INTRO.- ILL.- Professional golfer Tommy Bolt was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy with a reputation of constant chatter. Before they teed off, Bolt told him, "Don't say a word to me. And if I ask you something, just answer yes or no." During one round, Bolt found the ball next to a tree, where he had to hit under a branch, over a lake and onto the green. He got down on his knees and looked through the trees and sized up the shot.
"What do you think?" he asked the caddy. "Five-iron?" "No, Mr. Bolt," the caddy said. "What do you mean, not a five-iron?" Bolt snorted. "Watch this shot." The caddy rolled his eyes. "No-o-o, Mr. Bolt."
But Bolt hit it and the ball stopped about two feet from the hole. He turned to his caddy, handed him the five-iron and said, "Now what do you think about that? You can talk now." "Mr. Bolt," the caddy said, "that wasn't your ball."
I don’t know much about golf, but I think I’d know which ball belongs to me. In life, we all need to be smart enough to know which ball belongs to whom and where the ball is or who has the ball. Ignorance is something that affects us all, just on different subjects. I know some things you don’t know and you know many things I don’t know. And the worst ignorance of all deals with God.
ILL.- Kenny Boles is a Greek teacher at Ozark Christian College. And Greek is all greek to me, meaning I don’t understand it. Even though Kenny Boles knows the Greek language he doesn’t use much of it in his preaching, not in the sense of constantly throwing Greek words at the audience. In fact, Kenny told me one time that he prepares all his sermons for the Jr. High age level. He says that way his sermons reach all ages and if you’ve ever heard him preach you would know this is the truth. HE’S EXCELLENT.
Our text is about the mystery that deals with the salvation of the Jewish people Are they saved? Will they be saved? This text, however, gives us some ideas.
PROP.- The mystery of God about the salvation of the Jews.
1- God’s plan
2- God’s mercy
3- God’s wisdom
4- God’s glory
I. GOD’S PLAN
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
ILL. - British sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein was once visited in his studio by the eminent author and fellow Briton, George Bernard Shaw. The visitor noticed a huge block of stone standing in one corner and asked what it was for. "I don't know yet. I'm still making plans." Shaw was astounded. "You mean you plan your work. Why, I change my mind several times a day!" "That's all very well with a four-ounce manuscript," replied the sculptor, "but not with a four-ton block."
It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s a paper manuscript or or a four-ton block of stone when it comes to God. God change anything, any time. And it’s nice that God does have a good plan for mankind. God changed His mind early on in the history of the human race. Do you remember?
Genesis 6:5-7 5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
It’s nice to know that God has a good plan for mankind. His plan called for Jesus to come to earth in a human form and become a sacrifice for our sins so we could be saved in eternity. WHAT A GREAT AND GRACIOUS PLAN! For God so loved the World!!!
God also had and has a plan for the people of Israel.
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
Israel will be saved? The Jewish people will some day be saved? It appears so. B. W. Johnson in the People’s NT wrote: 11:26 So all Israel shall be saved. After the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the Jews, as a people, shall be saved. That is, of the Jews then living, the great part shall be converted. The nation shall turn to the Lord.
Don’t count out the Jewish people and don’t look down on them either, because you could well be looking down on something special, someone special. The people of God’s choosing. God had a plan and has a plan. Thankfully, we are included in that plan because we have accepted His Messiah as our Savior.
Now if God does something that we don’t agree with or don’t know about, don’t sweat it. HE’S MANAGEMENT. He’s God!
II. GOD’S MERCY
30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Disobedience brings on God’s mercy?! My goodness. Generally, we think that disobedience brings on judgment and punishment.
ILL.- Judge Kaufman presided at the trial of the Russian spies, the Rosenbergs. They were charged with and convicted of treason against the United States and sentenced to death. They were American communists who were convicted and executed on June 19, 1953, for conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. Their charges were related to the passing of information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. This was the only execution of civilians for espionage in United States history. In his summation at the end of the long and bitter trial, the lawyer for the Rosenbergs said animatedly, “Your Honor, what my clients ask for is justice.”
Judge Kaufman replied calmly, “The court has given what you ask for—justice! What you really want is mercy. But that is something this court has no right to give.”
