Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

- As we have journeyed through chp.

9-10 of Romans, you may have a distinct impression that Israel is doomed beyond recovery

- After all Paul, according to his Jewish contemporaries, makes some pretty outrageous claims...

-- For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

-- 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." 13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

-- 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." 13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

-- That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

- That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

- 3 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

-- 21 But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."

-- 21 But as for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."

- From these passages, you might think that Paul has it in for his own people – that they are doomed & have been discarded by God

- From these passages, you might think that Paul has it in for his own people – that they are doomed & have been discarded by God

- But you can only reach that conclusion if you think, as a Jew, that your ethnicity entitles you to the salvation of God

- What the apostle has done, has shown that ethnicity is not the issue when it comes to a relationship with God

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- For the person who listens carefully to what he has said, you would take note of these special verses...

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

-- "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED

-- "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED

- The apostle has not or is not disregarding Israel in that salvation from God

- The apostle has not or is not disregarding Israel in that salvation from God

- What he is saying is that there is now, there is an equal footing into a relationship with God

- Gentiles, as Gentiles may enter the kingdom of God, through Christ

- The works of the law – the Jewish distinctives – count for nothing, now that Jesus has come & inaugurated the New Covenant

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- However, Paul finds it important to demonstrate, in this passage today, that he is not saying that Israel has been excluded

- Sure, ethnicity no longer counts, being bound to the Mosaic law, no longer counts, but it doesn't follow that some from Israel cannot be part of the kingdom

- It is not Jewish ethnicity that matters; it is not through holding to the works of the law that will matter

- Israelites that have faith in the Messiah Jesus will be equally in the kingdom alongside Gentiles believers in Christ

1. Paul Has Not Been Rejected

- The question of whether God has rejected Israel is equally a problem for the Gentile Christians in Rome

- It seems that they themselves have got on to the bandwagon & denounced Israel by saying that God has now rejected them

—28 From the standpoint of the gospel they (the Jews) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

- You could understand this antagonism since much of the persecution against the Church is coming from Israel

- You could understand this antagonism since much of the persecution against the Church is coming from Israel

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- During the reign of Emperor Claudius, he expelled the Jews from Rome ()

- Aquila & Priscilla were expelled from Rome with the entire Jewish community

Q.

Why did the Roman Emperor Claudius expel the Jews from Rome?

- There were riots, in Rome, arising from within the Jewish community

- So Claudius made an edict that expelled Jews from Rome for an entire year (AD 49 – AD 50)

- The Roman historian, Seutonius, says that “the Jews were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus”

- Historians understand that this, most likely, means that Christianity had come to Rome & was causing a stir among the Jewish community

- Chrestus is understood to be Christ

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- Then we have this in Revelation

- Jesus refers to this Jewish Synagogue in Philadelphia as “the synagogue of Satan” - why?

- Jesus refers to this Jewish Synagogue in Philadelphia as “the synagogue of Satan” - why?

- Jesus refers to this Jewish Synagogue in Philadelphia as “the synagogue of Satan” - why?

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- Everyone in the Empire was obligated to worship the Emperor

- They were compelled into pronouncing “Caesar is Lord” & were forced to gain certification that they had offered libations & sacrifice to the Emperor

- The Jews could not do this & so they gained a concession off Rome so they were not forced to do it

- The term for this toleration is “Religio Licita” which is Latin for “legal religion”

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There were many Jews & few Christians in the beginning & Rome treated Jews & Christians alike & extended this concession/toleration to the Christians too – they considered them a sect of the Jews

- However, with their opposition to Christ, the Jews lobbied Rome & insisted that the Christians were not a sect of Judaism & should be treated under “Religio Illicita” which is Latin for illegal religion

- They were successful & Christians then came under the persecution of the Romans as well

- The Jews were expelling Christians from their Synagogues & were giving the Roman authorities the names of these Christians

- No wonder that Jesus would not say that they were anything other than a Synagogue of Satan

