WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:01.870 I'm going to invite you to Romans Chapter nine. 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:03.780 We're at the very end of Romans, Chapter nine. 00:00:03.800 --> 00:00:06.670 We're going to pick up in verse 30 today into Chapter ten. 00:00:06.740 --> 00:00:10.620 There is a chapter break that kind of overlaps from Chapter nine, Chapter ten. 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:17.540 So we're going to mostly focus on chapter ten today, but hit the tail end of chapter nine as we explore this section in Romans nine, ten and 11. 00:00:17.580 --> 00:00:21.140 This is really a section that works together in this book. 00:00:21.180 --> 00:00:23.920 If you ever read Romans nine, ten, 11, they go together. 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:28.980 And it really is from the position of Israel's perspective in light of everything that Paul shared for us for. 00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:34.100 Romans But there's application to today in the way it relates to our own personal walk with the Lord. 00:00:34.160 --> 00:00:41.240 So chapter nine, in terms of thinking how Chapter nine, ten and 11 work, Chapter nine deals with Israel in the past, Chapter ten 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:42.530 deals with Israel and the present. 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:44.300 Chapter 11 deals with Israel in the future. 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:51.900 And it relates to all of us, really, in our relationship with God, because in their own personal struggle and figuring out where they fit in their walk with 00:00:51.900 --> 00:00:57.140 the Lord, we can ask really some of the similar questions that Israel is wrestling with. 00:00:57.260 --> 00:01:04.420 And part of what they're wrestling with is they look at the way that God has moved in the Old Testament and now they're looking at the way that God has conducted himself into the 00:01:04.420 --> 00:01:05.030 New Testament. 00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:10.660 And they really feel like they've been left behind, that God is now moving into working with the Gentiles. 00:01:11.100 --> 00:01:13.810 And now they're wondering, where does that put us as Jewish people? 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.220 We are God's promise people, right? 00:01:16.220 --> 00:01:20.080 We're the carriers of the messianic promises of the Lord. 00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:21.400 That was to bless all people. 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:24.390 And that looks like God has just really abandoned us and moved to the Gentiles. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:31.960 And they're kind of wondering how they fit in what God wants to do and how God desires to accomplish his will in this world. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.160 Is God unfaithful? 00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:40.440 It's even one of the questions they're challenged with because having received the promises of God, but now seeing God fulfilling those promises and working with other people, 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:44.160 they feel like God has been unfaithful to them because he's abandoned them in those promises. 00:01:44.660 --> 00:01:51.840 And God has reminded himself, really reminded us of Him in his faithfulness in chapter nine to look how he continues to work in Chapter ten 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:53.860 and the hope that we have in the future with him. 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:55.920 And so he's bringing Israel to that place. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:02.940 And this is important for us because for all of us, we come to a place where we need to come to 00:02:02.940 --> 00:02:10.320 an understanding of who God is and walk in light of that many times in life we can have a view of God that is erroneous, incorrect, 00:02:10.880 --> 00:02:12.660 and that affects our whole outlook. 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:19.740 And when we feel disappointed by a God, really that didn't fulfill what we thought he should because he wasn't real, then we've got to we've got to 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:20.940 respond to that. 00:02:20.940 --> 00:02:24.480 I mean, Malachi chapter three, verse six, tells us God doesn't change. 00:02:24.760 --> 00:02:30.720 And if there's something that we believed about God that wasn't fulfilled, the problem isn't that it was God because God doesn't change. 00:02:30.980 --> 00:02:33.380 The problem is there was something wrong with what we were believing. 00:02:33.380 --> 00:02:37.620 And so we need to figure out really who got is and respond in light of that. 00:02:38.140 --> 00:02:44.020 And if I said it in a most general sense, I could say it like this, that you don't get your own Jesus, right? 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:46.740 It is not your job to make up who Jesus is. 00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:48.900 Jesus is who Jesus is. 00:02:49.220 --> 00:02:56.300 It's our responsibility to understand who Christ is and then respond to him in light of that, not decide who I want my Jesus to 00:02:56.300 --> 00:03:03.320 be, but to realize who Jesus is and then how my life is to respond to him and his authority and reflect his 00:03:03.320 --> 00:03:04.120 goodness. 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:06.310 In this world, we don't get our own Jesus. 00:03:06.380 --> 00:03:13.740 In fact, if you're reading through our New Testament in a year study that we do, or even the Old Testament this week 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:16.840 or today, even we were reading through the Gospel of Mark. 00:03:17.220 --> 00:03:24.380 And in Mark, chapter two, you will see if you're reading through with that the disciples moving around in ministry with 00:03:24.380 --> 00:03:26.540 Jesus and the religious leaders coming to Jesus. 00:03:26.540 --> 00:03:33.680 And all they're doing in chapter two is asking a bunch of questions, not because they really care who Jesus is, it's because they have this idea of who they think the Messiah should 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:38.710 be, and they realize that Jesus isn't aligning with that and they want to try to trap Jesus and trick Jesus. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:45.880 And so they're asking all these questions to try to get Jesus to stumble because they're not really interested in the truth of who Jesus is, but it's the truth of who Jesus is 00:03:45.880 --> 00:03:47.380 that transforms our life. 00:03:47.620 --> 00:03:52.650 And that's what's important for us, that we need to find a place for our soul to be anchored. 