God's Faithful Remnant

Romans 11:1-10

 

 

Jesus wasn’t a Christian.

Jesus was born in Israel

Mary and Joseph were from Israel

Jesus was baptized in Israel

Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness of Israel

Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount in Israel

All of the original 12 Apostles were from Israel

All of the miracles of Jesus were performed in Israel

The Last Supper occurred in Israel

The betrayal of Jesus occurred in Israel

Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done” in Israel

Jesus was crucified in Israel

Jesus died in Israel

Jesus was buried in Israel

Jesus rose from the dead in Israel

Jesus ascended back to heaven from Israel

The Holy Spirit was first poured out at Pentecost in Israel

The Church was born in Israel

The first sermons of the church were preached in Israel

The first miracles of the Apostles were performed in Israel

The first baptisms occurred in Israel

The first missionaries to the nations were sent out from Israel

Why do Christians support Israel? Israel is our home! The birthplace of Christianity is Israel.

When Jesus returns it won’t be to America…but to Israel!

The final battle will take place in Israel.

 

2000 BC: Abraham chosen by God as the Father of the Jewish Nation.

1900 BC: Isaac, Abraham's son, rules over Israel.

1850 BC: Jacob, son of Issac, rules over Israel.

1400 BC: Moses leads the people out of Egypt and back to Israel.

1010 BC: King David unites the 12 tribes into one nation.

970 BC: King Solomon, son of David, builds the first temple structure in Jerusalem

930 BC: Israel is divided into two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah.

800s BC: The rise of the prophets, God's messengers.

722 BC: Kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyrians.

605 BC: Kingdom Judah is conquered by the Babylonians.

586 BC: Solomon's Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians.

539 BC: Persians conquer the Babylonians and take control of Israel.

538 BC: The Jews return to Israel from exile.

520 BC: The Temple is rebuilt.

450 BC: Reforms made by Ezra and Nehemiah.

433 BC: Malachi is the end of the prophetic age.

432 BC: The last group of Jews return from exile.

333 BC: The Greeks conquer the Persian empire.

323 BC: The Egyptian and Syrian empire take over Israel.

167 BC: Hasmonean's recapture Israel, and the Jews are ruled independently.

70 BC: Romans conquer Israel.

20 BC: King Herod builds the "third" temple

6 BC: Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem

70 AD: Romans destroy the temple

After that, the people were captives to the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Crusaders. Through all of these events, the Jewish people continued to live in Israel. There were more or less of them, depending on the centuries, but there was never a time when the Jews didn't live in the land. They stayed.

In 1948, the UN established the State of Israel, the nation of Jews. Don't buy the Palestinian lies that they are entitled to the land.

 

Romans:  Chapter 9 was Israel's election.  Chapter 10 was Israel's rejection.  Chapter 11 is Israel's future restoration - revival is coming to this people!

 

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ill.--a king talked to his chaplain, asking him for proof that God wrote the Bible.  He was assured it was not difficult to do so.  One word would prove it:  Israel.  How could the unlikely prophecies about this little nation come true w/ 100% accuracy? 

 

And just as all the past and present prophecies have been proven true, so will the future prophecies, including them coming to their senses and accepting their Messiah, Jesus Christ!  It happens by the end of the tribulation when Jesus delivers them from the hand of the antichrist.  They will turn to Him!

 

All of chapter 11 is devoted to proving that these future events will come to pass.

 

vv. 1-10 are God's faithful remnant people.

vv. 11-24 is God's far reaching plan.

vv. 25-36 is God's future revival prophecy.

 

God always has a faithful remnant.  A faithful few loyal to God.

v. 1  Has Israel been permanently set aside because of their rejection?  God forbid!  Perish the thought. 

 

Now he begins to call witnesses to the stand, like in a court of law.  He is going to prove his case.  First he calls himself:

v. 1b        If God is finished w/ the Jews, then how do you explain me?  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart! 

