From Valley to Victory (Part 14)

Beloved, the truth is this God fully revealed himself in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that God fully revealed himself in his word that God fully revealed himself for us, in order to know what we need to know. Namely, that we can be saved that we can be redeemed that we can be encouraged in our walk with him that we can be victorious over temptation that we need to learn how to be obedient to him that he revealed to us enough to know that we can look forward to alternative. And heaven with Jesus. But God did not reveal everything about himself, who couldn't handle it. To begin with every commandment because God has always to be God and we are not what is happening today in the 21st century listen to me very carefully. Our culture has working doubly hard to humanize God and deify man we treat God like the pal down the street. Of course, to the believer. It is absolutely true that God calls us friends and that is an incredible honor and apparently Jesus himself said this in John 1515.

I call you friends but listen to me if you got invited to the house of the Queen of England.

You don't come in there and then you put your feet on the table is that hey get me a cup of coffee or I'm out of here. I can assure you that attitude will not take you very far. And yeah, that is literally how people are treating God now some would say that we are gods with a small G others are willfully stripping God of his awesomeness of his omnipotence of his omnipresence and of his Majesty. Many of the Evangelical books are coming out now saying that God does not know the future, because modeling is white with us. Still, some people treat the God of the universe, the creator of the world like idol worshipers.

If you have known some Hindus that they have the statues in the closet and then they bring those factors out when they need something from their God in a place that the statue that God idol and their bow and their worship that idol and when they finished report that idol back in the closet though some people talk to God when they feel like it or when they need him and then give him the cold shoulder if he does not comply with their wishes.

No longer do we reverence God and think of him in such all of his majesty and splendor that we bow to him; are you taking time to say all these things when we gonna look at Romans chapter 11 because this travesty could end up not only destroying Western civilization not make no mistake about it, when the church fails civilization fails.

Romans 11 reminds us of the indescribable riches majesty and wisdom and knowledge of God. Romans 11 reminds us of the absolute necessity of bowing to God and bow whether we understand what we going through all not, we bow to him and are difficult circumstances and our joys and our sorrows we bow to him and to remember that God alone is God, and will not. That is why the key verse in Romans chapter 11 is versus 33 and 34 wanted to look with me because if you miss those two verses you missed the whole chapter.

You really do all that the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable his judgment and his path beyond tracing out verse 34, who has known the mind of the Lord, who has been his counselor and answers. No one you cannot put God in a box that you cannot put God in the little system or a small formula.

You cannot put God's plan on a chart as if this is the way God works now the Pharisees did exactly this, and when the Messiah showed up.

They failed to recognize them and they would believe in him, they missed him completely and that rejected him. So much so that Jesus said in John chapter 539 to 40. He said you diligently study the Scriptures because you think by them, you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me and yet you refuse to believe in me refused to come to me and have life. Among these unfathomable wisdom of God. Listen to me.

How can he love sinners like me. How did he die for sinners like me company redeemed sinners like the company forgives sinners like me. How can he work miracles on behalf of his children how God gives victory to his children. Something is inexplicable. I can explain it.

Can you Romans 1133 is like someone who's been climbing Mount Everest received one of those documentaries is climbing the step by step pain. After painful step, and it goes on for days and then when that person reach the summit when you reach the top of the mountain. He looks arising wow look at that DOD look at the splendor. It is indescribable. I can put it in words and is what the apostle Paul in the first 10 chapters of the epistle to the Romans. In the first 10 chapters. He's been crawling step by step by step about the grid reality of salvation on the part of God and then he comes to the summit he comes to the top in verse 33 of Romans 11 and he says God's footprints are unsearchable.

God's footprints are untraceable. It only causes me to bow in awe and wonder in the difficult times and the good times eyebrow. So you are God, your God now with this brief introduction I come to the chapter that is a reason why it took time because without understanding this, you will not understand the rest of the chapter. If you look with me.

I got three things I want you to see here in Romans 11 in verses 1 to 10 you going to see this indescribable God. This indescribable God in his dealing with Israel in the Old Testament. Then in verses 11 to 24 you going to see this indescribable God and his dealing with the Gentiles in the New Testament. And thirdly, verses 25 to 32. You see this indescribable God of grace and his grace is indescribable.

