All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. I want to
read from verse five down through verse 15. All continuing here
about Israel, about national Israel. Even so then, at this
present time also, There is a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel
hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election
hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. According as it
is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that
they should not see, and ears that they should not hear unto
this day. And David saith, let their table
be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a
recompense unto them. Let their eyes be darkened that
they may not see, and bow down their back always. I say then,
have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid. But
rather through their fall, salvation is coming to the Gentiles for
to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the
riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles,
how much more their fullness. For I speak to you Gentiles,
inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine
office. if by any means I may provoke
to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of
them. For if the casting away of them
be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them
be but life from the dead? As I briefly mentioned, clearly Paul is still dealing
with national physical Israel. He's not left them out of this
equation. And Israel's dilemma is still
here intact, but the only thing that gave Israel as a nation
any hope for anyone was the election of grace. Thank God that that
elect nation In that elect nation and of that elect nation, there
were also elect individuals. Again, even so then at this present
time also, referring there was a time before. Even so then at
this present time also, there is a remnant, but it's just a
remnant. It's just a remnant. These are God's ordained words,
God's ordained way. Even so at this present time,
there's also a remnant. according to the election of
grace Also verse 7 what then Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for but the election hath attained All the
rest of them were blind Individual election in Christ was the answer
to Israel's dilemma. Go back, remember what Paul's
already said. Go back and look at chapter nine, verse 27. Isaiah, so that is Isaiah, also
crieth concerning Israel, though the number of the children of
Israel be as the sand of the sea. You see it? I mean, it's
used to illustrate. That's all it is, used to illustrate.
It's not saying the total number of national Israelites is exactly
the total number of all the sands of the sea. But it's a vast number. Though the number of the children
of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant, it's a scrap,
a little piece compared to the whole. The off scouring, things
that a remnant is usually not used for anything. It's the cut
off pieces. Talk about remnant rugs. It's just the pieces that
are cut off and generally thrown away. A remnant shall be saved
for, for he, that is God. For he will
finish the work. and cut it short. That's not
a duration, that's number. You go back and look at the actual
Greek word. This is not a short here, doesn't
have to do with span or duration, it has to do with quantity. Has to do with numbers. For he
will cut it short in righteousness. God is right when he did this.
I don't care what men say about election, God's election. I don't
care what they say about it. God's righteous when he did this.
For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness
because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. For the believer, that's good
enough. That's good enough. For the unbeliever,
it doesn't suffice. You know, you probably heard
it before, that's not fair. We're not talking about fairness,
we're talking about righteousness. If it were about fairness, we'd
all go to hell. Look, and as Isaiah said before,
except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been like
a Sodom and been like unto Gomorrah. Election is the only thing that
spared any natural Israelite. National Israel sought for God's
favor. National Israel sought for God's
blessing. Now that doesn't mean every natural
Israelite was so, but Israel as a nation sought for God's
favor, sought for God's blessings, sought for God's benefits, and
to an extent, because remember they had advantage, and we've
already dealt with that, I'm not going back through that. Every
natural Israelite had an advantage. They had some favor, some blessings,
some benefits, but this was only nationally. Salvation from sin
and corruption and death is individual. Yes, it's individual So again
Israel salt national Israel salt for God's favor his blessings
his benefits But they never obtained it But the elect individuals in
Israel they did object it and They attained it by electing
grace, reserving grace, as was told Elijah. Reserving grace, and this grace
is all in Christ Jesus. It's the only place any human
being will ever find grace. You can't find grace in your
merits, in your actions. Grace only comes in Christ Jesus. Those not individually elected
were blinded. Again, what then? Israel hath
not obtained that which he seeketh for, but I thought every seeker
will find. Not if they don't seek it in
the right person. If they seek it from anything
other than that one person, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, they will
not obtain it even though they seek after it. Those not individually elected
were blinded. What then Israel not obtained
that which he seeketh for, but the election of the dead. The
rest were blinded. You see God ordained and revealed
this even in the midst of Israel's ancient history. This is not
something God's now trying to catch up with because Israel
was like they were. You see what I'm saying? This
is not Israel had God over a barrel and it's not working out real
good nationally, so God has to resort to a second plan. And
we know that clearly because it says, according as it is written. Written way back yonder. Not
by anybody in Paul's day, but hundreds of years before. According
as it is written. In the Old Testament scripture. The inspired word of God. according
as it is written, God. So there, there's no question.
