Romans 11, beginning with verse 11. I say then, They did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be. But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. Now if their transgression be riches for the world, and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be? But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles.
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also. And if the root be holy, the branches are too.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. But if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith.
Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the kindness and severity of God. To those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness, otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? The family waited anxiously in the surgery waiting room for the procedure to be finished. After what seemed like an eternity, the surgeon finally appeared at the door, and they all rose to meet him. Immediately they said as with one voice, well how is he?
What are the results? Can you imagine any surgeon responding at that point by saying who cares? What difference does it make anyway? Of course we can't imagine such a thoughtless kind of response, because the family does care. Likewise, it is difficult to imagine anyone who could be so callous as to ask the question, who cares if Israel has a future? What difference does it make anyway? But there are those who seem to have that kind of an attitude.
Let me suggest three reasons to you as to why it should be very important to every Christian that Israel has a future. Number one, it means that we too can trust the promises of God to be literally fulfilled. God has given many promises to Israel as a nation that have not yet been literally fulfilled. I recognize that there are some people who think that they are being spiritually fulfilled in our day in the church. I disagree with that. I believe that God literally keeps His promises.
He has never failed yet to do that. The restoration of Israel will be proof of it. God literally keeps what He says He will do. That means that I can trust God to literally keep the promises He gives to me too. Secondly, it gives us hope for a future in the world that includes righteousness and peace. Right now the world is controlled by wickedness and war. That is the way it will be until Jesus Christ comes.
This is man's day, and man is expressing himself with all of his selfishness, resulting in strife and warfare. But the fact that Israel has a future means that Jesus Christ is coming back to the earth and will establish a kingdom founded upon righteousness and which will be known for its peace. The nations of the world today long for peace. They do not so much long for righteousness, and that is why they cannot have peace. But when Jesus comes, righteousness will come with Him and peace.
A third reason why we should be glad to know that there is a future for Israel is that it means Jesus will receive the recognition and the glory that is due Him. Today He is ignored by the nations, but there is a day when they will not be able to ignore Him. That day is coming. It is the day dealing with the restoration of Israel. So for these three reasons, I believe that we ought to be glad that the best is yet to come for the nation of the Jews.
We have examined two of the six evidences given to us in Romans 11 that there is a future for the Jewish nation. In verse 1 we have seen the pattern of the apostle. He was one who was born again prematurely as he saw it. For his conversion involved a spectacular vision of the glorified Christ. In Timothy he says that his conversion is an example, a scheme, a pattern. Certainly not for people in this age, for we have trusted in a Christ whom we have never seen and yet we love Him.
But not so with the future conversion of Israel, for that nation will be converted in a day with the glorious appearance of Jesus Christ. And that vision of Him whom they have pierced as we saw in Zechariah last week will bring the nation to repentance. And so the apostle's conversion, his pattern involved there, is proof that Israel will one day be converted. And really it shows us how. Then secondly we saw in verses 2 through 10 the principle of the remnant.
God always deals with a remnant, with a few. God does not deal with a majority. God is not democratic. I didn't say He wasn't a democrat. I said He wasn't democratic. God deals with the few, with the remnant, with just a part, a fraction of the whole. He always does that. And today in this age there are a few Jews who are saved. They are a remnant. Now they are part of the church of Jesus Christ in which there is no longer Jew or Gentile.
And yet the fact remains that they are the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are saved and their salvation, though they be few, is a pledge that someday God is going to bring to Himself the nation as a whole. That is the principle of the remnant. Now let's move ahead today to evidences 3 and 4 that the best is yet to come for the nation of Israel. Evidence number 3 is the first point we'll look at this morning. Verses 11 through 15, the purpose of the church.
When you and I understand part of the purpose of the church in this age, it shows to us that God is still going to bring to Himself the Jewish nation in the future. Now you stick with me and you'll see what I mean. First I want you to notice though that there is a word repeated in verses 11 and 12, the word transgression, and it refers to what happened to the Jews. He speaks about their transgression twice.