 

Paul's conversion was an illustration of the future conversion of Israel.

1 Timothy 1:16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Could this be a picture of us being saved?  Not really.  When I got saved I didn't see Jesus glorified, or hear an audible voice, saying, Jerry, Jerry, why do you keep rejecting me?  I didn't see a bright light, and wasn't thrown to the ground.  But that's how Israel will be saved one day!

 

Paul is not referring to the fact that he was saved, but the WAY he was saved.

 

Next, Paul calls Elijah to the stand.

vv. 2-3     He had put to shame 450 prophets of Baal.  Then he ran from a woman:  Jezebel.  Must've been pretty scary!  He got depressed.  Post Prophet Depression!  "I'm all alone!"  He became suicidal, saying, Lord, I'm the only one serving you.  And sometimes we get Elijah complex:  "Poor me!"  Nobody's got it as hard as me!

 

v. 4  It's true, there were only a faithful few.  There may not have been a moral majority, but there was a Master's minority! 

 

v. 5  Messianic Jews.  There's always been a few.  Just like in the dark ages, there was always an underground church.  We can trace our lineage all the way back to Christ.  Baptists historically aren't protestant.  You can follow them back to the ana Baptists, Montanists, Waldenses...groups which never came under Catholicism.  Not that your lineage matters.  Many Baptists have been saved out of Catholicism, and in that way may be Protestants...and even more Christians who aren't Baptist per se have that distinction.  All that matters is that you are saved.  But the point is that there has always been a remnant, in all ages!

 

And no matter how dark the days grow in America, no matter how apostate we become as a nation...God will always have His faithful few.

 

You may be the only serious, dedicated Christian at your work place...but He has got you there for a reason.  Don't grow discouraged.  Realize you are privileged!  [family / school]  The darker this world dims, the brighter your light shines!

 

Now, after Paul assures them there's always a faithful remnant, he tells them how they can be a part of it...and it's the same plan for them as everyone else.

 

v. 6  Grace and works are diametrically opposed.  There's no point where they intersect.  There can be no intermingling of the two.  Makes you wonder why so many churches today talk about grace, and try to earn it by works?  Grace and works are mutually exclusive.  Both cannot be right.  And God's way is grace!

 

Works is man trying to reach up to God.  Grace is God reaching down to man.

 

Some consider the Bible to be made up, calling it man's search for God.  It's the opposite:  God's search for man!

 

When Adam sinned in Eden, it separated him from God.  Did he begin looking for God?  No, he hid.  And God came looking for Adam!

 

v. 7  Most Jews have turned away, blinded.

 

vv. 8-10 speak of what a dangerous thing it is to reject God.  Look at what can happen to you.  When we insist on going our own way, sometimes God helps us along in that direction w/ a shove!

 

ill.--got callouses?  Hands?  Feet?  Heart?  The latter is dangerous!

 

"The rest were blinded"

 

v. 8-10     V. 9, snare, trap, stumblingblock = their table = their blessings from God became what held them back!  No nation has been so blessed.  The promise made to Abraham about his seed has always come true, and like blessed America, prosperity has led astray!  If we are not careful, our blessings will make us independent, and self sufficient...who needs God?  We are self reliant!

 

ill.--the most cocky people you will ever meet are often quite blessed in material ways.  If they weren't they would likely have a different attitude.

 

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Christians, don't try to be part of the in crowd.  The majority is usually wrong.  Don't seek to be a winner.  Allow the world to consider you a loser.  Be a loser for God!

 

Glenn Beck says 'We surround them'.  If only that were true.  Jerry Falwell years ago said the moral majority exists and can win all elections.  Ideally that is true, but was he right?  It was the premise that IF all Christians would do the right thing, we would control everything.  That's a big IF.  Truth is, there is no moral majority, sadly, but there is a Master's minority.  Be a part of it!  Don't be ashamed.

 

Be a proud part of the faithful remnant!