First, God is on searchable. He is indescribable in the way he dealt with Israel in the Old Testament. Look at verses 1 to 10. In verse one, Paul asked the question did God permanently reject his Jewish people and he said absolutely no way. After all of the pain that caused him for 2000 years God had not rejected Jewish people is not his and God forbid, because I do myself.

If that's the case, how can I be an apostle in less than two minutes on women to be 2000 years of history to understand what Paul is saying here so many professing Christians in the 2000 years of Christian history had this following thought but listen carefully. The Jews rejected Jesus the Jews crucified Jesus the Jews persecuted the followers of Jesus, therefore God rejected the Jews. Forever. But this is absolute fallacy is fallacy because Paul himself is a Jew, he is saying this type of erroneous thinking began actually in the church of Rome. That's what is writing what is writing this erroneous thinking started back then and continues to this day. This will erroneous thinking is persistent. This type of thinking give rise to Nazi-ism and anti-Semitism and Hitler.

This type of erroneous thinking is behind all anti-Semitism, all of it. If you dig deep. This is the thought behind, which is absolutely contrary and incompatible with an inconsistent with the Christian faith. Paul calls this type of argument flawed false. What is the proof positive that myself is approved, June.

I am now the Amb. and apostle of Christ.

All of the apostles were Jewish.

99.9% of the early church were all Jewish. Furthermore, this type of thinking runs opposite to the character of God today, we can look at the thousand that tens of thousands of messianic believers around the world. Some of the mark, my dear, dear friends and you know for sure that God has not rejected the Jewish people.

He is not to be sure I sent them the last message because God chose Israel to be a light to the nations, that is to proclaim Yahweh to the world the one that failed. The commission are you get that right the commission of making God known to the world was taken from them and given to the church commission but that does not mean for a moment that God completely rejected his people all rescinded his offer of salvation through the Messiah, Jesus. And that is why throughout the Old Testament.

The Bible speaks of the faithful remnant Israel as a race. Inside there is a faithful remnant the Michelle you from the word of God. The first one, Paul mentions in Romans 11, the prophet Elijah said God everybody defected from here there worshiping bailiffs and they now following Ahab and Jezebel. They become bail worshipers and only one is left aggressive manner because of the 7000 faithful Jews did not bow down to Bell casting second reference most 99. The Bible tells us that God has sifted Israel, like corn and all the faithful remnant remain in the sieve. All the huskers follow-through three Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 to 18, God declared that this faithful remnant is his treasured possession. In a Zechariah 812 and 13, God declared that he will keep the faithful remnant, safe and Jeremiah 23 three God said, the remnant will remain faithful. Number six, Ezekiel 1414, the Bible declares that the individual faithful Israelites would come to receive salvation and then finally, Isaiah chapter 7, eight and nine, we find that the faithful remnant within Israel will be saved. To say that all of the Israelites were faithful to God would be like say all of the churchgoers of born-again believers? What does Paul mean when he says all of Israel will be saved from what I just showed you the several references in a more is saying that the faithful remnant are the true Israel and everyone of them are going to be saved. Now you understand that whether you're studying the Old Testament or you're studying the New Testament, it is faithfulness, not ethnicity, that will save salvation is to whomsoever. Whomsoever it was starting with Abraham is and always will be. Faithfulness. What is that mean that relationship with God is determined on an individual basis. If I look at this congregation at the masses of people a blob of people in front of me. God does not see it that way he see each individual you as an individual is what he's focusing on its an individual salvation. No one is saved because there were raised a Baptist or Presbyterian. And God help us Episcopalian. We don't get saved because our church background a family background or any background in the same way.

Paul is saying just because a person ethnically a juvenile does not mean that he's a believer, but only the faithful Jews whom the Bible calls the remnant will be saved. Why, because this remnant look forward by faith like Abraham to the cross of Jesus. Just as we in the New Testament look back by faith to the cross of Jesus. Michelle you from the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 1820 is with the prophets or the salt that sin should die, the soul, each individual's individual salvation, Old Testament and New Testament. Individual salvation is both in the Scripture, God does not change on beloved. This is the reality Paul is telling us the fact that some individual Jews have hardened their hearts toward the Messiah does not mean that God rejected them all as a race no way what Paul is saying about the hardness of their hearts is a sobering is sobering. Listen to me.