What kind of a God is our God? He is a God of mercy!
Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Brothers and sisters, since we’re all guilty of crimes against God and man, that is, we’ve all sinned against God and man, we deserve punishment, but because God is rich in mercy and we ask for mercy, we will be shown mercy. We need to remember this, however, on a daily basis in our dealings with others.
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
III. GOD’S WISDOM
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”
ILL.- A theological student came to preacher Charles Spurgeon one day, greatly concerned that he could not grasp the meaning of certain verses in the Bible. The noted preacher replied kindly but firmly, “Young man, allow me to give you this word of advice. Give the Lord credit for knowing things you don’t understand.”
How true is that? It’s true for us all! God knows plenty of things we don’t understand. Sometimes we humans think we are so smart but then God shows us otherwise.
Matthew 13:53-55 53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
The people of Jesus’ time were amazed at His wise teaching and we should be amazed too. I believe the more we study God’s Word, the more amazed we will be. And we will want to get our wisdom from God’s Word. To me, there is nothing like quoting scripture.
We’ve heard a lot of politicians talk or give speeches, but what gives meaning and power to their speeches is when you know they believe in God and Christ and perhaps quote a scripture or two. Scripture is powerful because it’s from God. Scripture is the wisest of all writings in human history. People can quote Shakespeare and Socrates all they want, but there is nothing like quoting the wisdom of God’s Word. It has the power to do great things.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus said to the Sadducees, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
We too are in error when we don’t know the Scripture. We will make many errors in life when we don’t know the Scriptures. The Scriptures and the power of God are one and the same. They go together. Scripture is powerful because it’s from God. Any time you quote scripture from your heart and mind and use it appropriately, it carries power!
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
1 Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! God is wise. He knows what He is doing. We must believe Him and trust Him. We must continue to search His Word to know Him.
IV. GOD’S GLORY
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” Jesus will come back in glory but He should receive it now!
ILL.- I had a preacher friend write me some time back. He retired from the ministry and moved near Branson, MO. Recently my retired preacher friend wrote me these words: “Just the other day we entertained a couple from our former church. We fixed them supper - I fried them fresh trout, and my wife did the rest. It was a nice meal. We also took them to a show called the DUTTONS, and paid for the tickets and the show was good. Anyway, they hardly showed any appreciation at all. No thank you or it was a good meal or we enjoyed the show or anything.” My friend was not too impressed with his friends for their lack of gratitude. NO WONDER.
Here’s another story. Someone gave us life, breath and blessing upon blessing. Food in abundance. Luxury on luxury. A house, a bed, a car, etc. on and on and there are times when we hardly give Him thanks in any form. ARE YOU GUILTY? I think there are plenty of times when we are guilty of not being thankful or expressing our gratitude to God.
Does a neighbor help a little,
As along the way you go -
Help to make your burden lighter?
Then why not tell him so!
Does a handclasp seem to light you
From the depth of grief and woe,
When an old friend shares your sorrows?
Then why not tell him so!
Does your Heavenly Father give you
Many blessings here below?
Then on bended knee before Him
Frankly, gladly, tell Him so!
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
To Him be the glory forever, but He deserves it right now. We can never give God enough thanks and praise right now, BUT WE SHOULD TRY!
I Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Whatever you do in life, be sure you give thanks and live for the glory of God, which means we should always, as best we can, point to Him! It’s because of Him that we have what we have and that we are, what we are, and will be saved in Jesus. He alone deserves the glory, the honor, the praise, the thanks.
CONCLUSION----------------------
ILL.- One of the speakers at a large church conference was being critical of higher education and the universities. He closed his message with pious gratitude that he had never been corrupted by contact with higher learning and college. The next speaker was an educated man. He peered at the anti-education man and said, “Do I understand that you are thankful for your ignorance?” “Well, yes,” the man said. “You can put it that way if you like.”
The speaker then said, “All I have to say is that this man has a great deal, a very great deal to be thankful for.”
Ignorance. Thankful for it? Not when it comes to God! II Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God.
Steve Shepherd, Cape Girardeau, MO
shepherd111@hotmail.com