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- You can almost hear the Gentile Christians cheering Paul on as he has demonstrated that God's kingdom is equally available for the Gentile & especially when he says that not all Israel is Israel

- But he has to say to them that God has not rejected those Jews He foreknew – or chose out of the world

- To prove it, he says, “look at me” - I'm a Jew who loves & obeys Jesus

- I was a persecutor of Christians, but I have embraced Christ as Lord

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- God accepts all Gentiles who believe in Christ without reference to ethnicity

- So God can't have rejected all Jews simply based on their ethnicity

2. A Remnant from Israel

- One of the difficulties that we have with living faithfully to Jesus is finding the journey to be a rather lonely one at times

- When we stand up for Christ in the workplace or maintain our faith in the midst of people who would look funny at us, you tend to feel like you are on your own, even though you have many fellow believers standing with you – at least in spirit

- Elijah felt this way too as he was pursued by the rage of the pagan Queen of Israel, Jezebel

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- It is interesting how Elijah experienced the real highs & lows of his faith & how quickly they changed

- He is on Mt.

Carmel & Yahweh (God of Moses) grants him a miraculous victory in the sight of all Israel

- Yahweh accepts Elijah's sacrifice but there is no response from Baal to the sacrifice made from all his 400 of more, priests

- Baal, the storm & lightning god, is impotent but Yahweh brings down lightning from the sky & swallows up the offering with all the water that was dosed on it

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- The people all respond “Yahweh is God”, “Yahweh is God”

- That very day, the drought breaks & it rains – again showing that the One who is God & who controls the weather/the storms & the harvests is not Baal, but Yahweh

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- The next day, after such a victory & such elation - & feeling so vindicated after he had been preaching this truth for so long that Jezebel threatens Elijah's life

- After all, he had all her pagan priests put to death for their idolatrous practises & she is hopping mad & swears that Elijah is history

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- Great elation – surely now, all the persecution will be over; surely now, I will have the favour with the King & the people

- But you have one terrible thorn in his side that throws this right out & he is now on an emotional roller-coaster ride, I think it is fair to say, into a depressed state

- He runs down to Mt. Sinai where he says to God that he is a failure & that he just wants to die

- In his depression - & perhaps a bit of woe is me – he says that he is the only one left – the only one faithful to Yahweh

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- God is very good to Elijah & cares for him, in spite of his depressed state

- He allows him to retire from his ministry work having been a faithful servant of God & to pass the mantle on to Elisha

- But God reminds him that he is not alone – that there are 7000 in Israel who, like Elijah, have not bowed the knee to Baal

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- So whilst there are many Israelites hostile to the Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire, there are Israelites who are Christian & who will become Christian – God has not rejected Israelites merely because they are Israelite in ethnicity

3. Called According to God's Gracious Choice

—5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.

6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

- You cannot boast before God that it was through your human achievement, that you gained His salvation

- You cannot boast before God that it was through your human achievement, that you gained His salvation

- You cannot be delivered from sin based on the work of man

- Reformed theology like to make this one of the cornerstones of our faith, but this is not what the apostle is specifically saying here & we should not put in his mouth, words that he is not intending to say

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- The centrepiece for the apostle is this notion that you need to become Jewish in order to know God

- Jewishness is about being involved in & centring yourself on, the things that mark out your Jewishness - & those things are called works or the long version - “works of the law”

- For Israel, it is in circumcision & maintaining the law that identifies you as one of the chosen ones – for them, it is the Jewish nation of Israel

- Gentiles could be converts to Judaism & find their salvation that way

- Yet, the apostle Paul will have none of that

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- It is not the uniform of works of the law, but faith - & that faith now has to be firmly founded on Jesus Christ

- He is THE seed of Abraham & all who are in Him are now regarded as the true Israel, the elect people of God

- If the law matters when it comes to being God's people, then it is no longer by God's gracious choice

- Your ethnicity; your pedigree, does not matter to God