It's sobering to the Jews and to the Gentiles. After everyone of us it sobering versus 7 to 10. There is a universal principle here that you must take to heart what is it, if anyone keeps on hearing the truth and refuses to respond to the truth. The time will come when that person will be incapable of responding this out to make us weep over the lost. If somebody here, listening, watching anywhere you can hardening your heart and hardening your heart and you know the truth of God speaking to you is gonna be a time when that gonna be difficult for you to respond.

Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 1312. Listen to what Jesus said whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance but whoever does not have what he has will be taken away from him. There are some who thinks they know they can lie and cheat and live in a rich wife all week long. As long as a go to mass or go to church on Sunday. Everything is fine now know, beloved Paul is saying there is a spiritual danger that can develop in the life of such a person in the life of this type of person and it is called spiritual callousness.

You see the indescribable God in his dealing with stubborn Israel is what Paul is saying is that you see this indescribable God and his dealing with the Gentiles. Look at verses 11 to 24 first 11 to 16.

You see, Paul makes an incredible statement regarding the sovereignty of God.

He really does when the June becomes callous and indifferent and spiritually insensitive toward the Messiah. What does God do.

He uses that same callousness that same insensitivity toward the voice of God to bring Gentiles to be saved and into salvation and into knowledge of Jesus Christ who is the Jewish Messiah. Why to provoke the Jews in order to provoke them into jealousy and I want to come to their Messiah. Just because the Jews refused. The good news does not mean that God washes his hands. No, the fact refused to listen to the fact that there faithful remnant waited for longing for expectant and they didn't doesn't mean that God permanently rejected them as some people say no it is offered to those who did not have the privilege of the covenant and the relationship that the Jews had with God. Master question have you ever heard a professing Christian tried to blackmail God. I have God if you don't do this for me.

I'm out of here. I am out of it for saps really was a think about it, and the support is saying here is that they don't know the grace of God.

I know people who do this with churches.

They do this with ministries and lives. Even as I'm out of here. We do this with politician is fine you can do that with politicians. It's all right now, with God's God, it doesn't work that way with the indescribable, unfathomable Almighty, all-powerful coach of thy God, please. Every time you attempted to do this, take a deep breath and recite Romans 1133 all depths of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God.

Look at verse 11 all the way to 16 again when you're tempted to feel hi and Margie toward an unbelieving Jew or when you attempted to look down on an unbelieving Jew because they rejected Christ. Remember three things. It was through the rejection that you been accepted your salvation should make a general jealous deterrent of their Messiah and firmly when a Jew believes in Jesus as Messiah is a greater riches to the world. It really is. Many years ago there was a a Christian student law student at Mercer University and then lo and behold, he discovered that his roommate with a Jewish man from New York and mean he was New Yorker and he comes in the room. He looks at his Christian friend and sees the Bible and he says listen to me if you don't give me that Jesus stuff you're not going to get along just fine is what the Christian student illicit America promise you'll never hear me talk to you about Jesus accept the challenge and so he didn't that went on for a few months. The Christian student just kept reading the word of God studying the work of living his life for Christ.

Finally, the Jewish student just couldn't take it anymore and he just contacted the curiosity killed the cat. I think the curiosity almost killed this guy and he said okay tell me his momentum, and we made an agreement or physical memory is of no manual promise. I keep my word. He kept urging him talk about Jesus fun is at the mall but I gonna tell you, do two things for me gone. Read the passages in Isaiah about the suffering servant seen on talk about is like a sheep look to the slaughter, and all the suffering servant's passages in Isaiah and when you're finished on that you can go read the Gospel of Matthew. If you come to the conclusion that they talking about the same person. 750 years apart.

One 750 years before and one 750 years later than we can talk. So my friend goes and then reverse passages comes back a few weeks later, so I get it.