God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should
not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day. David
said, let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling
block and a recompense unto them. Why did they say that? Because
they knew God had only ordained a remnant. God specifically told
Isaiah in his day there would only be a tenth. a tenth. That's only 10% out of 100. Let
their eyes be darkened that they may not see and bow down their
back always. So again, God ordained and revealed
this even in the midst of Israel's ancient history. I have two things
to give to you. I'll deal mostly with the second
thing. This phrase, the rest were blinded. all who were not
individually elected in Christ unto salvation, predestinated
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. Let us never forget that. The
glory is not just in predestination. but his predestination to adoption. Being brought in, not being brought
from one family to another. That's what we think of as adoption.
That's not the scriptural meaning of this word adoption. It means
here's a person who is a part of the family, but they come
into full sonship. That's what it's talking about.
But the adoption of children. So again, all not individually
elected in Adam were rendered callous. hardened, or as the
KJ translates it here, blanded. In other words, think about it,
that's the first major meaning of this word that we have translated
from the KJV as blanded is this, callous. Where does a callous
come from? Work. Work. Work. their constant efforts to ingratiate
themselves to God by their own efforts, refusing to beg for
mercy in the Messiah. And that's exactly what Paul
says in different words, but it's exactly what he says in
chapter nine. Let me read it. Chapter nine,
verse 30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed
not after righteousness, they didn't care about the law. I
mean, that law didn't matter. They didn't care about one God
only. What shall we say then that the Gentiles, which followed
not after righteousness, have attained in the righteousness?
But it's qualified. Even the righteousness which
is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,
hath not attained the law of righteousness. Wherefore? In
other words, for what reason? Because they sought it not by
faith. In faith, I'm illustrating now,
faith is like water. It seeks its own level. Faith
will seek its originator. And who is the originator of
faith? Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of faith. So
if a man or a woman has faith, they'll seek Christ. The very
fact that they didn't seek Christ shows they didn't have faith.
Therefore, their only attempt at righteousness was by their
own actions. And he goes on to show us that.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were
by the works of a law. Here it is. Here's the reason
why. For they stumbled at the stumbling
stone. You see, the Jews as a whole,
as a nation, now not every individual Jew, as I said, some Jews were
just wicked corrupt people like everybody else, you know, immoral
corruptors. But many were religious people.
And as a nation, they were a religious people. But look, they stumbled
at the stumbling stone. As it is written, behold, I lay
in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of a fence, and whosoever
believeth on him. Amen. There's where it's all
at. Somebody says it's too simple.
