people of Israel that I love, I would be cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.
That is love- I wish that all would be saved, but I would not want to lose my salvation in an attempt for you to know Christ. I would want you adopted into the great family of God, but I would want you to come the same way that I did, by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
(6) Paul says “It is not as though God’s word has failed. For all who are descended from Israel are not Israel.” (He is referring not all of the Jews were responding to Christ)
I think the issue with Israel’s unbelief is a scenario that God is able to work all things together for the good of them who love God and who are called according to God’s plan.
(Key being that God is involved.) We have to love God and entrust our lives to God.
Even when we think life is not fair.
Romans chapter 9:14-21
If you grab nothing else this morning, grab this- life is not fair!
We don’t set the rules, God does!
The problem with the Israelites is the same problem we still have today.
When we don’t understand what God is doing, we accuse God of wrong doing.
Because he does not think the same way we do! God can do anything he wants to do, even if you do not agree with Him.
Isaiah 55- tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Do you see what is happening!
We have based everything on our reasoning.
We based things on what we know and what we see.
We judge wisdom by what our little minds can conceive.
Really? Are you kidding me!
Do you really think we can put ourselves equal to the mind of God and get mad when things do not turn out the way we figure they should.
We begin arguments about God, by saying “I would not believe in a God who would… would what? Do something that you wouldn’t do? Or think different than you?
Do you ever consider that the creator of the universe is right and you have it wrong?
Do you think that maybe God’s sense of judgment is greater than you?
More developed? His love and mercy are perfect.
When we make statements that “God wouldn’t do that”, we put God’s actions in submission to our thinking.
I. Realize that God’s thinking is higher than our thinking
I have to be honest, I do not understand always the way that God does things. I just know that His ways are higher than mine.
Job is a perfect example. God, really? You take a man that loves you, does everything he knows to do, and you kill his family, and take away all his belongings and inflict sores all over his body. So that you can teach other people around him that his love for you is real.
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart, the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.”
I do not understand how wicked people seem to succeed and I watch believers suffer both financially and physically at times.
Because in a world where things should be fair, I think (key, I think) that the wicked should fail and believers should prosper.
In an internal justice system that God is going to make right all the wrongs ever done to me.
But God’s word says
“let the wicked forsake his ways and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will surely pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)
“Jacob I love, Esau I hated”
(17) for the scripture says to pharaoh; I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”
(14) “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all for he says to Moses. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Is God free to do whatever he wants? Yes! Because He is God and we are not.!
We cannot base our relationship with God on whether he does things the way we would because we are putting ourselves as equal to God.
He does not follow our rules. We follow His!
If you find yourself in a hole- stop digging!
People will miss heaven because of pride. Thinking God should follow our ways.
People will miss heaven because they do not try hard enough? No, because of pride.
People will miss heaven because salvation is too hard? No, because of pride.
You want to wrap your head around the way God thinks?
You are a Holy God.
Sin cannot be in your presence.
You have a lost and dying world and you send your perfect and holy Son to die for them.
As you send this sinful world your prize position, you watch them spit on him, torture Him, crucify Him, and you acknowledge that you love each one of them and desire that none would perish but all beable to come to a saving knowledge of what Christ His Son has done.
None of us would of thought of it, and none of us would of allowed someone to do that to our sons or daughters.
God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, his ways higher than our ways!
II. God is the potter and we are the clay
Jeremiah 18:6- “Like clay in the hands of the potter, so we are in my hands.”
Back to the text-
(19) one of you will say to me; then why does God blame us? For who resists his will? But who are you O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
Talk to you about the difference between being the potter, the one who makes and forms the clay, and being the clay, that which is molded by the hands of someone else. For whichever one you decide to be in your Christian life will determine whether you will be submissive to God and do whatever He wants or be stubborn and go your own way and do your own thing.
By definition clay is dirt forming a paste with water and hardens when heated and dried.
Genesis 2:7-
“And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into the nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”
We are the clay!
Hath not the potter power over the clay?
He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find him the rest of the day.
Truth be told, we are broken vessels, clay pots with cracks and imperfections needing the potter not to throw us out, but to put His loving arms around us and repair and make something beautiful out of us.
We cannot entertain the thought of God being unjust. He is God!
Apostle Paul answered God forbid! Perish the thought
Illustration-
The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs ever built, but there is something fascinating about its beginnings. In 1629, when the favorite wife of Indian ruler Shah Jahan died, he ordered that a magnificent tomb be built as a memorial to her. The Shah placed his wife casket in the middle of a parcel of land, and construction of the temple literally began around it. But several years into the venture, the Shah’s grief for his wife gave way to passion for the project. One day while he was surveying the sight, he reportedly stumbled over a wooden box, and he had some workers throw it out. It was months before he realized that his wifes casket had been destroyed. The original purpose for the memorial became lost in the details of the construction.
We cannot lose track of who God is, and that he loves each one of us deeply.
Keeping prospective of who is in charge of our lives.
Closing
We cannot stumble over the Rock (Jesus)
(33) They (Jews) stumbled over the stumbling stone. Jesus is the rock of our lives, or he is the stumbling block of many, depending on who is in charge of your life.
Illustration-
A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12 year old and a 3 year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supose to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 year old, little Billy, thought that would be a good time to check out the shiny aluminum fishing boat tied up at the dock. So he went to the dock and put one foot on the boat and one foot on the dock. He lost his balance and fell into the water, which was about five feet deep. The splash alerted the 12 year old who let out a scream and Dad came running from the boat house. He jumped into the water, swam down, but unable to see anything, came up for air. Sick with panic, he went right down into this murky water, and began to feel everywhere around the bottom. He couldn’t feel anything. Finally, on his way up, he felt Billy’s arms locked around the post of the dock, about 4 feet of water. Prying the boy’s fingers loose, they burst up together to the surface to fill their lungs with life giving air. Finally when the adrenaline had stopped surging, and nerves had calmed down a little bit, the father asked his son, what on earth were you doing down there hanging onto the post so far under the water? Billy answer was a classic. Placed with the wisdom only a toddle could give. He said, I was just waiting for you dad. Just wanting for you!
Jesus is in the rescue business of those that are drowning and wanting to be saved. Those that are lost in the dark and he is the light.
We do not have all the answers, but we know that God has our best interests, and we have to trust him.
For some this morning, that will be tough, but today he is asking you to do that!
Altar Call!
