Romans Ch 9

This is Amy Thomas from the masculine journey podcast where we discover what it means to be a wholehearted man your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network we want to pause a moment here to think one of our program supporters and that's High Point financial design over in High Point, North Carolina just like to say thank you to our friend Ronnie Kleinberg and his son Brad, Kleiner, and all of the folks at High Point financial design for their positive feedback and encouragement of our ministry. We appreciate High Point financial design in their special focus on intentional planning abundant living continued blessings both from into the High Point financial design and if not for God with Mike Swick welcome to If Not for God stories of hopelessness that turn to hope. Your host Mike swing if not for God with Mike Swick and we are Romans chapter 9 and clearly Paul in his life as a Jew and a Pharisee. Now is part of of Romans chapter 9, where he is in turmoil over his brethren the Jews and their rejection of Christ, and so as we study this you know Mike and I both think if not for God, like where you need them here. Yeah, this is really this couple of weeks ago we did. I Romans chapter 7 for a lot of people. That was a tough chapter but I think when we went through Romans seven and then really Romans eight as well. I think we were able to see how Romans seven really made sense because he's basically saying Paul saying the things that I want to do. I don't do the things that I don't want to do I do when he says woe to me.

You know I try to listen to the spirit that I follow the flesh and then Romans eight chapter 1 it says there is therefore now no condemnation in Christ. Thank God. But we were talking about this a little bit before.

Sometimes we want to kinda make it on her own effort and we want kind of just make it to heaven because we did something but it's interesting and will start on the first few verses because it was something that I just saw here that I didn't see before you start off in Romans nine in the NIV version and starting in verse one it says I speak the truth in Christ.

I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit. I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for I wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race.

The people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to son ship, there is the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises theirs are the patriarchs, and from then is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God overall, forever praised. Amen.

It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel, nor because they are his descendents are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, it is through Isaac that your ops offspring will be reckoned in other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring for this was how the promise was stated at the appointed time. I will return, and Sarah will have a son. Not only that, but Rebecca's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose in election might stand, not by works but by him who calls. She was told the older will serve the younger. Just as it is written, Jacob I love, but Esau I have hated what shall we say then, is God unjust, not at all, for he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy and Robbie were talking about the prodigal son is that right brilliant site you have there, because it is really like. If you understand which of reading any of us understand the prodigal son story, but we can certainly grasp certain aspects of it that hears his picture of repentance. It's unbelievable but moreover it's also a picture of the older brother and throughout the Bible, even the older brother.

You know when it it it's it's a consistent theme right leg came was older than able admin you know clearly the idea with with Ishmael and Isaac.

And then you got Esau and Jacob and and then you know who can forget what happened to poor Joseph and his older brothers and so the idea of the older brother is is just a consistent thing that we see throughout the Scripture. And here we come.

As Jesus tells the story that the older brother was right should have gotten the bigger inheritance.

The older brother did hang out and did everything his father said in the but he expected because his performance right that he would get the calf and he would get the ring and all that but it was the younger son, which you know got the party so to speak, and the father's joint and and and it's amazing thing that the father was still willing completely to have joined the older son and I think that that in the in calls where he's sharing that still is really cool thing that if you studied the Jewish culture. There are two concepts that they teach.

They teach this, which is really the idea of the prodigal, there is the idea of what they call teshuvah or sugar which has to do with returning and then they have the idea of what the call is that it can is attic means righteous so you have the righteous brother which is the older brother, and then you have the shoe that you have the brother who returned right and what they teach. This is a Jews they teach that the teshuvah has the greater seat at the table. Why because he is familiar with how degraded he is without God and because he was the one that believed God, right, and it was counted for him as righteousness. That dad is the one that gets the better see the table than the SETI. They teach so they understand the concept but the but unfortunately they continue to reject him not believe God because it at the end of the day. Do you believe Jesus is who he is and and if you do and you return to God then wow I mean you get you get the party you get the steak dinner you get the signet ring among a robot and you get the whole package and we hope in and you can see this I think is Paul's heart throughout Romans nine we still hope that Israel gets the whole package to you. Where were not willing you know is this isn't like we deserve it more than anybody else know we don't deserve it all and so we hope. We hope like crazy that that that that people will believe and see how unbelievable loving God that we serve. Yes yes I mean you.