I thank God it is that simple. I think it's that simple. It's
in one individual. Amen. All of my problems are
solved in one individual. All of my difficulties in life
can be dealt with as tough as they are, though they may break
your heart and bring you to tears. Maybe even bring you to start
losing your mind somewhat. Yet there's still some peace
when God gives you eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart
to perceive the glory of the person and work of Jesus Christ. But if you don't see it, you'll
stumble at the stumbling stone. As it is written again, behold
I lay inside a stumbling stone, a rock of a fence, and he's meant
to be that. Somebody says, I don't understand
that. I don't either. But this is who
God tells us he is. And we either believe who he
is or we come up with our own Bible or our own thoughts and
our own religion and shoot for the best shot. Go ahead. You
know? Tear yourself up with it. But
I'm preaching the gospel to you. I'm preaching the truth of God
to you. The rest were blinded. God used this to cause a prickling. There's another word. A prickling. Ever laid on your arm or your
hand too long? And all of a sudden, we call
it, my hand feels like it's dead, but yet you know it's not dead
because what? You got all that tingling sensation going on in
there, right? God used this to cause a prickling,
a sensation of a limb asleep. That's actually the way the Greek
would put the word. The sensation of a limb going
to sleep. A stupor, a lethargy of spirit, eye and ear. But it's not because God was
cruel to them, because they rejected the thing or the person most
dear to God the Father's heart, his blessed son. The Jews believed
in a Messiah, but they really didn't understand what he was
for or what he was about. The Jews, their national thought
about the Messiah was he's going to one day come and restore all
the glory of when Israel was in charge of all that was around
them. They didn't realize that the glory of the Messiah was
coming to redeem a people from their sins. You see, God didn't
make them bad, they were already bad. God just confounded the
issue by continually forcing the truth on them. Forcing the
truth on them. Continually make them lay on
God's right hand. Their hands went to sleep. They
felt the prickling of it. but all they did was say they
did not cry out to the Messiah for mercy. They just tried to
shake it off. They just tried to shake it off. They rebelled and God used the
truth to enhance their dilemma. God in hardening a person, in
blinding, is not making good people bad or mediocre people
worse. He's taking rebels and letting
them partake of the fruits of their own doings. And he doesn't
do it by putting some evil before him, but by putting the most
glorious thing in all the universe before him, the Son of God, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now if you think that's not fair,
that's your problem. That's your problem. But let
me say this, do not trifle with God. Do not trifle with God. What
then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for. But
the election hath obtained it not because the elect were any
better than the rest. Because we've already seen throughout
this letter to the church at Rome, everybody's all the same
by nature. The Gentiles didn't receive it
because they were better. They received it because God
ordained it so. but not all of them received it either. Even
amongst the Gentiles, God is calling out of them a people
for his name. So do not trifle with God. Why?
According as written, God has given them the spirit of slumber.
Oh, to be put to sleep by God, that's serious business. Because
when God intends to put to sleep, when God deadens, when God blinds,
It is unchangeable. It is unchangeable. But here's
my second thing. It's not really dealt, well it
is dealt with, it's not asked in the text. Now it's mentioned
in chapter nine, Paul knows what the natural, how the natural,
is there unrighteousness with God? Huh? If this is true, since
this is true, not only really if, yet people today are saying
if it is true, it's what the book teaches. Now, why can't
men and women just be honest, I just don't believe the Bible.
But no, they gotta try to twist the Bible to say what they want
it to say. That's being like Israel. Being
like Israel. Here's my question. Was this
some cruel act of God? God forbid. Absolutely not. One, all men
deserve wrath. Men deserve a chance. No, they
do not. But I need more than a chance. Forgive me if it's a sin, but
I have bought a few scratch-offs. I ain't never won over four or
five dollars. Never. And I kind of quit buying
scratch-offs. The truth is I sent my wife to
buy them. But we still never won big. Joe,
I don't want it to be by chance. I don't want it to be by chance.
I don't want a 50-50 shot. I don't want my salvation, the
salvation of my soul, my forgiveness of sins to be a crapshoot. a
roll of the dice. I need something sure. I need
something that's beyond me and outside of me from someone that
is able to counteract all I am, but to be able to do it in justice
and holiness and righteousness. No, this is not some cruel act.
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid.
but rather through their fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles
for to provoke them to jealousy. You see, I'll give you three
things under this. Is this a cruel act of God? God
would save some Gentiles, but salvation's only in Christ. Think
about it. God helped us to put on this
spiritual, I mean a spiritual thinking cap. You cannot be educated
into truth. God's got to reveal it to you,
but he doesn't do it outside of the mind. in the heart and
the emotions. God would save some Gentiles.
