This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”God\’s Promise, The Reason For My Salvation\” 8/21/2016

GOD\’S PROMISE, THE REASON FOR MY SALVATION

Romans 11:11-24

REJECTION OF JESUS BY NONE BELIEF
V:11-12. \” Did God\’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God\’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.\”
A. God chose Israel as His people. He promised their redemption to Abraham.
He confirmed His promise with Isaac and Jacob. God\’s Word never fails.
1. So the answer to verse 11 is no.
2. Israel stumbled because of their disobedience.
3. They were blinded to the promised Messiah when He presented Himself
to them.
4. The Word of God was presented first to the Jews which they rejected
in favor of their worldly desires. Acts 13:46, Rom 1:16
B. Jesus, the promised Messiah became a stumbling block to them.
1. God allowed them to reject the Messiah so that salvation could be
presented to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46
2. God planned the lifting of Jesus by the Gentile to provoke the Jews to
jealousy.
3. Perhaps the plain in sight blessings of the Gentiles will cause the Jews to ask the
question, \”what must I do to be saved\” ?
C. The Church started with the Jews and was promoted by a few Jews, who now
have become a minority in the Church.
1. God\’s plan for the redemption of the Jews through faith in Jesus has not
changed.
2. The world will be greatly blessed when the Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah.

ELECTION BY THE GRACE OF GOD
V:13-15. \” I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!\”
A. God converted an enemy to the Church to be a great friend of the Church.
1. Paul\’s zeal to persecute the Church was changed to a zeal to promote the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
2. Some times God allows our disobedience to work for the good of the Church
community.
B. God gave Israel His Law with a choice to be obedient or disobedient.
1. God could have easily converted their hearts to obedience, but allowed
them to make the choice on their own.
2. Their choice of disobedience worked for the good of the Gentiles, which is US.
3. Israel\’s choice to reject Jesus worked to fulfill the promise God made to Abraham,
that his seed would be a blessing to many nations. Gen 17:4
4. The Jews chose death rather than a life with Jesus.
5. Their choice does not change the promise that God will fulfill with future generations
of Jews.

MOMMA\’S SALVATION DOES NOT INSURE YOUR SALVATION
V:16-17. \” And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.17 But some of these branches from Abraham\’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God\’s special olive tree.\”
A. Abraham was considered righteous because he believed God.
1. His descendants are considered righteous when they believe God.
2. Not all of Abraham\’s descendants will believe God.
3. Those who believe God have a right to the tree of life.
4. Those who reject God\’s Word will be broken of from the tree of life.
B. Salvation is a choice that everyone has to make.
1. The Jewish leaders of Israel rejected Jesus doing His life on earth.
a. Our Lord and Savior pointed out their problem; \” You have let go of the
commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.\”
Mark 7:8
2. The leaders influenced most of Israel to reject Jesus and demanded
that He be crucified.
3. The tree, Jesus Christ is Holy, but many of the branches were unholy
and broken off.
C. The Gospel was preached first to the Jews who rejected it, setting the
stage for the salvation of the Gentiles.
1. The Gentiles readily accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the
Church grew in leaps and bounds.
2. We were grafted into the Holy Tree by faith in Jesus Christ.

SALVATION BY GRACE, NOT BY WORKS
V:18-20. \” But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.19 \”Well,\” you may say, \”those branches were broken off to make room for me.\”20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn\’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don\’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.\”
A. We, the Gentiles, cannot brag that our salvation is due to our own merit. Eph 2:8,9
1. We can brag about God the Father allowed the circumstances of unbelief
of the Jews so that Gospel was preached to us.
2. We can boast of the Grace of God for His love that provides our eternal
life.
B. God\’s plan of redemption for man included the sins of man that led to the
crucifixion of Christ which glorified Him.
1. We must learn to fear God and reverence Him so that generations after us will
not reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be cut off from salvation.
2. We the Church, are role models for Christ to our children and generations
after us.
3. If we want our children to know God, we must teach them the Word of God.
4. We have to study the Word and know the Word to teach our children.
5. It is the parents responsibility to teach their children.

LEARN TO TRUST GOD
V:21-22. \” For if God did not spare the original branches, he won\’t spare you either.22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.\”
A. The God we serve is a loving God.
1. He loves those who follow His commands.
2. The Lord said; \” Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and
show myself to him.\” John 14:21
3. It is because of God\’s kindness towards us that He gave us the spirit to love Him.
B. These verses appear to indicate that you can lose your salvation.
1. But we know that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of
redemption. Eph 4:30
2. The reality is, that if we don\’t show evidence that we trust God in all our situations,
the generations that come after us will not trust God and be cut off from
the salvation that is free to them.
3. It is our job to lift up Jesus in all that we do.
a. Jesus said; \” And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.\”
John 12:32
b. The Lord will do the drawing if we role model Jesus to others.
4. I believe our problem is that we get so busy in day to day activities, that we
forget to lift Jesus.

GOD WILL SAVE ANYONE HE CHOOSES.
V:23-24. \” And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. God\’s Mercy Is for Everyone .\”
A. It is God\’s plan that all Israel be saved. Rom 11:26
1. The true Israelite is the one who believes God.
2. You are not a true Israelite by birth, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
B. The Israel He is talking about are those who believe in Him.
1. Many Jewish forefathers have been saved because of their belief in Jesus.
a. And certainly many Jewish believers today are saved.
2. The masses of Jews still reject Christ as Lord and Savior.
3. Perhaps they are still waiting the arrival of the Messiah.
4. Perhaps they believe that righteousness of God can be obtained by their
own good works.
C. God has planned a new generation of Israel that will grow up doing
Christ millennium reign on earth after His second coming. Rev. 20:6
1. God will fulfill His plan for the salvation of Israel.
Romans 11:26 states, \” And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: \”The deliverer
will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.\”
2. This new Israel will grow from a remnant of Jews; \” Joel 2:32 states
\” And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall
be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord
hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.\”

THANK GOD FOR CHOOSING US

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway
Houston, Texas

For a complete list of my lessons, visit my blog
\”goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com\”