00:03:53.100 --> 00:04:00.180 And when we find the truth of who God is and we put our faith in that, then we know wherever we go from there that we're on a place of 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:05.060 solid ground because our faith is in the one that ultimately matters. 00:04:05.260 --> 00:04:07.040 Everything else in the world, in the world, is going to pass away. 00:04:07.660 --> 00:04:10.200 But what you have in Christ will last for eternity. 00:04:10.540 --> 00:04:13.280 So discovering who God is matters for our life. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:20.420 And so aligning our hearts with God's heart being anchored in the truth of who He is what Romans Chapter nine and ten is all about. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:27.820 And in fact, these opening verses, Paul starts with those questions, sort of these rhetorical questions, because the Jews are there looking at the Gentiles and 00:04:27.820 --> 00:04:30.740 they're looking at themselves and they're asking these questions, Have we been abandoned? 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:31.650 And that's how he starts. 00:04:32.220 --> 00:04:33.060 What shall we say then? 00:04:34.080 --> 00:04:38.140 That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it. 00:04:38.640 --> 00:04:45.820 That is a righteousness that is by faith, but that Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, did not succeed in 00:04:45.820 --> 00:04:47.420 reaching that law. 00:04:47.420 --> 00:04:47.700 Why? 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:54.300 Because they did not they did not pursue it by faith, but as it were, based on works. 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:59.790 So you see Paul asking these sort of questions because he wants to deal with the problem. 00:04:59.900 --> 00:05:06.900 That's the first point under your notes as Paul's addressing, in order to align our hearts with God, he's first addressing the problem that the 00:05:06.900 --> 00:05:08.180 Jews are facing. 00:05:08.220 --> 00:05:10.020 And this is sort of the perspective that they had. 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:16.560 They've received the Old Testament and the and the law, and they want to live this law because they think that they can be perfected in this law. 00:05:16.960 --> 00:05:24.020 And when they look at the Gentile people, their perception is we can't wait until the Gentile people reach our 00:05:24.020 --> 00:05:24.580 level. 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:32.280 The passages in Scripture remind us through the promises of Abraham, starting in Genesis Chapter 12, that through Abraham there would come a seed, 00:05:32.500 --> 00:05:34.680 and through his seed he would bless all nations. 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:37.480 They were really the salvation of the world. 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:41.680 That's the way they would view themselves and even view themselves today. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:48.760 Many of them think that the Messiah isn't actually a person, that Israel itself is the Messiah, and they're going to lead people into the 00:05:48.760 --> 00:05:52.880 promises that God has declared, and they just keep living this law. 00:05:52.880 --> 00:06:00.200 And it's when the Gentiles who are lower realized that they need to get to that position, that they will finally achieve 00:06:00.200 --> 00:06:02.900 what God has desired for them. 00:06:02.900 --> 00:06:10.240 And so the Jews believe the Gentiles had to come up to their level when actually what he's saying in this past is the Scripture is that the Jewish people needed 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:18.640 to go down in humility and in order to be saved, they were teaching that you had to follow the law and 00:06:18.640 --> 00:06:21.900 that the righteousness could be earned. 00:06:21.960 --> 00:06:24.180 But it says something interesting here in this passage. 00:06:25.260 --> 00:06:32.470 It says in verse 31, it says, But that Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, 00:06:32.980 --> 00:06:36.500 did not succeed in reaching the law. 00:06:38.760 --> 00:06:40.580 What he's saying is the standard they were given. 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.140 The Old Testament was never truly intended to free them. 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:49.020 In fact, we could give this blanket thought towards really every religion in this world. 00:06:50.260 --> 00:06:57.300 There's not a religion in this world that can give you the security of your eternal destiny in God. 00:06:57.540 --> 00:07:00.240 At best, you have a hope, right? 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:03.140 You can say, well, here's the standard they want to live up to. 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:10.060 And you can kind of measure yourself to other people and think to yourself, Well, I've done a decent job in comparison to other people. 00:07:10.200 --> 00:07:11.760 And at best you could say to that. 00:07:11.760 --> 00:07:13.800 Well, I sure hope that's enough. 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:13.920 Right? 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:18.120 There's never a complete peace because you never know if you've ever done enough. 00:07:18.440 --> 00:07:19.720 You can always do more. 00:07:19.940 --> 00:07:26.260 There's always something more you could have done in your life in order to try to avail yourself to some religious standard. 00:07:26.440 --> 00:07:28.420 It's all you could work yourself to the bone. 00:07:28.440 --> 00:07:33.360 But you know that if there's sin in your life, you've never performed completely perfectly. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.820 The standard of religious law. 00:07:37.900 --> 00:07:39.110 And that's what it's saying about the Jews. 00:07:39.300 --> 00:07:46.720 And verse 31, they did not succeed in reaching that law, that even though they had this law, this law never brought him true peace 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:48.920 because it never brought them freedom. 00:07:49.960 --> 00:07:55.230 And that's a huge distinction between all religions in this world and Christianity. 00:07:55.920 --> 00:08:03.060 In fact, when you read the New Testament, one of the things that you'll often see reflected in the New Testament at the very beginning, Paul says over 00:08:03.060 --> 00:08:08.000 and over in his letters, that all of us receive this, and I know this is in tiny, tiny font for ants, right? 