Did talk about the same person. Is it okay within days the Jewish student knelt before his Messiah, Jesus and receive him as Savior and Lord. And that person is not other than my dear friend Jay Sekulow of the law Center for Law and Justice. Look how much Jerry bless the world. Just think about.

Had Paul been standing there in that room or has been standing in this pulpit telling you this, Peter says guy that's what I'm trying to tell you, in Romans 11. That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you that's exactly what I'm trying to explain to you a Gentile believer provoked a Jewish man into believing in his Messiah and enrich the world is a sad parts and false teachers running around and saying a Jew does not need to be converted to Christ or believe in Christ to be saved order to tell this to the tens of thousands of messianic Jews in Europe and the United States and Israel, many of whom are my dear friends beloved God has provided only one way for salvation edits through the Jewish Messiah Jesus and am blessed to have some Jewish friends and often tell them I owe you I owe you. Jesus you gave me Jesus question what about that all of tree. Listen carefully. The root of the olive tree, is the faith of Abraham, the trunk of the tree is the Lord Jesus Christ, the church made up branches of both Jewish and Gentile believers. The Gentile believers were grafted in, but the Jewish believers in Jesus there with the natural branches CR indescribable God.

You see him clearly in dealing with the Jews in the Old Testament and you see him incredible God clearly in the way he deals with grace, with the Gentiles. And thirdly finally you CR indescribable God, the God of grace versus 25 to 32 verse 25 says don't be uninformed.

Don't be ignorant and that there's nothing worse than an uninformed person thinking that he or she is an expert on something. But you know what you what I found out my experience was worse. A person whose half informed that dangerous. They're dangerous they really are on the desk. I have partial information that information or half information can only lead to false pride and would lead to conceit and the complete antidote to pride is the truth.

Objective truth biblical truth that you cannot despise the Gentile because they both are made in God's own image, and a Gentile cannot despise a Jew or Judaism is the very foundation of the Christian faith and both can only be saved by God's mercy through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ talking about product. I was thinking about this politician who went to a photographer and he said I wanted to really do a very good portrait of me. This is going to hang in a very prominent place. I want you to really work hard and give me a good portrait and so find. A few days later Karen photographer handed him the proof he looks at the person he said this picture does not do justice for me and the photographer looked at him since her with a face like yours either on the justice and mercy. Beloved that can be said of all of us.

None of us can boast about anything. None of us can brag about anything where all sin is undeserving of hell. Verse 31, but God's mercy is exercise toward us who are disobedient Jews. All Gentiles how because only the mercy of God can rescue us from the consequences of disobedience. Whether you're Jew or a Gentile salvation for all of humanity has no regard of ethnicity is only based on the merits of Jesus Christ in this cross.

This whole issue of racism that people are exploiting the people are using to divide us. This whole issue of racism can only end when the hearts of been toward the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. Listen to me there is no program that can end racism. There is no funding that can end racism that is no indication that can end racism. Nothing can change apart from hate to love other than the blood of Jesus Christ and him crucified. Beloved, the ground is level the mercy seat of Christ. None of us have anything to brag about.

None of us has anything to boast about to feel better than somebody else. This is the gospel.

This is a Christian faith. This is our only plea in the doors wide open to everyone who repent of their sins, regardless of who they are beloved.

This is the glory of the Christian faith.

If your person carrying hate in your heart to him profess to know Jesus, you need to repent of it. In fact, anything that you're boasting about in your life you need to surrender to Jesus because the only thing you have to boast about is the cross of Jesus Christ the Lord Jesus, I'm so sorry for the way I treated you the way I treated you, God, you been Mike Savior be my Lord you been full of grace toward me, and yet somehow I felt something in me that did this but I think you that is your blood shed on the cross that grace the merits of Christ is what her term of the saved me and saves me. If you're a person of never come to Christ that this is an opportunity.

Lord Jesus, I surrender father your word said that you did not leave yourself without a witness how don't know how to thank you for the clarity of your word that you've given us. I don't know how to thank you for your grace and mercy humbles us Lord I might not understand this fully until I get to heaven.

How can a holy, righteous, God can love a sinner like me. I thank you for that grace.

I bow to you and I pledge the rest of my life to lift up that beautiful name. The name of Jesus and his name I pray, amen.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward