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?

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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