The transgression or the false step or the blunder of the Jewish nation was that they rejected their Messiah and the righteousness which God offered to them by simple faith. When they made that false step, they stumbled over the stumbling stone, Jesus Christ, as we saw back in chapter 9 of Romans. But as the apostle asks in verse 11, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? In other words, he says, yes, they have stumbled, but does that mean that they have fallen never to rise again?
Does that mean the Jews have stumbled and that they will never be able to rise up? That they have irrevocably fallen away? Is that what it means? Well he asks the question in such a way as to expect a negative response, as he did back in verse 1 for that matter. He says, may it never be, that is not the case. They have stumbled, but not irrevocably. Nonetheless, at the present time, Israel's hardness of heart has resulted in something very wonderful for you and for me.
That seems strange to speak of it in that way, doesn't it? But Israel's transgression has resulted in something that is marvelous for you if you're a Gentile. He speaks about it in verse 11. He says, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles, verse 12. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be?
Verse 15. If there the Jews' rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be? He says here that the failure of the Jews has resulted in the salvation message being proclaimed to the Gentiles. And it means that now we have spiritual riches in Jesus Christ to which we were not privileged before. It means that now in Jesus Christ, God is reconciling the world to himself.
And so even though the transgression of Israel is a tragedy for that people, it nonetheless has been used of God for the good of the nations of the world, for the church is being formed as a result of it. And what is God's purpose for this church, this unique and distinct body of people being gathered together in this age? Well in relation to Israel, there is a specific purpose for the church. And that's found in verse 11. He says salvation has come to the Gentiles to make the Jews jealous.
Skip on down then to verse 13. He says inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my office if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. In other words, God is pouring out his blessings upon those who were not his people before the Gentiles. So that as those blessings are seen and observed, especially by the Jews, they will be provoked to emulation, to jealousy. Not sinful jealousy, but to a desire to get in on the blessing.
That is the reason that God has called us out in relation to Israel. That they may be stimulated, provoked to desire what we have found in their Messiah so that they might be saved as he says it himself in verse 14. Paul argues that when Israel does respond as a nation and when she is fulfilled as it said in verse 12 and accepted as it says in verse 15.
In other words, when Israel is turned back to the Lord, when that day comes, there is going to be great blessing not only upon them, but also even more blessing on the Gentiles. That's why we should long for that day and look for it. But you say what blessing more could possibly come to the Gentiles than we already have? It is that blessing of world righteousness and peace. That is the blessing. Notice what he says in verse 12.
He says if their transgression be riches, their failure be riches, how much more will their fulfillment be? In other words, when the Jews come back to Jesus Christ and receive him, when they are fulfilled, when their purpose is consummated in that sense, then in that day how much more blessing, how many more riches will belong to Gentiles as well as Jews? What a great day that is going to be when they receive their Messiah. He compares it to resurrection in verse 15.
He says that is going to be such a day when they are accepted again by God that it will be like life from the dead. The world has been plunged into death and turmoil and war because of sin. But when Jesus comes to reign, the curse of sin will be turned back and there will not be death as there is now. And there will not be disease as there is now. And there will not be war as there is now. It will be like the whole world was resurrected from the dead in that day.
What a great day of blessing when Jesus comes to establish his kingdom and Israel receives her Messiah. Now I want to draw a personal application before we go to the next evidence. It speaks here about the church provoking Israel to jealousy. May I ask you a question on a personal level that follows that up? Does the quality of your walk with God provoke anybody to jealousy to know Jesus Christ? By looking at the character of your life, does anyone desire to come to know Jesus Christ as Savior?
I am not talking about a cheap pasted on smile and superficial words of praise Jesus. A friend of mine worked, I should say, in an office in a city far from here. And her employer professes to be a Christian and all day long he runs around the office praising Jesus, hallelujah, smiling. And yet underneath those words are all kinds of inconsistencies. Do you think that kind of a superficial Christianity attracts anybody to Jesus Christ?
