18. Israel & God’s Salvation Plan

Romans 9:30 – 10:21p. 1045

Getting it Right

8 An example from Scuba diving, More than one factor necessary for success.

8 Last week:, God has worked in history for his salvation

plan.

, The Issue: Faithfulness of God to promises to Israel " “Yes” – Abraham’s descendants share his faith,

not his genes.

, God has been faithful – Israel not

, What went wrong?

8 What must we get right?

1. The Mistake: Zeal without Knowledge

8 There are 2 things the Jews get wrong –

1. Pursue the Law as a way of righteousness (v 31)" Achieved by works (v 32)" Lose sight of the Law-giver and his purpose" Stumbled over the message of Christ

2. Full of Zeal, not based on knowledge (10:2)" They missed the point of it all" Had spiritual zeal but did not direct it correctly" They did not know, understand, accept the purposes of

God" Trying to establish their own righteousness by works (v

3)– Not willing to submit to God’s righteousness (free, by faith)

" Their zeal was on their own terms !

1. The Mistake: Zeal without Knowledge . . .

Our problem today:

8 Misdirected zeal – no knowledge., Think the details don’t matter too much.

" God’s grace is sufficient for weakness" Wilful ignorance and disinterest – symptoms of

lack of faith?

2. The Mark: Righteousness by Faith

8 Characteristics of “righteousness by faith”:, Christ is at the centre of it (v 4)

, Not seek him in the heavens or the depths (v 6-7)

, Knows that he is near (v 8)

, Affirms and believes the message of faith (v 8b-10)

8 Realize no difference between Jew and Gentile, We are all descendants of Abraham by

shared faith.

, “Same Lord is Lord of all” (v 12)" If there is one God He is the God of Everyone

3. The Message: Word about Christ

8 The Message: “the word about Christ” (v 17)

8 Process of getting the message out:" Someone must be sent – by God (v 15)" The sent one must proclaim Christ (v 17)" The message must be heard (v 14, 17)" It must be believed and received (v 14)" Hearers must call on the name of the Lord (v 12)" Believe and declare: “Jesus is Lord, raised from

dead (v 9-10)" This message has gone into all the earth (v 18; Ps

19:4)

, Everything is happening as God has said.

3. The Message: Word about Christ . . .

8 Israel is not jumping aboard., Moses and Isaiah predicted this.

, God would go to the gentiles to make Israel jealous

, Israel is an “obstinate and disobedient people” (v 21)

Getting it Right

8 We can easily go wrong and drift off the path, Must hold tightly to God’s word

8 Last week:, Choosing Israel to form a channel for mercy

" We are a channel of mercy to our generation." Take the message of Christ to our world.

8 Our twofold response:, Get the message straight for ourselves.

, Take the message to our world.