Age of the Gentiles (Part C)

Do you think Satan is not going to oppose that gift and calling? He opposed Israel, he'll oppose you. Anything God does, he's against by default. And anything he is for, we are to be against by default.

But we've got this traitor that lives in our heart that helps him out. We call it the flesh, the carnal nature that will be with us until this truth network. This corruptible puts on incorruption and then we will be more Christ-like than we ever hear more information about Cross Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Today on Cross Reference Radio, Pastor Rick will be teaching in Romans Chapter 11.

I'm going to say something about this. I know that a lot of us are actually very invested in destroying the gospel of Christ. And so as far as the gospel is concerned they're enemies of the gospel. And to this day there's a hostility in Israel against the preaching of the gospel that Christ is Messiah. So Paul is saying here concerning the gospel, Israel is for now viewed as an enemy.

to the preaching of Jesus Christ. He says, but concerning the election. Now, context indicates here this is the covenant with Israel. You have to look at the context when the elect are referred to.

As I mentioned, if those days will not shorten or the strong delusion is coming, it's possible even to fool the elect. There it's talking about Israel. But then when John writes one of his letters and he says, to the elect lady, he's talking to the church. So, it is the context that will let you know whether it's a reference to the Jewish people or the Christians.

He says here in verse 28, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Well, the Jews as a people are still the apple of God's eye. No enemy of Israel will ever obliterate them.

That won't stop them from trying. It has never been about the people or the land. It has been about Satan opposing God's will.

Let me see if I can bring that out for us. Zechariah 3, and Zechariah is written by a prophet in the days when the Jews were rebuilding their temple, when they were building their second temple. And the opposition and the headaches that they faced, God dispatched Haggai and Zechariah the prophet to stir the people up, to get it done.

And that they did. Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord. Well, he's talking about rebuilding the temple. Zechariah 3, however, he says, then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. Joshua here is Israel personified in their high priest. And Satan was trying to stop the second temple from being built. But this is what he's been doing all the time, coming against the Jews.

The part that stands out is Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. Had God chosen any other land than Israel to be his land, had he elected any other people to be his people, then that land and those people would have the same history that the Jews have today. They would be hounded. They would be chased. They would be hated. Attempts at genocide, persecution, bloodshed would be upon them, racism, all those things would have fallen on any other people whom God said, these are my chosen people, had it not been the Jewish people. Had God chosen Brooklyn, New York or Ashland, Virginia to be his promised land, then Ashland, Virginia or Brooklyn, New York would have seen endless war just like Israel. Because it's about God's will, not so much the people.

Bottom line, people are people. Had God chosen the Arctic Inuit people, the Eskimos you might say, then they would be unjustly hated by the nations as Israel is. As Benjamin Netanyahu said, Israel is guilty until proven guilty. And what he was saying was, we're not going to get a fair shake from anybody.

The nations will always gang up on us. Well, why is that, Benjamin? I don't know that he can answer the question.

We know the answer. It's because the will of God is on your people and your land and all the prophecies have to do with you. And it has something to do with the world around you. And Satan hates it.

He hates you. And he's crazy enough to think that he can still outdo God's will. And he's willing to kill as many people as he can to pull it off.

He won't. Remember, Satan is insane. He is not rational. He is rational when it comes to plotting his evil. But he has lost his mind long time ago. Satan violently opposes God's choices.

And he has never had a shortage of human fools to carry out his despicable and diabolical ambitions. Every single Palestinian, quote unquote, because there's no such thing as a Palestinian. Those are Arabs in that land. They've hijacked the name to try to draw sympathy to themselves as though they've been there before the Jews. They are not. They are right out of Jordan.

They are right out of the region. But they have not been in that promised land before the Jewish people. But Satan has pulled this lie off for many. Every single one of them or every advocate against Israel that you see in the news or find in this world, whether they are protesting or just blogging it or however they're doing it or secretly in their heart, whenever they are against the Jews with this kind of hatred, it is without exception demonically influenced at the least and demonic possession at the most. They are out of their minds with hate born in hell and they are functioning on earth. And we get to see this on various media sources.

And it's just, how can you justify? Satan is directly standing to oppose the will of God on the Jewish people. He's against the church, too.

Make no mistake. He's got enough resources to hate the church with equal enthusiasm. We know these things.

You come across somebody who is struggling in life on any level. It's spiritual. It's always a spiritual war. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God, casting down arguments and strongholds that exalt themselves against the Lord. Well, verse 29, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Well, this refers directly to the permanent destiny granted to Israel that God is not going to break his covenant with them.

Even though they have, their privileges have been postponed, the covenant will resume and will be fulfilled. Now, a gift and calling may be abused by a people without being abandoned by God. Well, Lord, Lord, didn't we cast out demons in your name? Didn't we perform miracles in your name?

And he says, I never knew you. Well, that just goes to show there's maybe more to the story than what is on the surface, while a gift may be irrevocable, the testimony can be ruined. This is a story of the kings. This is a story of Balaam and Samson. Both suffered the consequences of their disobedience, Balaam and Samson. Both were prophets of God. The Bible says it straight out. Balaam, he did not return to God. Samson did. Samson is listed as a man of faith in Hebrews 11 and 32.

Balaam is listed as an insane prophet in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 16. These things are for our edification. We're to look at these things and find their application in life. Ultimately, God's plans will be finalized. When God gives, he already knows what we're going to do with what he has given us. So if he has gifted you, he knows what you're going to do with the gift when he gives it. When he calls, he knows what you're going to do with that calling. We are either going to abuse it or we're going to pursue a testimony that glorifies God by trusting him with what he has given us.

Some do both. David, the king, I mean, God blessed him in so many ways and David did incredible things to the glory of God. But he also stumbled big.

But he recovered big. How big did David recover? God used David to continue to write the Bible. Not all of it, of course, the sections that belonged to David. God continued to use David to be the man of God that he would use David to build his tabernacle.

Solomon didn't have anything. David saved up for that tabernacle. So the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable because God knows what he's doing. But what you do with that calling and those gifts, that's up to us. And just because you have a gift and a calling, let me assure you, it will not be easy.

I promise you, if you exercise your gift and calling, it is going to be a knock down, drag out, tooth and nail fight. Maybe if you only get to exercise it for a week, but for a lifetime, you think Satan's not going to oppose that gift and calling? He opposed Israel, he'll oppose you. Anything God does, he's against by default. And anything he is for, we are to be against by default.

But we've got this traitor that lives in our heart that helps him out. We call it the flesh, the carnal nature that will be with us until this corruptible puts on incorruption and then we will be more Christ-like than we ever could have imagined. Verse 30, for as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their obedience. Well, he's addressing again converted Gentiles in the presence of the Jews.

This letter would be read out loud in the congregation. But the faithfulness of God dealing with Israel is what he's going to cover from verse 30 to the end of this chapter. Looking over at Ephesians 2, we see that he will, now he writes Ephesians later. He's writing Romans, later on he's going to write the Ephesian letter.

And when he does, he's going to say such things as this. He says, and you he made alive who were dead and trespasses in sin. Now if I said show of hands, who's that happened to? Every born-again believer would raise their hand. In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince, the power of the air, the spirit, who now works in the sons of disobedience.

There's the activity of Satan among humans and just one of many places. He says here in verse 30, through their disobedience, Israel failed to reach the Gentiles. Their disobedience did not block God from reaching the Gentiles. God had his remnant of Jews to carry on that work. We know him as Peter and John and Paul and Barn. We know them as the disciples, the prophets and apostles of Christ from the first church.

And we look at this verse and we say God's work continued with or without the Jews as we see today. Do you know there are people that get saved in disobedient churches? Hopefully they get out of there once they realize. But they go to a church as loony as anything and God speaks to them and they get saved. Just because they're not doing what they're supposed to do, doesn't mean God is not doing what he wants to do.

Giving the individual a chance to get out of there. God had a remnant of Jews to reach Gentiles no matter what and now he has the Gentiles to reach the Jews and the Gentiles alike. Verse 31, even so these also have now been disobedient that through the mercy shown you, they also may obtain mercy. As a people, the character of God is a great source of comfort. To know his attributes that he is merciful, that he is gracious, that he is sovereign, that he is loving. What good would it be if you knew God to be loving but not sovereign? That means you couldn't pull his love off.

You couldn't do anything with it. Opposing forces could overcome that love. But he is sovereign. Well what if I only knew he was sovereign without knowing his love? Well I would fear him as a tyrant.

He'd be a bully to me. What if I know them both? And what if those two create an understanding that there's more? Love. Mercy. Blessings come in a two-pack. Mercy comes in a two-pack. There's two parts to mercy. It blesses the one that is receiving the mercy for sure. But it also blesses the one that's giving the mercy. If you've ever extended mercy to someone, and I hope you have, you know there's a sense of thank you Lord that this thing is not, I'm not bitter.

I'm not, you know, I'm trying to be as Christ-like as I can and you've made it easy for me through your spirit. If Paul and the Gentiles could receive God's mercy, and that's where he's going with this, then any Jew could receive God's mercy. Mercy is activated only in the presence of guilt. If you're innocent there's no need for mercy. It's when you're guilty that you need mercy. And to desire God's mercy on one's life is to admit one's guilt. If you say to someone who's not a Christian, for example, when you die, this might be a little tricky but it makes the point, do you want mercy on your soul? If they say yes, they've just admitted to guilt and accountability. Otherwise who needs mercy?

Some of the more sophisticated anti-Christ individuals will deny, but not others. And it may be a gateway, it may be a door open for you to help them understand what they just said. Anyone who is looking for mercy when they die, who's not given their life to Christ, where are they looking for mercy from? And why are they looking for mercy? Because there is guilt and there is accountability and it comes from God.

It has been implanted in the hearts of humans to understand that there's more to this life than what they see. However, many of them override the system. Many of them blame others. Maybe they blame the church. Who's the easiest other than God?

God is the easiest person to blame for wrong. The second might be parents. Well, my parents, shut up. Even if they did, shut your mouth.