It doesn't even attract Christians, let alone unsaved people. She finally quit the job because of it. What I'm talking about is the reality of faith, the depth of character, the sense of God's presence about you, perseverance in your trials, confidence in the face of some future uncertainty, your ability to admit mistakes and ask forgiveness and then go on, true joy in adversity. You see, friend, the world is not looking for people who are perfect.
When we give unsaved people the idea that we have arrived and we're perfect, what we actually do is discourage them because what they usually say is, I can never live like that. What they're looking for is someone who's willing to be transparent and to say, I've got a need. I'm facing this battle. I'm in the midst of this struggle, but who at the same time, evidence is a clear faith in Jesus Christ, a depth of knowing Him.
When the world sees the Christian in struggle and being faithful to Jesus Christ, then the world says, now there is something I want. That's provoking them to jealousy. That's the way we ought to live, isn't it? That's the way I want to live. That's the way you want to live. I trust God help us to be that way.
So that out there in our homes and in our neighborhoods and at the office and the classroom, as people observe us and sense the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives with our struggles and our disappointments and our heartaches and our stresses, and yet as they see the reality of Jesus Christ, they will say, I want Him. We come to the second evidence in our discussion today, the fourth on the outline, as to how we know Israel has a future.
It is because of the promise of continuity, verses 16 through 24 of our text. When you read these verses, you must keep in mind that primarily God here is speaking with, He is dealing with, nations as a whole, as bodies, and not with individuals. If you apply these words strictly to individuals, you will come to all kinds of confusion.
But if you back off from what is said here and realize that He is speaking here to Gentiles as a body, as a group, and to the Jews as a body, as a group, then it makes good sense. He uses two illustrations to show us what He means by continuity. God has promised the continuity of the nation of Israel. The first illustration is a lump of dough. He says in verse 16, and if the first piece, or literally the first fruit of dough be holy, the lump is also.
He's going back here to that Old Testament picture of the first fruit. What it means is that the presentation of the first fruit represents the whole. It guarantees the whole that is to come. The first fruit that He speaks about here seems to be the patriarchs. In other words, God made covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He established relationship and promise with them. They are the first fruit. They have been set apart by God, they're holy in that sense, to a special end.
Now He says, if the first fruit is holy and set apart, so is the lump, so is the rest, so is the rest of the nation of Israel, in other words. So there's a continuation. If God made the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it is still good for the nation as a whole. That's the point. Now, the second illustration is drawn out a little more. It's the illustration of a tree, specifically an olive tree. There are four parts to this illustration. There's the tree itself.
The tree seems to symbolize the purpose of God and the privileges that God gives to those who are a part of that purpose. This is not the tree of salvation. It is a broader concept than that. Now, please understand that or you will get messed up in your interpretation of this passage. This is a tree which represents the broad purpose of God and the privileges that He gives to those who are a part of it. Now, He talks about a root to the tree. That's the second thing.
The root is mentioned in verse 16. It seems to be parallel with the first fruit. I take the root to refer to the patriarchs again and to God's covenant with Abraham specifically and the blessings in that covenant for both Abraham's descendants and all of the nations, the Gentiles too. So we have a tree that has a root and that root is God's covenant with Abraham. And of course, a tree has branches.
The natural branches refers to the natural descendants of Abraham, the promised line of the Messiah. In other words, national Israel. There are the natural branches on this olive tree. And then He speaks about a wild olive tree and some branches that are broken off of it. The wild olive branches refers to the Gentiles. The natural branches to the Jews, the wild olive branches to the Gentiles, including most of us who would be here this morning. We would be like the wild olive branches.
Our roots don't go back to the Abrahamic covenant. Now there's some action that takes place here. What happens? Some of the branches that are natural to the tree are broken off and laid aside. God does that and it symbolizes the breaking off of the nation of Israel from His purpose and the place of privilege. He breaks it off and lays it aside, these natural branches, the physical descendants of Abraham, the Jews. You got that? They are broken off. But God's not finished yet.
There's a second action that takes place. God goes to this wild olive tree over here, this little runt of a thing, this tree that doesn't produce much because it's so wild, and He breaks off branches from it and brings them over here to the natural tree and He grafts them in. Now if you know anything about horticulture, you know that's the opposite of what you normally do. Normally you would take a branch from a good tree and you would graft it into the wild so that it would produce good fruit.
