The Kindness & Severity of God

September 11, 2024

Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

Sermon text: Romans 11:1-24


This week Paul opens with a question and answer that has been repeated in previous chapters. Has God rejected Israel? And Paul, again says, "By no means." And he gives 4 reasons for how God has not rejected Israel:

  • Paul says, "I am an Israelite."
  • God has determined ahead of time to draw Jews to Himself.
  • Elijah wasn't the only one left who believed in God.
  • There is a remnant chosen by grace.


He goes on to explain that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking (a right standing with God), because they were seeking it wrongly (good works while rejecting Jesus). And the result is explained with verses from Isaiah and Deuteronomy... "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day... let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see , and bend their back forever." 


So there is not a hopelessness, but there is a failure, and it is a failure that comes with consequences. When you put all of that together you see a fitting retribution (punishment inflicted as vengeance) where those who have rejected Christ are given what they want, and the result is stupor, darkness, and heavy burdens that bend their backs forever.


1.) Freedom sought apart from Christ is slavery. 

Paul is highlighting failure. God's Word has not failed. But you know who has failed? Israel. In rejecting righteousness from Christ and seeking to establish their own, they failed. And they were hardened, and made foolish, and burdened by the very thing they put above God. 

So we have some in Israel that have failed, and some that have obtained a right standing with God through Jesus. And in verse 11, Paul introduces another question... "Did they stumble in order that they might fall?" The thing that they want has become a stumbling block. It has caused them to stumble. And Paul is asking, "Is this final? Is the stumbling so that they would actually fall and not recover? Are they both down and out?" And it is interesting, because his answer as you might guess is, "By no means!" But then he reveals a process and strategy that seems to pull the curtain back a bit and say, "Look at what God is doing!" We are talking about world-wide scale Gospel movement... the opening of a way for every nation to come to God... those who were strangers to the covenants and promises are now made heirs... 

"Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous." 

Keller: "This is fascinating. Paul means that, though many Jews believed, there was a lot of hostility to Christianity among the majority of Israel. If this had not happened, the early Jewish Christians could have easily concluded that the gospel was only for ethnic Israel; and there would have been little impetus to preach the gospel to anyone else. "

Israel's large scale rejection of the Gospel is the the thing that kept the Gospel from being only offered to ethnic Israel. It diversified and decentralized the Gospel. By making themselves unavailable to Christ, Christ was made available to us... accessible to us... And as we begin to live in the fulfillment of God's promises as His children, there will be ethnic Israelites looking on from the outside, and very real people will have very real feelings in their very real hearts... and aching... a longing... a jealousy. 

v.12 "Now if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean?" 

What the heck is this "full inclusion"? At the very least it seems to be opposite of failure. There is something that happens in the jealousy that leads to something that means more than their failure. The riches for the Gentiles in Christ is no small amount of riches! We are talking "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms". This full inclusion of ethnic Israelites will somehow mean more? 

To clarify, he turns his attention directly to the Gentile believers in the Roman church in verses 13-15. [Read Aloud] 

  • Jewish jealousy will lead to Jewish salvation for some
  • Their rejection = reconciliation of the world
  • Their acceptance = life from the dead

So in the same way that Gentiles, who were dead in their trespasses and sins, could be given life from the dead, so too those ethnic Israelites who were dead in their trespasses and sins, would be given life from the dead. Why is that a bigger deal? Because not all of those who were down and out were really down and out!


2.) Grace replaces hopelessness.

When it comes to the salvation of others, God's people do not entertain hopelessness. Whether it is your own children, a wayward family member or friend, or an unreached remote tribe, we do not operate according to hopelessness. Life from the dead is a certainty for those in Christ. There is not a single moment in Israel's history where God was not actively moving His people toward Him. And Paul is challenging the Gentile part of the church with this... 

Keller: "Paul wants the non-Jewish Christians in the church in Rome to understand that God has not given up on his ancient people; neither has Paul; and neither should they. There is an implicit challenge to the Gentile Christian community, and to Christian communities today: Are we creating a community that is the fulfillment of what God had called Old Testament Israel to be? Would a devout Jew look at our church and be aroused to envy, and give the gospel a hearing?"


3.) We don't make the Gospel more attractive.

The role of the church is not to take some old tired truth and make it seem relevant to a progressive people. It is relevant. It is attractive. In the same way that marriage was not our idea and we should not play fast and loose with the meaning and purpose of it, so also church is not our idea and we are not allowed to make it whatever we want. The church is a people who belong to God.. the pillar and buttress of the truth... and the bride of Christ. We live in a culture that actively takes the timeless truth of God, and believes that they can somehow make those truths more relevant. They are relevant! We are not polishing something that is dull. We are getting out of the way, submitting ourselves to God's ways, and promoting the glory of God over the glory of ourselves, because Christ is mighty to save! 

Paul then gives 2 illustrations:

  • If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump.
  • If the root is holy, so are the branches.

The holy firstfruits and root are the patriarchs who were given the promises and the covenants. So let's lean into this illustration of the Olive Tree. Healthy roots and a healthy trunk are made up of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac... and the natural branches are ethnic Israelites who trust God and accept Jesus. Those ethnic Israelites who reject Jesus produce no fruit, and are broken off. In their place are wild olive shoots which are Gentiles. And this grafting in isn't stapling branches to a trunk. It is becoming part of the tree. v. 19-24 [Read Aloud]... 



4.) Humbly note the kindness and severity of God.

As we look at how God has dealt with and is dealing with ethnic Israelites, and how God has dealt with and is dealing with Gentiles, we see that there is not a single human being in all of human history that God doesn't deal with. Nobody gets to opt out. Nobody gets an exemption. 

There is a severity of God, unlike any severity you will find with anyone else. As you look at that Olive Tree, on the ground underneath it, will be very real branches, representing very real people, broken off because of their unbelief. That is severity. It is a conclusion that is final. Some of the broken off branches will represent people who said they were part of God's people, but did not continue... proving that they never were. Heed Paul's warning. Note the severity of God. If you do not continue to believe, it does not matter what your ethnicity or heritage or upbringing is, you will be cut off. That is why he says to the Gentiles, "so do not become proud, but fear". You won't be spared by your good intentions. Note the severity of God.

However, there is a kindness of God, unlike any kindness you will find with anyone else. Some of those branches that were wild olive shoots and some that were broken off because of unbelief, sit in a pile together on the ground underneath the Olive Tree, dead. And God, in His kindness, picks them up, and He goes to work. He carefully and completely grafts them into the olive tree. He prunes and prepares and softens and mends. It does not matter what your ethnicity or heritage or upbringing us, you will be loved. 



Discipleship Questions:

  1. Why does Paul keep repeating that God has not rejected Israel?
  2. How did Israel fail and what was the result? 
  3. How is the church designed to provoke jealousy in ethnic Israelites?
  4. Discuss some ways that we wrongly try to make the Gospel "more attractive".
  5. What is the severity of God and why is it important?
  6. What is the kindness of God and why is it important?

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
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