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:15.640 So you may not be able to read this or where you are, but let me just tell you the theme I highlighted for you that you can see in the beginning of every letter that the Apostle Paul writes, 00:08:16.020 --> 00:08:29.480 starting in Romans, Romans chapter one, verse seven, and 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:34.230 he goes through each letter after that, in fact, Romans chapter one and verse seven, This is the latest time that Paul mentions it in his letters, all the other verses he or all the other letters he writes, he mentions it within the first four verses, but he says this grace to you and peace. 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:38.640 Grace and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:08:40.880 --> 00:08:45.960 That type of greeting in God is only possible because of the Gospel. 00:08:48.620 --> 00:08:52.340 That you have received the grace of God what you didn't deserve. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.790 Sometimes he talks about the mercy of God in his greetings as well, that God didn't give you what you did deserve. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:00.900 And in that you find the peace of God. 00:09:03.180 --> 00:09:04.380 There's finally peace. 00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:10.480 Not because of your performance, but what Christ performed on your behalf. 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:12.700 That Jesus is enough. 00:09:14.020 --> 00:09:21.020 And in the security of that statement, rather than give a phrase that we find at the beginning of the book of Romans and he goes on and he says it through every letter that 00:09:21.020 --> 00:09:26.660 he writes, the first 13 letters that Paul gives some debate, the book of Hebrews as his 14th letter. 00:09:26.860 --> 00:09:34.020 But in this passage that tells us in verse 31 that they did not succeed in reaching the law, trying to perform and trying to perform 00:09:34.020 --> 00:09:41.380 and never living up to the standards, you got to think this is centuries of people, generation after generation, and none of them could reach the standard of perfection 00:09:41.380 --> 00:09:44.900 and living this law and therefore never had peace. 00:09:47.140 --> 00:09:51.500 But Christ is the deliverer of that grace and peace. 00:09:51.560 --> 00:09:55.720 And you see where their struggle comes from and where their problem is. 00:09:55.760 --> 00:10:01.780 And when you refuse, then to bow, Jesus becomes a stumbling block rather than a foundation. 00:10:04.280 --> 00:10:11.420 Rather than to discover that peace and an understanding of who Christ is and embracing that Christ rather than than find yourself built on the foundation of Jesus, it becomes 00:10:11.420 --> 00:10:12.120 a stumbling block. 00:10:12.160 --> 00:10:18.480 And this is what he says for us at the end of verse 32 and verse 33, they have stumbled over the stumbling block as it is written. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:25.000 Behold, I am laying in Zion, a stone of stumbling and a rock of a fence, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 00:10:26.800 --> 00:10:31.710 There's this passage that he's quoting from in verse 33 is in Isaiah chapter eight. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:36.260 Isaiah Chapter eight and Isaiah Chapter 28. 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:42.920 Describe the Messiah in two different pictures, both as a stone, but in chapter eight, he is the stumbling stone. 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:47.400 But in chapter 28, he becomes this cornerstone, and it all depends on where you put your trust. 00:10:49.880 --> 00:10:51.040 And the performance of you. 00:10:52.680 --> 00:10:53.740 Or in the performance of him. 00:10:55.260 --> 00:10:59.110 Who is Jesus batter's and where you put your faith matters. 00:11:00.100 --> 00:11:02.220 If you rest it on yourself, there is no peace. 00:11:02.380 --> 00:11:05.940 You're never certain that what you've done is ever enough because it can't be. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.220 You can never live up to the standards of the law. 00:11:10.300 --> 00:11:12.400 And so in that sense, Jesus becomes a stumbling stone. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.120 But to those who see who Christ is. 00:11:18.760 --> 00:11:20.640 Who embrace what he has done. 00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:22.000 He becomes the cornerstone. 00:11:23.380 --> 00:11:25.640 The foundation for building a home. 00:11:26.670 --> 00:11:27.880 A place of rest. 00:11:29.380 --> 00:11:29.900 A place of security. 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:32.160 A place of grace. 00:11:33.680 --> 00:11:34.520 A place of peace. 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:35.060 A place of. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.180 Of hope. 00:11:37.400 --> 00:11:42.420 And then Paul, then in chapter ten, verse one, he talks about the hope, which is point number two. 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:44.220 In your notes you have point number one was the problem. 00:11:44.660 --> 00:11:45.160 Point number two. 00:11:45.160 --> 00:11:52.380 Then he wants us to see the hope and he starts off with his own prayer, his own heart desire in for Israel is he's 00:11:52.380 --> 00:11:57.700 sharing this because you remember the apostle Paul Israel saw the apostle Paul as a trader. 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:00.320 He referred to himself as the apostle to the Gentiles. 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:02.100 And their thought was, well, do we not matter? 00:12:02.340 --> 00:12:03.860 Why would you abandon your people, Paul? 00:12:03.860 --> 00:12:05.280 Do you not care about your people? 00:12:05.520 --> 00:12:08.440 And we know in reading Paul's story, Paul certainly cares about his people. 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:15.560 When he traveled around preaching the gospel and seeing churches established the first place that Paul would often go from town to town and city to city was 00:12:15.560 --> 00:12:18.050 into the synagogue in order to share the gospel. 00:12:18.680 --> 00:12:26.080 And so Paul says in chapter ten, verse one, and this is very reflective of the same thing Paul said in chapter nine, verse one Brothers My Heart's desire and 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:30.340 Prayer to God For them, talking about Israel is that they may be saved. 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:35.230 I love that some translations just go ahead and say rather than them, it goes ahead and says Israel. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:38.540 So they know you're directly referring to the Jewish people. 00:12:38.760 --> 00:12:38.780 But. 00:12:39.180 --> 00:12:46.380 But I love in the translation it just says them because no matter where you are, your heart should be reflected of God's 00:12:46.380 --> 00:12:46.640 heart. 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:53.400 And God's heart is for the salvation of people, for all nations, tribes, tongues and languages. 00:12:54.520 --> 00:12:59.400 And so we could insert whatever people group that we're a part of in this and wanting to carry God's heart as well. 00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:06.410 That our heart would not think internally but externally, that we would live to give ourselves away for the glory of God to the benefit of others, 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:13.940 knowing that the same hope that we received in Jesus is the same hope that we should offer to the world, because they can find that freedom and peace to. 00:13:16.160 --> 00:13:19.080 And so the Apostle Paul, he shares his heart. 00:13:21.520 --> 00:13:22.360 It's prayer. 00:13:23.660 --> 00:13:30.580 For their salvation, that not only that Israel would see them see him not as an enemy or as a traitor, but one who cared for his people. 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:37.340 And he goes on in verse two and he says, for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 00:13:38.520 --> 00:13:40.720 And Paul's acknowledging, look, they're religious people. 00:13:41.580 --> 00:13:45.700 They even have a passion for what it is that they're doing, right. 00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:47.340 How many people you can think of in your life? 00:13:47.460 --> 00:13:51.200 They've got a certainly they have a zeal for what they believe in. 00:13:51.560 --> 00:13:55.090 If you want to find what you truly believe in, look what you're zealous for. 00:13:55.160 --> 00:13:56.620 It will reveal your idols. 00:13:56.620 --> 00:13:57.700 It will reveal what you worship. 00:13:57.940 --> 00:14:01.780 It may not be the direct object, but there's whatever your passion about in life. 00:14:01.780 --> 00:14:07.450 There's an underlining motive that's driven by a belief as to what makes that important or what gives you that zeal? 00:14:08.460 --> 00:14:09.830 Why do you cheer so loud for football? 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:11.680 What is it? 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:12.860 Where does that zeal come from? 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:16.380 It's not saying to have to have jealousy is to be wrong. 00:14:17.760 --> 00:14:24.760 But there's something about that being that zealously in spirit, just being able to question what's the motivation behind it, and is it 00:14:24.760 --> 00:14:25.660 or is it not godly? 00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:32.760 Because Paul goes on and says they have a zeal, but it's not according to knowledge and they have a zeal even for God, but it's not 00:14:32.760 --> 00:14:33.420 the true God. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.840 And the reason we know it's not the true God because they don't know the truth. 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:41.560 And if you don't know the truth, even though you may call it God, what ends up happening is that it's a false God. 00:14:42.280 --> 00:14:46.740 It's not the real God, the God who frees you, the God who delivers his promises to you. 00:14:46.820 --> 00:14:47.840 They have a zeal. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:48.780 Paul's acknowledging that. 00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:52.040 They're very caring people in that sense. 00:14:54.140 --> 00:14:55.860 But not according to the truth that matters. 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:57.720 Not according to the truth that sets you free. 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:03.080 It's why we say as a church, we don't believe in the fact that people often say, As long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:04.710 We talked about that last week. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:08.610 It undermines what Jesus has done for us. 00:15:09.060 --> 00:15:09.930 And the whole point of Christ himself. 00:15:10.640 --> 00:15:17.980 If Jesus's whole point for our lives was just be good, he would have showed up to the first century among some of the most religious people in the world and said to them, Man, 00:15:18.060 --> 00:15:19.090 you guys are really religious. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:19.760 Great job. 00:15:19.760 --> 00:15:20.990 As long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:15:22.020 --> 00:15:24.010 That's not what he did because he knew that's not what mattered. 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:26.740 What mattered is the freedom they found in him. 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:27.940 That's why he gave his life. 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:34.860 And to not acknowledge the significance of that is to depreciate the value of Jesus and why he matters to all of us. 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:38.400 And so they have a zeal, but it's not according to the knowledge. 00:15:38.400 --> 00:15:40.700 And Paul knows that the truth is what sets us free. 00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:45.940 And we as God's people above everyone, should stand for it because that's where we know true freedom is found. 00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:52.100 And so, Paul, he acknowledges their zeal and we can do the same for religious people around us. 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:57.440 If they're going to be passionate about something, at least as passionate for what they think might be right. 00:16:00.380 --> 00:16:01.090 But it's the truth. 00:16:03.020 --> 00:16:04.440 It's the truth that sets us free. 00:16:05.160 --> 00:16:08.020 Some of us may look at Paul's statement here and. 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:11.290 And suggest that he's a bit arrogant. 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:16.420 How dare Paul look at a religious group of people that are doing good. 00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:19.940 And then just dismiss that. 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:20.060 Right. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:23.220 They have a zeal and it's not according to knowledge, but. 00:16:23.920 --> 00:16:25.900 But Paul's not doing this in arrogance. 00:16:28.260 --> 00:16:31.290 Paul, I think, is doing this in humility. 