But contrary to nature here, God takes the wild and He grafts it into the natural, to the good tree. My friend, that symbolizes the gospel going to the Gentiles. The Gentiles now in the place of privilege, in the purpose of God. Now He delivers a warning to the Gentiles as He talks about this and He's already identified Himself as the apostle of Gentiles. So He speaks to those to whom He is primarily sent.
He says in verse 17, but if some of the branches were broken off and you Gentiles, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. But if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root who supports you. He says you Gentiles, don't become arrogant over the Jews because you better keep in mind that you're not supporting them, it's their root supporting you.
No place for pride. But He says some of you are going to say branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. And He concedes quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief. That's why they were broken off. The Jews were broken off because of unbelief, rejection of their Messiah. But He says you stand, you're part of the tree by your faith. But He says do not be conceited. Twice He has said that now. Why is that? Because it is the natural thing for the human heart to be proud.
That's why. If you look back over the last 2,000 years, you will find many unfortunate statements made by Gentiles regarding the Jews. That's why. He says do not be arrogant and think that somehow you are better than the Jews. Do not be conceited, but He says you Gentiles fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Now He's not talking to individual believers in Jesus Christ, He's talking to the Gentile nations. Got that?
Same with verse 22. Behold then the kindness and severity of God to those who fell, severity, that's the Jews. But to you, you Gentiles, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness, otherwise you also will be cut off. He is not saying here that a genuine Christian can be cut off from Jesus Christ. Already in Romans chapter 8, He has made it clear that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
But what He is warning the Gentiles about is this. Just as the nation of the Jews was cut off from the tree because of apostasy and unbelief, so the Gentiles can be cut off from the place of privilege because of apostasy and unbelief. And my friend, that is exactly what is going to happen as this age comes to its close.
The professing church will grow more and more apostate until finally there is that one world ecumenical movement which will bring together various aspects of Christendom, and I use that very broad word again. Under the leadership of the false prophets, and He will then direct the worship of that one world church to this new messianic figure the Bible calls the Antichrist, the beast, the man of lawlessness. Read about it in Revelation 13 and 14.
And then read about that apostate church being sliced off, destroyed, and judged in chapter 17 of the book of Revelation. And so the warning that He delivers to the Gentiles as a whole is a warning that is a very legitimate one. But on the other hand, He gives here a promise to Israel. And if it's found in verse 23, He says, And they, the Jews also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.
For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? In other words, there is a day when God is going to take these branches that He has cut off before and He is going to put them back into this place of His purpose and His privilege again. He is going to graft Israel back into that tree.
That is the restoration of Israel that we have been talking about. That's the promise of continuity. It could not be clearer that the best is yet to come for Israel. God still has a purpose for that people. We see this, by the way, back in Acts chapter 15, and I ask you to turn there just so that you can be aware of this. This is a statement by James, who was the leader in the church in Jerusalem and the half-brother of our Lord.
James, after listening to Barnabas and Paul relate their missionary journey, their first journey, and after listening to the words of Peter, says this beginning in verse 13 of Acts 15. Brethren, listen to me. Simeon, that's Peter, has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. If you want to write something in your margin, you can write out there what God is doing right now, because that is exactly what verse 14 is all about.
God is taking out of the Gentiles primarily a people for His name. That's what God is doing right now. I'll go on to verse 15. James continues, and with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, after these things I will return and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down.
I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord who makes these things known from of old. What does he say here? He's saying, after these things, that is, after God has called out this body of people, this elect nation to Himself that we call the church, after these things He will return to Israel, to the tabernacle of David which has been knocked down, and He will restore it again.
And so a different picture, same truth as the olive tree. God has now been laid aside, will be received again by God. What a great day that will be. Now I'd like to close with some personal application out of these last few verses. For while these verses are directed to Gentiles in general, there are some points that you and I need to heed individually. I want to call these three actions to avoid failure in our Christian lives.