This is clear from the scripture. The very fact that he's doing
it now lets us know God would save some Gentiles. But salvation's
only in Christ. God would not have all Israel,
natural Israel, to be saved. Remember, we've already looked
at that. God limited it to a remnant. That remnant's according to the
election of grace. Thus some Gentiles were brought
in by Israel's collapse. their collapse. As a matter of
fact, they even collapsed as a nation. Because in 70 A.D.,
God put a stop to it as a nation. Now, they were still existing
as a people, but they were no longer a national people. And
then you got some today saying, well, now they're a national
people again. But they still have to be a spiritual people
if they're ever to know the grace and mercy of God Almighty. God
is not in the business of saving national Israel. He never has
been. This is not a change, it's just
God still doing what he's always done. Thus some Gentiles were brought
in by Israel's collapse. But, here's the second thing,
but never think Israel's fall hinders God, even toward Israel. Now if the fall of them be the
riches of the world, now it's not talking about physical riches,
Not talk about look how far we've advanced as a society. It had
nothing to do with it. I thank God for the advancements
we have. And thank God it's still not horse and buggy because we
would have probably never met. And we wouldn't be gathering
this Sunday morning because I ain't got time to ride a horse from
Princeton, West Virginia to Beckley, West Virginia. And I thank God
for the internet. I thank God for the medical advances. I thank God that I don't have
to live in the squalor, the squalor of being totally flat broke Jack,
I've never had to live there. Now some folks have. I'm not
belittling that. But this riches, this is talking
about spiritual riches. Now if the fall of them, that's
national Israel, be the riches of the world, and the diminishing
of them, that's where I got that word there, collapse, that's
what we're talking about, the diminishing of them be the riches
of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness. And we can see,
while Paul will look at it later, Paul's not done with national
Israel yet. but he's still not gonna do things
for them nationally in a national way. It's going to only be through
Jesus Christ. Any Jew that's saved in the future
will be saved by Jesus Christ. Just being a Hebrew or a Jew
or an Israelite don't give you favor before God. It gives you
advantage, but by nature you squander that. For I speak to
you as much as I am the apostle with Gentiles, I magnify mine
office. If by any means I might provoke
to emulation them which are my flesh, my kinfolk, it might save
some. I just hope this thing might
stir up so much as I want to know who this Messiah is. I need to find out what I missed.
God, where did I miss it? How did I miss it? I'm an Israelite,
right? How did I miss it? My rebellion.
Not rebellion. But, for if the casting away
of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving
of them be but life from the dead? God broke off, we'll see
that God broke off some individual branches because of unbelief.
But he's able to graft in individual branches back into the natural
order. So it's not, if you're Jewish,
you're not a goner. But your only hope is the grace
of God in Christ. Your only hope. So again, never
think Israel's fall hinders God even toward Israel himself. Thirdly, God is pleased to show
wrath and mercy. Not just one. God is not even
forced to show wrath. What if God willing to show his
wrath? Now he does not show wrath toward
righteousness. He shows wrath toward unrighteousness. But our dilemma, whether Jew
or Gentiles, even our righteousnesses, and this is something that's
still hard for me to get a hold of. Even our righteousnesses
are as menses cloths in God's sight. And see, the point is,
I don't see that. I really don't see that, but
that's the way God says he sees it. So that's the way it matters. Oh God, help me to bow to it,
to acknowledge it, even though I can't lay my hands around it
and figure it out, that my best efforts are shot full of hail. So again, think up, God is pleased
to show wrath and mercy, and he does both injustice. but he's
not gonna show wrath and mercy to the same person. You either
be under his wrath or you're under his mercy. If you're under
his mercy, you've never been under his wrath. Though he may
make you feel to think you are, especially in the first throes
of gospel conversion, because you'll know you deserve wrath.