00:16:31.540 --> 00:16:38.900 In fact, in Philippians chapter three of verse four, talking about his own life, his own religious upbringing, he says this, though I myself 00:16:38.900 --> 00:16:41.580 have reason for confidence in the flesh. 00:16:41.580 --> 00:16:46.300 Also, if anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. 00:16:47.380 --> 00:16:52.040 Paul saying, if you want to boast in your own performance, whatever you think you've done, I always did better. 00:16:53.420 --> 00:17:00.320 But then he says this as to zeal, a persecutor of the church as to righteousness under the law blameless, saying, You want to know how far I went? 00:17:01.020 --> 00:17:02.360 I would even persecute Christians. 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:08.200 So Paul's not saying this as a position of superiority above other people. 00:17:08.540 --> 00:17:14.780 And Paul went so hard into his religious life that he was even willing to kill people. 00:17:16.260 --> 00:17:16.760 To do it. 00:17:19.020 --> 00:17:24.030 Paul doesn't share this from a position of pride or arrogance, but a place of humility. 00:17:24.260 --> 00:17:29.380 In fact, he then acknowledges in verse three, he says this for being ignorant of the righteous of God. 00:17:30.820 --> 00:17:32.360 And seeking to establish their own. 00:17:34.180 --> 00:17:39.580 They did not submit to God's righteousness. 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:41.920 You know what Paul is saying here? 00:17:43.760 --> 00:17:47.770 The thing that God's people are lacking in this moment. 00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:52.720 Is the same thing all of us lack and why we don't come to Jesus. 00:17:55.120 --> 00:17:55.680 Humility. 00:17:58.460 --> 00:17:59.040 That's humility. 00:17:59.060 --> 00:18:02.400 And I think I told us this last week that some people look at what Christ is accomplished. 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:03.760 They'll look it. 00:18:03.760 --> 00:18:07.900 We'll say, as believers, look, Jesus paid it all on the cross for you. 00:18:08.520 --> 00:18:09.840 There's nothing you can add to it. 00:18:10.580 --> 00:18:16.120 There's nothing you should add to it because it's an insult to God and diminishes the value of what Jesus has achieved for you. 00:18:16.120 --> 00:18:21.200 He paid it all in full and people will look at that and say, Well, Christianity's too easy. 00:18:22.820 --> 00:18:26.600 But we would respond as believers and say, well, if it's so easy, then believe it. 00:18:28.560 --> 00:18:29.020 Trust it. 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:30.820 Put your faith in it. 00:18:30.860 --> 00:18:32.720 But the reason that we often don't. 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:36.720 It's because we don't want to humble ourselves before someone else. 00:18:38.820 --> 00:18:43.930 We want to be in charge of us and determining our own destiny and our own performance. 00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:46.190 But in Christianity, that's not how it works. 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:51.240 It's not about your performance is about his on your behalf. 00:18:52.040 --> 00:18:59.100 It's about coming to the cross and surrendering your life to him and finding finding your true identity not in 00:18:59.100 --> 00:19:03.220 what you achieve in him, but what he has achieved through you and accepting what Jesus has done. 00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:09.560 And by the way, the way your Christian life starts is the same way your Christian life continues. 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:12.850 The mark of a believer should be the mark of humility. 00:19:13.020 --> 00:19:17.400 Because not only do we follow the King of Kings, but the King of Kings was the servant of servants. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:21.060 He gave his life that we could find freedom. 00:19:21.060 --> 00:19:28.180 And he calls us in that we should mimic him in the way that we live for him in this world, which means the things that I possess, the things that I have, the gifts 00:19:28.180 --> 00:19:30.750 and talents and times and resources, they're not mine. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:33.420 There is. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.690 And what I do with all of it matters because this is a demonstration of where my loyalty lies. 00:19:38.840 --> 00:19:42.860 Am I trusting and me living for my glory or my trusting in him and living for his glory? 00:19:45.360 --> 00:19:48.760 The way forward for us as believers is really truthfully, it's on our knees. 00:19:51.220 --> 00:19:54.380 And it's not because we're weak, but rather we find that in him. 00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:54.770 We are strong. 00:19:56.620 --> 00:20:00.540 Because through him we receive the power of a spirit to live for his glory in this world. 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:08.080 It's a completely different shift from anything that we've been a part of in this world, because this world is all about your worth is found in your behavior. 00:20:10.800 --> 00:20:13.720 But in Christianity we discover that it's truly found in his. 00:20:15.840 --> 00:20:23.060 And that all right I did identity in that is only continued to be found in and walked in as our lives are truly 00:20:23.060 --> 00:20:24.700 surrendered to him for his glory. 00:20:26.540 --> 00:20:29.060 And so Paul is saying, do you know what the struggle is in this passage? 00:20:29.360 --> 00:20:31.250 And it's not it's not just the Jewish people. 00:20:33.080 --> 00:20:33.850 It's every people. 00:20:34.080 --> 00:20:39.220 They just become an example of really the heart of what hides in all of us. 00:20:42.560 --> 00:20:44.830 I did not submit to God's righteousness. 00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:47.400 Because he tells us in verse four. 00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:54.820 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 00:20:57.800 --> 00:20:58.460 It's not the law. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:01.010 But it's him. 00:21:02.540 --> 00:21:04.380 It's his righteousness for which we have. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:10.240 So then in talking about addressing the problem and in order to talk about the hope, Paul then gives us a call. 00:21:10.260 --> 00:21:15.880 And that's the way the rest of this section responds to us is this calling in our life. 00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:22.940 And he gives us in these first few verses something to let go in order for something to embrace, to understand that all of us have a place to be a part 00:21:22.940 --> 00:21:23.440 of this. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.900 So this idea of something to let go. 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:32.960 He goes on in verse five and he says this for Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law that the person who does the commands shall 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:33.780 live by them. 00:21:35.380 --> 00:21:42.540 By the way, if you read if you're reading through the Old Testament in the year, when you get to the book of Deuteronomy, which is the last book that 00:21:42.600 --> 00:21:49.660 Moses writes for us, the first five books of the Bible, Moses wrote, he gets the end of Deuteronomy and the first five books that's referred to 00:21:49.660 --> 00:21:51.340 as the Pentateuch, the Torah. 00:21:51.340 --> 00:21:51.830 It's the law. 00:21:52.360 --> 00:21:55.580 This is this is the law of Israel that they followed in the Lord. 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.660 And Moses gets the in the book of Deuteronomy, and he and he sort of it's a lackluster ending. 00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:02.880 He sort of says this to Israel, and here's the law, but we know you're not going to obey it. 00:22:04.140 --> 00:22:05.970 It's almost like here it all is, but it's impossible. 00:22:06.820 --> 00:22:08.600 It's kind of how the ending goes. 00:22:08.660 --> 00:22:10.900 But he's saying in this verse, look, if you want to try it, try it. 00:22:11.520 --> 00:22:11.900 Go for it. 00:22:12.460 --> 00:22:18.620 If you if you think that you can achieve your own salvation through these commandments, embrace it, but know you're responsible for it. 00:22:20.060 --> 00:22:24.580 And when you read in the New Testament, you find that reminder again and again and several books. 00:22:24.580 --> 00:22:30.480 And I didn't include every possible verse, but I've listed several here in the bottom in just a few on top. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:31.230 But look what James says. 00:22:31.560 --> 00:22:31.740 James. 00:22:31.940 --> 00:22:33.620 Chapter two. 00:22:33.620 --> 00:22:35.220 Whoever keeps the whole all. 00:22:36.500 --> 00:22:38.600 But fails in one point. 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:42.140 Has become guilty of all of it. 00:22:44.460 --> 00:22:50.920 And so what he's saying to us in responding to this call first is understand that there is an impossible path for you to follow. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:55.740 Now, it's not to say God doesn't want you to do good things in this world. 00:22:56.580 --> 00:22:58.530 God certainly wants you to do good things in this world. 00:22:59.380 --> 00:23:00.910 And some of us we approach Christianity. 00:23:01.860 --> 00:23:05.620 I would even say for Christians, sometimes our life is erroneous in the way that we view the Bible. 00:23:06.380 --> 00:23:08.080 Like, we think, okay, I'll have a problem in life. 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:11.020 I'll read the Bible, and the Bible will solve the problem of problem in life. 00:23:11.020 --> 00:23:12.220 I read the Bible, Bible solve a problem. 00:23:12.220 --> 00:23:13.670 And there certainly you can find that in Scripture. 00:23:13.760 --> 00:23:16.160 But do you know the Bible doesn't talk about every problem you're going to face in life? 00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:21.100 Because the point of the Bible isn't to tell you how to address every problem you face in life. 00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:25.420 The point of the Bible is to tell you how to have a relationship with God. 00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:28.280 How to Faithfully Walk with Jesus. 00:23:28.340 --> 00:23:35.580 The point of Scripture is about a relationship with God, and through that relationship, then you learn how to honor God in the struggles you face in this world. 00:23:37.760 --> 00:23:39.860 It's not a self-help book of do's and don'ts do's. 00:23:42.600 --> 00:23:47.760 It's a book of discovery of who you are in light of who Christ is or who you could be without him. 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:50.260 So that you could walk with him. 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:55.820 So this law is not this task. 00:23:56.380 --> 00:24:03.460 If you just look at the law about your performance, all all of salvation, then in that just becomes solely about you, 00:24:03.540 --> 00:24:04.860 what you do or don't do. 00:24:06.080 --> 00:24:07.140 That's not the point of life. 00:24:09.040 --> 00:24:10.300 The point of life is about him. 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:12.420 And his glory. 00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:18.540 And so sometimes we'll have people ask the question, Well, if you're not afraid, like if God paid it all, then what? 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:21.340 What keeps you from living like hell in this world? 00:24:23.020 --> 00:24:30.330 And the answer is I don't respond to God out of fear and hope that I get salvation, but rather I respond to God enjoy because of salvation. 00:24:31.600 --> 00:24:35.220 It's the joy of now knowing I have a walk with God and I can enjoy that walk every day. 00:24:35.520 --> 00:24:37.870 That's why I do any good in this world. 00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:45.140 It's not because of me, and my performance is because of him and his performance and that delight and that hope in that joy and that love, that 00:24:45.140 --> 00:24:45.840 grace. 00:24:47.360 --> 00:24:48.940 That's what motivates me to respond. 00:24:50.360 --> 00:24:55.240 It's not of this place of insecurity, but it's out of this place of complete security in him. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.590 I have a position now that I never I never would have had, apart from Jesus. 00:24:59.760 --> 00:25:05.420 And in the beauty of that position in Christ, I now get to respond in love as he has loved me. 00:25:06.780 --> 00:25:11.820 And so there's this warning in the book of Romans chapter ten, verse five. 00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:14.300 And regarding Moses, that he's telling us, if you want to try it, try it. 00:25:14.300 --> 00:25:21.140 But then he goes on and says this and verse six, But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven? 00:25:21.860 --> 00:25:22.900 That is to bring Christ down. 00:25:23.900 --> 00:25:27.270 Or who will descend into the abyss, that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:34.480 It's interesting in a religious mentality, people tend to have this idea that I'm going to avail myself to God. 00:25:34.540 --> 00:25:39.440 I will elevate myself to him or I will pull him down to me because of how great I am. 00:25:39.520 --> 00:25:40.740 I will make him bow rightly. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:48.300 I can be so good that God can do nothing but refuse or cannot refuse to love me because of how amazing I am. 00:25:48.340 --> 00:25:48.680 Right? 00:25:48.840 --> 00:25:52.860 And you bring God down or your faith is really a dead faith. 00:25:52.860 --> 00:25:54.920 And so you've got to resurrect this God from the grave. 00:25:56.260 --> 00:26:02.560 But what's interesting is in these comments, what he's highlighting for us is the incarnation and the resurrection of Jesus. 00:26:02.600 --> 00:26:06.040 He's saying, look, you're not bringing God down to you, nor are you resurrecting God from the grave. 00:26:06.040 --> 00:26:08.900 It's not a dead faith that you need to bring to life by your performance. 00:26:10.560 --> 00:26:17.720 What he's saying is God has already pursued you incarnation and God has already conquered this faith that was 00:26:17.840 --> 00:26:20.860 dead in you because you were dead in Christ. 00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:24.380 He's already resurrected because he's overcome the grave. 00:26:25.780 --> 00:26:26.260 It's not you. 00:26:27.760 --> 00:26:28.240 It's him. 00:26:28.280 --> 00:26:35.500 And so he goes on then and he gives us the call and verse 8 to 10, he says, But what does it 00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:35.920 say? 00:26:37.760 --> 00:26:38.940 The word is near you. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:40.760 In your mouth. 00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:42.740 And in your heart. 00:26:44.080 --> 00:26:45.990 That is the word of faith that we proclaim. 00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:53.200 Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.320 from the dead, you will be saved. 00:26:55.720 --> 00:27:00.400 For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:07.860 What he's saying is, if your heart genuinely embraces what Jesus has done, your life will proclaim it. 00:27:09.180 --> 00:27:11.080 Because what you truly believe you live. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:19.620 And so your life is going to demonstrate both the lordship of Christ and the resurrection of Christ by how 00:27:19.620 --> 00:27:24.200 you surrender your heart and how you live your life, whether or not Jesus is truly Lord. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:32.200 This is one of the most freeing, powerful, important verses, I think, in Scripture for all of us to rest. 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:39.280 And no matter where you've come from in life, if you see what Jesus has done and you take your trust and you put it 00:27:39.280 --> 00:27:41.340 in this accomplishing work of Christ. 00:27:43.120 --> 00:27:43.890 The Bible promises. 00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:46.940 Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:54.140 So you let go of what He talks about in the idea of Moses thinking that you make God available to you by your performance. 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:57.830 Let go of those things and embrace what Jesus has done through his incarnation. 00:27:58.420 --> 00:28:05.720 His resurrection is becoming flesh, His dying for you and coming to new life, accomplishing his work over sin, 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:07.720 Satan and death that you can find freedom in him. 00:28:09.780 --> 00:28:11.020 In that there is new life. 00:28:13.060 --> 00:28:17.590 In that out of everything in this world that you can trust and that will endure forever. 00:28:19.340 --> 00:28:22.960 Jesus would not have given his life if it were not were not so. 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:31.320 It would have been a waste of his life and no reason to even come into this world in incarnate form to live a servant of servants. 00:28:31.520 --> 00:28:34.520 If the truth of this statement, we're not secure. 00:28:38.540 --> 00:28:39.620 Jesus has given it all. 00:28:39.620 --> 00:28:44.600 And so he tells us in verse 11, then he reminds us who then can participate in those promises? 00:28:46.540 --> 00:28:48.160 For the scripture says. 00:28:49.540 --> 00:28:51.580 Everyone who believes in him. 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:54.600 Will not be put to shame. 00:28:56.500 --> 00:28:58.740 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. 00:28:59.780 --> 00:29:05.400 For the same Lord is Lord of all bestowing His riches on all who call on him. 00:29:06.600 --> 00:29:11.160 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:15.400 Doesn't matter where you come from, he's saying. 00:29:17.180 --> 00:29:19.890 Doesn't matter if you're Jew or Gentile, he tells us in Galatians. 00:29:20.020 --> 00:29:21.410 Doesn't matter if you're male or female. 00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:24.620 It doesn't matter your economic position in life. 00:29:24.620 --> 00:29:26.100 That's not what God is interested in. 00:29:28.100 --> 00:29:32.960 God certainly cares about you and wherever you are, but that's not what produces that saving work. 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:35.560 It's him. 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:37.980 And I love what he says here. 00:29:39.880 --> 00:29:42.780 Verse 11, you will not be put to shame. 00:29:46.280 --> 00:29:46.660 I got to think. 00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:49.300 In our Christian journey. 00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:53.170 How many of us have stumbled in our faithfulness? 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:57.400 Because we were afraid of what other people would think. 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:07.640 How many of us may have denied Jesus at certain times in her life because we were more concerned with what other people thought 00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:10.310 about us than what Christ thought about us? 00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:14.460 Or maybe how many people right now. 00:30:16.100 --> 00:30:17.900 Won't take the step to trust in Jesus. 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:23.390 Because their eyes are too much on people and not enough on him. 00:30:24.980 --> 00:30:26.540 The security of what Christ brings. 00:30:28.660 --> 00:30:33.420 The promise is you will not be put to shame. 00:30:35.980 --> 00:30:37.420 Do you believe that Jesus has enough? 