For just as Israel failed God, it is possible for you and for me to fail God. We don't want to do that. I can't imagine a person saying, well I'm a Christian and it's my goal in life to fail God. I've never heard a testimony like that in all my life. No, we want to serve God. We want to be fruitful. How can we serve God faithfully? Number one, cultivate humility. If you would avoid failure in your Christian life, take that action. Cultivate humility. Do not be arrogant. Do not be conceited.
Because that absolutely undermines and destroys whatever God's work is in your life. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. When pride enters your life, whether it be the pride of something you have or something you've attained or even your spiritual gifts or your ministry, that pride will destroy you. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, the mind of humility. Secondly, sustain faith. We trust Jesus Christ, that's how we're saved, by faith.
But it is a sad thing that there are some Christians who, having trusted Jesus Christ by faith, seem to leave their faith at the cross and go on and walk by sight all of their lives. And God's will is that we walk by faith, not by sight. What is there in your life today that God has to do? That you cannot pull off on your own. What is there that is bigger than you are? Anything?
If there's not anything that big, if it's not as big as God, then you need to examine yourself to see if you are really trusting God. If you're out there walking on the edge of faith. And Jesus went to Nazareth and it says that he could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief. May that never be said of any of us. A third action, develop a healthy fear. He says, do not be conceited but fear. There are two kinds of fear. One is the fear of a slave.
That is the fear that comes because one does not know the future, one may not know his master. He has no assurance. And then there's the fear of a son. That is the fear that is reverential fear. It is obedience out of respect. My friend, as you see the kindness and the severity of God, it ought to produce in us a healthy respect of who God is and what he's like. And out of that respect will come obedience. That's what it means here by fear. Do you fear God? Or are you playing with God?
Are you just kind of toying with God? Trying at times to put God off, to call his bluff as though God were bluffing. My friend, you cannot play games with this God. Today, be sure that there is in your life a healthy respect for him who is not only kind but who is severe. And let that respect produce obedience. It'll be worth it because someday Jesus is going to come and we're going to see him face to face. We're talking here about the best is yet to come for the Jews.
My friend, the best is yet to come for the Christians. This life is not all there is. Right now we're in a valley. We live in tears and disappointment and heartache and stress and pressure. That's a part of it. Don't get yourself focusing on those things. But keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ. I came across a story this last week I want to close with. It's a story out of the life of F.B. Meyer. On an occasion he went to New York City to visit his dear friend Iris Sankey.
Iris Sankey may be a new name to some of you but he was the Cliff Barrels as it were who traveled with D.L. Moody in the great days of campaigns through the United States and Great Britain. This was about 15 years after Moody's death, about 1913, 1914, when Meyer knocked on the door of Sankey and went in for a visit. For about an hour they shared together the old days when both of them had the privilege of traveling with Moody.
And as that conversation began to wane, F.B. Meyer got up and went over to Sankey and pulled him out of his chair and led him to the Melodion that he had played on for years and years and carried with him from campaign to campaign. And he put his arm around him and he said, sing again, beloved. Sankey who was a very old man, crippled with arthritis, other problems, took his shrunken fingers and laid them on those yellowed keys and began to play.
And he began to lift that voice once known for its richness and its fullness. And he sang, there will be no dark valley when Jesus comes. There will be no dark valley when Jesus comes. There will be no dark valley when Jesus comes to take his loved ones home. F.B. Meyer sobbed like a baby. My friend, that's true. When Jesus comes, we'll leave the valleys and we'll be with him.
And how glad then we'll be that we were faithful now and obedient now out of fear of him and that in humility we walked with him faithfully. Let's pray. Oh Father, help us to lift our eyes today from those concerns that rob us of spiritual reality and to focus them on Jesus Christ. Father, there are some of us today who need to repent of sin and to get back to a place of obedience.
There are some of us today who need to confess that we've become very nearsighted and we've lost that longer vision that Jesus is coming again and whatever we're going through now is worth it. There are some here who may need to be saved. For whatever the need, meet it in this hour I pray in Jesus' name, amen.