It's interesting that because we talk about this before, like Romans nine minutes a tough chapter.

What are you talking about, you know, when we were talking about this and I had written this down. The other day I watch the national championship.

The college national championship and was buried. It was Alabama versus Georgia did you see the game. I sent Alabama's older brother actually made the a and would it's funny that you said that and that may have been prophetic, but the but the reason I say that is this is because everybody thought, you know, a lot of people thought Alabama was there when the game I mean everybody you know Nick Sabin. They have the best coach this that the other whatever but at the very end of the game. Okay Alabama was down by eight and they try to go down the field and in at that point they could've gotten a touchdown.

Two point conversion and would've forced overtime, they didn't.

They Georgia.

They got a pick six so they ran the ball back in. They were ahead by 15. Everybody knew the game was over, the quarterback for Georgia. He was crying to me. They game was over. I mean it. For all intents and purposes, the game was over, they knew it was over.

There was maybe a minute or a minute and 1/2 left, but Alabama got the ball back and you would've watched them play.

I mean they were playing like there was a minute and 1/2 left and they could still win this game. I mean they were throwing the ball.

There were try to get out about the redo everything that they could do to get down the field to try to score a touchdown and it reminds me of what were talking about with this whole works thing versus grace and faith because the game was over.

It was absolutely over and everybody knew it was over. But Alabama was trying as hard as they could to go down the field and possibly score a touchdown which would've meant nothing at all. And so what I'm trying to say is this is that when we try to get into heaven by our own good works when we try to make it ourselves when we tried it work as hard as we can to get down that field because somehow when it can happen and can happen in so at the same time. On the other hand, you know that if we realize it or until we get to the point where we realize we get a witness came on her own. I mean we we we can contribute nothing to our own salvation and that Lord Jesus, it's all up to you and it's all because of what you've done until we get to that point work were never to be ready to receive salvation.

And I was good friend Adam Draper and he related symptom things to me that I think are precious along the ideas of faith that the way he explains it is you have the woman with the issue of blood. I met we don't have recorded any particular prayer that she prayed.

I bought all we know is that she obviously believe Jesus could do something for her and she chased him down in order to to just touch the hem of his garment.

And when it happened the way that Adam put it is that she had a call on his very essence. She believed so much in her heart that God could do this for her by touching God himself what she could do because Jesus was there, then immediately.

It took place without you know Jesus is going okay objects to do this just happened right. And he also says and I think this is beautiful that the disciples when they're in the boat and it starts to storm. You might remember right before Jesus said, peace be still, they start screaming and on they work praying like dear Lord Jesus please help the storm to calm down and wasn't like that guy. It was a real fancy prayer that they pray like what they said would you know where diameter and what happened was it was it was a call on who Jesus is because they believe that Jesus could do something about it.

All the sudden he was like peace be still.

What that scent was such a shock wave into the spiritual world that when when Jesus arrives on the shore, look at the passage.

The demons come running up to him.

What are you doing messing with us before it's time because they were still feeling what he had done out of that when he said that the spirits like be still that this totally in faith believe that all this is the guy.

This is the son of God, and he didn't die for my sin. And this is a guy then all the sudden that's what makes us right that's absolutely right.

A minute matter fact, there is actually, there is a pastor that I listen to, and his name is pastor Rusty Guenther think it's a blowing rock forks first Baptist of Brooke blowing rock but really love to hear him speak and I actually asked him for some of his sermons recently and there has to because there's something that you you preached on and it spoke to me and he said it to me but one of the things that I that I had gotten from his sermon was. He says that throughout human history is always talking about. We want peace we want peace we want peace and he said, but the interesting things throughout human history.

They've they've they've shown that about 92% of time in history. There were some sort of a battle or war going on and he said that there's only 8% of history where there was just complete peace in the way that he explained it was that he said that really if you explain the times of peace its work the timer. Everybody come it held her breath in and what they were doing as they were just reloading and so and so you know when I think about that. I mean it's like we've when we are going through our everyday lives.

Robbie and in I know Robbie, you probably don't deal with this man but I deal with some battles I mean there are some I got a unit you probably. And if you're listening, you probably don't have any problems this just me, but I mean there is a constant battle that is going on but going back to disgrace thing man when when I got Jesus I mean when I know that I've got that the Prince of peace and he's living inside of me and I got the Holy Spirit. It's like whatever is going on in the world. I mean, what, however bad it seems it's like says in the Bible that I got the piece that surpasses all understanding.

So everybody else could be worrying about all the stuff and I've done that in the past. By the way, but where I am now as I kinda got to a point where Teresa's own like this is happening no Mike that's happening only go that's interesting. Will thank you Jesus for being with me. I'm not to worry about because I know that his grace covers everything and I know Robbie that were going to go through some tough times. He, Jesus said he said if you're Christian you think you will be persecuted in some way shape or form. If you can make a stand for Christ on and we've both gone through some stuff on but at the same time in those battles when things get so tall that we have the peace that surpasses all understanding, and when one of the stories that I was thinking about was and I had mentioned this before, but on our Richard warm Brand are you familiar with him. The have you heard of the voice of the martyrs. He's the guy who started the voice of the martyrs he was in a Romanian prison Romania during communism and they tortured him for like 15 years straight. And so there was a time where he was actually being tortured and his guard was torturing him torturing it was just awful and then heat the guard got up and went away for second and he came back and he said the guard saw him praying in the guard said directories doing obviously your God can't stop any of this stuff and Richard warm Brand said to the guard who would just tortured him. He said I was praying for you. The guy who was just torturing Ryan right on the spot. The guard gave his life to Christ and I think it's like so his circumstances were great, rid the guard wasn't saying I would be torque but he said he saw the piece that he had with Jesus and because he had that piece somebody who was torturing him so that he was a nonbeliever, said I won't what you've got and and and I think there may be something to that, to the extent of what Romans chapter 9 is about is that God allowed us right to be grafted in to get this unbelievable grace to get this unbelievable piece to be a spectacle not only to Satan but to our older brother brightened Israel to say wow man I wish I had that kind of faith. I wish I had that kind of Joya I wish I had that kind of peace and and and it's really cool I mean when you meet a messianic Jew or somebody that has you know obviously the born end of the inheritance know in terms of what you see them convicted that mean they are a sharp knife, like Dr. Brown I made it there and what I think about this. I think all of Romans comment to me there's different parts of it in in their separate chapters, but I think a lot of it kinda goes together and when I think about this.

I go back to diverse in its it's not a Romans but it second Corinthians 521 and it says that God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might be close, the righteousness of God. So when we you know some so many times and I think as Christians we talk. I got three fingers pointing back at myself when I go back and I remind myself or I let the devil remind me of all of the sins that I've committed all of the wrong that I've done then really I'm kind of missing this whole point of grace because he's saying) and tell me if I'm if I'm reading it wrong, but that in him we might become the righteousness of God, so that when God sees Robbie Gilmore. He no longer sees a dirty no good you know filthy rotten center car salesman or when he sees Mike, he doesn't see an insurance salesman or whatever it is that he sees the righteousness of God in and in you. Unfortunately I think Robbie some people just don't get that, Diana, and the beauty of it is is father Abraham had many sons. It may be an advantage in other beautiful passage in Genesis where he believed he believed God, and he counted them on to him as righteousness. And so and so there it is actually the father of this idea of faith right and it's really cool in the hundred 19 Psalm as you know, I've been studying and that none section word says thy word is a light unto my feet in a lamp and a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path that the none is like your soul is considered the defense and if you look there's a connection between your soul in righteousness. And here's here's find it throughout the Psalms. You remember the 23rd Psalm right is where it says you lead me beside still waters right and then he said you restore my soul.

Also it says guide me in paths of righteousness for your namesake. That's the very next thing is, once our souls restored. We need to be made right. It is just the way he's saying that then how cool is this. If you look at "section of the hundred 19 Psalm it says my soul break it for a longing that it have for thy judgments at all time will judgments have to do with righteousness. Okay you being made right like your soul is will break it then longing for the judgment, said that to happen at all times and is looking for judgment. Did you ever connect your soul to how much you need to be right and it's that conviction that says it is on my right. The letter that you went when you when you go you're right, but would you would you get a Romans nine and I did touch on this before because with this was very important. I Romans 919 it says one of you will say to me then why does God still blame us for who is able to resist his will, but who are you a human being to talk back to God that show what is formed say to the one who was formed, why did you make me like this does not the potter have the right to make out of the same whelp of clay, some pottery for special purposes and some for common use in here is with God. Although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known. Born with great patience. The object of his wrath prepared for destruction with. He did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy mercy whom he prepared in advance for glory, even us, whom he called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles, as he says in Hosea I will call them my people who are not my people and I will call her my loved one who is not my love one in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people there. They will be called the children of God.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel that the number of the Israelites be like the sand of the sea.

Only the remnant will be saved for the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality is just as Isaiah said previously unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendents we would become like Sodom, we would've been like Gomorrah in this partly in part says Israel's unbelief here it is. What then shall we say that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it a righteousness that is by faith. But the people of Israel who pursued the law as a way of of righteousness, have not attained her goal, why not because they pursued it, not by faith but by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone as it is written. See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall in the one who believes in him will never be put to shame, and I was reminded by Pastor Ron Harris this morning a something that Warren Buffett had said many years ago and he said you never know who's skinny-dipping until the tide goes out AAA and you know what were talking about this. I'm reminded that you know you can do all is much as you want, you can do as many works as you want but apart from the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ. Your skinny-dipping. I love this, try to think of the name of the panther player's name escapes me right this minute. But anyway, he was talk about how they made the Super Bowl you're talking about Alabama earlier and you know how cool it was that you know they played the whole season right because they were trying to get to the Super Bowl and finally in the Super Bowl is but that you know you might remember they lost. This was the game of the field-goal mess up or whatever happened and he said then all of a sudden I scoreboard read. It was over and he said they pulled the rope and pulled us off the field.

I did the games over your done and and you and and you didn't win. And so now you're being pulled off the field of the sad part is he does point is just no different than you're sending you another problem is the game is over and you lost, you and at this point in time. You don't have a chance to go back and look like Ike I can try harder. I can do better know know all we gotta do is believe what believe that Jesus was in fact who he said he was an point to that in so many different ways.

I need his righteousness, because I got none.

I need to make things right on yes I may write. Gotta get right will. Here's how we get right. Jesus died so that you could be made right in your soul is longing for that and it can actually go into that right this minute if you display with this. That's right in in in first Corinthians 924 it says, do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.

They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever and only ask you something today.

If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you can make as much money as you want, you can work as hard as you want, you can have all the houses you can have all the stuff in this world says is great but you missed the boat and if you've never surrendered your heart to Christ.

I would ask you to pray with me right now. Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I have messed up in my life.

I ask you to forgive me all of my sins. I trust in you as my personal savior and I give my life thank you Jesus for saving Jesus hey I just want to thank one of our sponsors.

Greater love world outreach Center over in Burlington North Carolina at 537 S. Ireland St. they have services Sunday at 1030 in the morning and they have a Wednesday night services seven Pastor Ron Harris.

He's been on the station before we love to have him on if you want to feel welcomed, made to feel like you're at home, go visit greater love world outreach Center over in Burlington. This is the Truth Network