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:46.350 Are you tired of letting other people dictate what your relationship with God should look like? 00:30:47.220 --> 00:30:48.580 And walk with him. 00:30:52.060 --> 00:30:52.960 Do you believe he's enough? 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:57.600 Able to help us with this. 00:30:57.600 --> 00:31:00.170 I'll close with this illustration we get. 00:31:00.220 --> 00:31:02.560 Some of you might have tomorrow off right President's Day. 00:31:03.420 --> 00:31:04.940 It's a good day off and I. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:13.480 On the 12th, we had Abraham Lincoln's birthday, which I consider Abraham Lincoln, I think the greatest president in US history, 00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:15.320 not the slight George Washington. 00:31:15.580 --> 00:31:20.860 I mean, I think he sort of started it all, set the foundation for what the presidency would be was to be about. 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:26.640 But when I think about the greatness of leaders in our country, Abraham Lincoln is at the top for me. 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:32.380 And the reason is because in such a difficult time, he led with such dignity. 00:31:32.780 --> 00:31:35.420 And can I tell you what I think, Abraham? 00:31:35.820 --> 00:31:37.620 Abraham Lincoln's secret was. 00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:43.220 I think Abraham Lincoln's secret was the word of God. 00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:52.720 I could not have imagined having to be in his shoes during his time period leading through 00:31:53.020 --> 00:31:53.700 the Civil War. 00:31:55.280 --> 00:31:58.640 Knowing that you would put father against sons, brother against brother. 00:31:59.540 --> 00:32:01.180 Many people would not return home. 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:06.900 Some estimate somewhere between 2 to 3% of the population was killed in the Civil War. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:12.180 Knowing how families would be divided during this difficult time. 00:32:12.300 --> 00:32:14.700 But yet what he stood for was right and good. 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:23.460 And I think the only reason he was able to do that was because his greater hope and the one that he ultimately lived to please 00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:24.600 was the Lord. 00:32:26.280 --> 00:32:28.820 And on the screen is a picture of his Bible. 00:32:30.600 --> 00:32:36.140 And I think weighing in this man's mind would have been the idea of who did he want to live for. 00:32:36.360 --> 00:32:38.000 Was he worried about the shame from others? 00:32:39.700 --> 00:32:43.400 Or did he recognize that in Christ as he followed him, he would never be put to shame. 00:32:44.980 --> 00:32:48.720 Abraham Lincoln was raised as a as a boy in Pigeon Creek, Indiana. 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:53.860 And that Bible on the screen is the Bible that his mother read to him as a young boy. 00:32:55.260 --> 00:33:02.260 Some people say that when he left Pigeon Creek as a young man, that was the only possession he carried with him and he carried it all the way to the White House. 00:33:03.760 --> 00:33:05.680 To the point that I read about a minister. 00:33:06.580 --> 00:33:11.580 He was a pastor at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. 00:33:11.600 --> 00:33:15.240 It was the it was the church Abraham Lincoln attended during his presidency. 00:33:15.240 --> 00:33:19.040 It was actually the pastor of that church when Abraham Lincoln was shot that they called. 00:33:19.360 --> 00:33:25.360 And he went by the bedside of Mary Todd Lincoln, lay there and breathed his last breaths on this earth. 00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:27.500 And he prayed for the family. 00:33:27.520 --> 00:33:34.500 And he and this pastor of this church, he took Mary Todd back to the White House and told Abraham Lincoln's son that his father had passed. 00:33:36.380 --> 00:33:38.680 One of the pastors years later picked up this Bible. 00:33:40.260 --> 00:33:41.520 And he started to. 00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:48.530 He held it in his hands and he said he thought to himself, what a privilege it is to hold this Bible that guided the heart of Abraham Lincoln. 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:54.220 And as he thumbed through the pages, he came to one passage of scripture that was earmarked. 00:33:55.880 --> 00:33:57.880 And it was Psalm 37. 00:33:59.420 --> 00:34:06.660 And the pastor reflected on that passage, thinking what this section of Scripture must have meant to this man 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:08.480 and how it guided his heart. 00:34:08.520 --> 00:34:10.370 Are any of you familiar with Psalm 37? 00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:18.940 When you think about the security that you can have in Jesus, that you will not be put to shame that the way forward is not in your strength, but 00:34:18.940 --> 00:34:23.920 in his as you surrender your life to what Christ calls you to in Him, you will not be disappointed. 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:27.400 Psalm 37, guiding Abraham Lincoln's heart and hopefully ours. 00:34:27.400 --> 00:34:31.040 This morning it says this Do not fret because of those who are evil. 00:34:32.080 --> 00:34:38.800 Or be envious of those who do wrong for like the grass, they will soon wither like green plants. 00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:40.219 They will soon die away. 00:34:40.560 --> 00:34:42.239 Trust in the Lord and do good. 00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:44.889 Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:49.199 Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 00:34:49.340 --> 00:34:51.020 Commit your way to the Lord. 00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:52.020 Trust in Him. 00:34:52.020 --> 00:34:53.699 And He will do this. 00:34:53.780 --> 00:34:55.750 He will make your righteous reward. 00:34:55.780 --> 00:34:59.180 Shine like the dawn, your vindication, like the noonday sun. 00:34:59.540 --> 00:35:03.180 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. 00:35:06.940 --> 00:35:08.360 What keeps you from believing? 00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:14.560 What keeps you from following? 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:19.340 Humility we learn in this passage is the key to faithfulness. 00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:23.440 It's the key to what starts your relationship with God. 00:35:23.720 --> 00:35:29.940 It's the key to what continues your relationship with the Lord so that your heart would be aligned with his.