What about you? When God says honor your mother and father, some mothers and fathers have not made that easy. But you can honor them by shutting your mouth. Or you can honor them by, I mean, I would love to see my parents again so I could tell them how grateful I am.

I think they knew, but not like I would gush on them if I had a second chance. We learn those things in life. These are lessons the church should not only embrace, but preach. You know how many unbelievers out there blame their parents? Know nothing about honor your mother and father as one of the Ten Commandments.

Is that important? Very easy to blame others, but particularly God and parents, and we should be aware of that. So what do you do? And I have to admit, when something doesn't go my way, I want to find somebody to blame other than myself.

It is best to just trust God. Just submit. We were singing a little earlier, I surrender all. Oh yeah? Prove it. When it's your turn to turn on God or the innocent or on yourself, surrender to the Lord.

It is most effective. Verse 32, for God has committed them all to disobedience that he might have mercy on all. Well, he's saying here, don't blame God for treating disbelievers as disobedient, and God doesn't automatically give up on the disobedient and the disbelievers. For God has committed them all to disobedience.

That's what they are. He doesn't pretend that they're otherwise when they are disobedient. That he might have mercy on all. God looking for opportunities to have mercy.

Thus we read about God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes on him should have eternal life and not perish. Because God is looking for opportunity to exercise mercy. Now if you purposefully try to put God in a situation where he gets to exercise mercy, that's deceptive and manipulative, and don't expect God to be fooled. Here's the character of God referenced earlier from another angle.

Psalm 5 verse 4. David writing, for you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with you. How many times in life have people thought that God was to blame? That God did evil? That God did wrong? Job had to wrestle with it.

He didn't cross the line but he walked up to it. He said he makes me his enemy. He makes me his target. And if you had as much pain as Job, you'd be saying the same things. But the Bible says that God is not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness. Mercy means deserved punishment is withheld and that's what I want when I stand before God. I don't want justice to come up when I stand before God. Let's just leave that out of the conversation. Let's talk mercy.

Because that is what I want. Ephesians 5 verse 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore do not be partakers with them. It's God's mercy. In verse 30 through 32 it's God's mercy. In verse 30 it's to the Gentiles. In verse 31 it's to the Jews. And in verse 32 it's to the world.

So Paul is saying to the Gentiles, I don't want you to be ignorant of these things unless you get puffed up. But God is about mercy. It doesn't mean he will excuse the wicked. The wicked have to face their wickedness or else their wickedness will face them. But make no mistake, God does not delight in damning souls. Verse 33, oh the depths and riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgment and his ways past finding out? Well certainly not all of his ways, but Paul goes from theology to doxology. He's going from teaching scripture and the prophets and the end times to praising the Lord.

Doxology is praise. There is a word for a Christian disinterested in the depths of God. It's a single word.

It's called shallow. That should put a little fear in us. Paul talks about it in Hebrews chapter 5 through 11.

You still want milk. He talks about it to the Corinthians also. His ways are past finding out, but his character is not. Even the heavens declare his glory. How unsearchable are his judgments, I'm still in verse 33, and his ways past finding out? Well God has not revealed everything about himself or his ways, as Isaiah said, you know, my ways are higher than your ways, Isaiah 55, but he's revealed enough. He's quoting Job now. Job 9 verse 10, he does great things past finding out.

Yes, wonders without number. Now we look at verse 34. For who has known the mind of Yahweh or who has become his counselor? Now is Yahweh there? That's the, he's quoting the Old Testament and the covenant name of God. It's yet another scripture reference, Isaiah 40 this time, verse 13. This should be telling the Christian, listen, you like music, you like programs, you like things for your kids, you like the things in a church, the word better be first, all the time, without a second runner up.

Because if you take that away, the other stuff just makes you a social club. It is the word of God that defines our allegiances, defines our salvation, tells us about the character of God, and when he says, I will honor my word above my name, he's not joking around. And yet, how many churches would be happy with just singing through the service and never hearing a sermon?

They can't sit through one. Verse 35, or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid him? He's quoting Job 41, 11. Who has preceded me that I should pay him? Everything unto heaven is mine. How would I learn that lest God revealed it? Now verse 36, for of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever, amen. Well that's a qualification to be divine, for divinity. So Paul has finished now what he started in chapter 9 through 11, dealing with why the Jews, having the Bible, being the chosen people, being given a promised land, they have all of that and they still missed that Jesus is their Messiah.

He's dealt with it in those three chapters. Next he gets back to church business with individual Christians and he says, I beseech you therefore, 12-1, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And as a new Christian, I love that verse.

But as an older Christian, I found out how hard it is to present myself a living sacrifice. Thanks for joining us for today's teaching on Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

We're currently going through the book of Romans. If you're in need of hearing this message again or want to listen to others like it, head over to crossreferenceradio.com. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast too, so you'll never miss another edition. Just go to your favorite podcast app to subscribe. On our website, you'll be able to learn a little more about the ministry of Cross-Reference Radio. So make a note of it, crossreferenceradio.com. That's all we have time for today, but thanks so much for listening. Pastor Rick will be back next time in the book of Romans here on Cross-Reference Radio.