And you know that you are a child of wrath toward him, just like
everybody else was. You deserve to be abandoned by
God forever. So again, God is pleased to show
wrath and mercy. Now think about it, he cannot
show both to all Jews and all Gentiles. You can't show wrath
and mercy. There was one individual came
here for a while, he said, well, I believe God loves everybody and hates
everybody. All the same bodies. What? Really? I didn't ever go over
really well with me and my wife. Baby, I hate you and I love you
too. Well, tell me what part's what. Folks, this is the kind of double
talk that all of this false gospel has brought this whole world.
And listen, it wasn't It wasn't the economics and the politics
that brought in the false gospel, it's the false gospel that brought
in the bad economics and the bad politics. Because a man or
woman knows the gospel, knows a little bit of something about
justice, and wrath, and mercy, and holiness, and righteousness,
and compassion, all of it. All of it. I mean, if you do
something wrong, you deserve to be punished. Folks, we're
in a spot in our country now where there's some people, if
they don't matter what you do, just let them go. Let them go. And one day, apart from our Lord's
return, or God bringing something down, COVID didn't do it. May have brought this country
to its knees, but it didn't bring them to God. Now did it, because
only the preaching of the gospel by the power of the spirit of
God will bring men and women to God, because that's the way
it pleased God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. So again, he cannot
show both, that is wrath and mercy to all Jews and all Gentiles. And never forget, all Jews and
all Gentiles deserve wrath. Yes, sir. If we ever start to
lose sight of that, we're going to become all mixed up in our
thinking. And this chapter 11 will be so
confounding to you, you have no idea whether you're going
left or right. But when God saves some of both groups by Christ
Jesus, then wrath and mercy are both vindicated. Go to chapter
9 again. We done looked at it. Look at
Chapter nine, verse 21, hath not the potter power over the
clay of the same lump? And we're all the same lump,
we're a fallen lump. We're a bad, we're dirty clay.
We're not a good, pristine, nice looking clay. When you form us
and put us in a kiln, we got all kinds of flaws and cracks
in it. Because the whole foundation
is flawed. Has not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
one vessel unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? They deserve that.
They deserve that. God's not making good people
bad. He's giving bad people what they deserve. That's a very loose
way to put it, but bring it kind of down into layman's terms,
if you will. Ah, and that he might make known
the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy. But these are
two different ones, you see, which have four prepared unto
glory. Even us, whom he hath called,
not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. God be praised.
The person and work of Christ is both rock of a fence and a
rock of foundation. That same man is a rock of a
fence and a firm, solid stone on which to build a house. So
that when the storms come, and storms will come to both groups
of people, whether you're building on sand or on a rock, storms
are going to come, but only one's going to stand before God. That's
the house that's built on a rock. There ain't nothing wrong with
building a house. There ain't nothing wrong with making a decision.
There ain't nothing wrong with believing. There's nothing wrong
with calling on the name of the Lord. That's action, but it's
not merit. You hear what I'm saying? Yes,
that's action, but Ellen, it ain't merit. You're calling out
for his mercy and his grace and his compassion because you know
you don't deserve it. but you're in absolute need of
it. So again, remember our Lord Jesus Christ, his personal work
is both rock of a fence and a rock of solid, firm foundation. Christ
is both the stone which grinds to powder and the stone upon
whom if men fall, it's gonna be way off. Look at it, Matthew
21. I know you know it, but I don't wanna misquote it. I was kind
of very loosely tried to mention that but look at this. Look at
what our Lord said Matthew chapter 21 and verse 44 and whosoever
shall fall on this stone and he is that stuff for whosoever
shall fall on this stone shall be broken. You see it ain't about
pie in the sky and sweet by and by it's about God Almighty crushing
you and you begin to see what you really are by nature and
that you're nothing Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall
be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind
him to powder. Oh God, make us fall on Christ. Heavenly Father, may all three
messages we've heard today, may they have been an encouragement
to us and maybe even comfort us later. Lord, bring these things
to our Remembrance is as needed and preserve us and keep us in
Christ. Jesus is in his name. We ask amen