The Gospel Announced: The Gospel Does Not Fail

Let's skip the page number.

We're reading from Romans chapter 9, which is on page 1135 in the Red Bibles.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

So page 1135.

Romans chapter 9.

Romans 9 · chapter mention

Starting in verse 1.

I speak the truth in Christ.

I am not lying.

My conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit.

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,

those of my own race, the people of Israel.

Theirs is the adoption of sons.

Theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law,

the temple worship and the promises.

Theirs are the patriarchs.

And from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised.

Amen.

It is not as though God's word had failed, for not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children.

On the contrary, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children,

but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

For this was how the promise was stated.

At the appointed time, I will return and Sarah will have a son.

Not only that, but Rebecca's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.

Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad,

in order that God's purpose in election might stand,

not by works, but by him who calls,

she was told,

the older will serve the younger,

just as it is written,

Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

Well, if the end of that reading troubled you,

it's been troubling me all week,

so we need to pray and ask for God's help.

It is written,

Jacob I loved,

but Esau I hated.

Father, we confess that your word does speak truth.

It tells us about you,

and it tells us about ourselves.

And sometimes it is hard for us to grasp and understand,

and so this morning we pray,

would you please pour out your spirit upon us,

so that our minds understand what is difficult in your word.

But we also ask that you would pour your spirit into our hearts,

so that we accept the things that you say,

and we pray that this would change our lives,

so that we love you more,

and that we love others more,

especially that we would love those who do not yet know the Lord Jesus.

Father, please be gracious to us this morning.

And speak to us afresh,

through your word,

for it is truth,

and it is good for us.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, just over a year ago,

the news broke of a very tragic farming accident.

You probably remember it.

Three members of the Spence family,

the father and two sons,

died in an attempt to rescue each other

when one had fallen into a slurry tank.

Knowing the dangers,

but without a second thought,

one followed the other

to try and save their father.

Their actions revealed their heart.

They had a deep love for each other.

They were willing to lose their life

in an attempt to save the life of another.

Now, Paul has that same kind of heart too.

Look at verse 1.

He says,

As I speak the truth in Christ,

I have something really important to tell you.

I'm not lying.

My conscience confirms it

in the Holy Spirit,

in the Spirit.

This is serious.

I have great sorrow

and unceasing anguish

in my heart.

Well, what is it that's burdening his heart?

What is it that's troubling him?

Well, look at verse 3.

He says,

For I could wish

that I myself

were cursed

and cut off from Christ

for the sake of my brothers,

those of my own race,

the people of Israel.

Do you see what he's saying in verse 3?

He says,

I am willing to go to hell.

I would be willing to be cut off from Christ

if it means my people become Christians.

I would be ready, he's saying,

to have the gift of eternal life

taken away from me

if it means that somebody from my family

gets eternal life.

Looking back on that farming tragedy,

we might think it crazy

for somebody to jump into a slurry tank

and lose their life.

But the thing is,

when you have a big heart,

when you see your loved ones in trouble,

you will do anything.

We're going to look at four big things

that flow from this text this morning.

And the first big one is this.

Christians long for other people

to become Christians.

You see, this is what's Paul's great desire.

His big longing is that his own people

become Christians.

Look at chapter 10 and verse 1.

He says,

Brothers,

my heart's desire

and my prayer to God for the Israelites

is that they may be saved.

Or chapter 11, verse 14.

He says,

It's my hope

that I may somehow

arouse my own people to envy

and save some of them.

Now, if you're a Christian,

you will identify

with Paul's heart

because there is no greater agony,

there is no greater pain

or heartache

than to have friends

or family

who do not yet know

and love the Lord Jesus.

Look again what he says

in chapter 9, verse 2.

He says,

I have great sorrow

and unceasing anguish

in my heart.

I long

that my mum

or dad

or maybe it's your sister

or maybe it's one of your own children

or maybe you're thinking of a friend

that you work with

and it's your longing

and your desire

and your heartache

for them

to become

Christians.

You see,

this is

a serious matter.

Go back to chapter 2

and verse 5.

It's a serious matter.

It's weighing

on his heart

because

it has an eternal consequence.

Romans chapter 2, verse 5.

Romans 2:5

He's already spoken about this.

Romans 2, verse 5.

Romans 2:5

Because

of our stubbornness,

because of our unrepentant heart,

we're storing up wrath

against ourselves

for the day of God's wrath

when his righteous judgment

will be revealed.

Verse 16.

This will take place

on the day

when God will judge

men's secret thoughts

through Jesus Christ

as my gospel declares.

Do you see?

It's a serious matter.

And with that in mind,

our heart's desire

is that people

would come to know

the joy

and the beauty

of the gospel.

that people

would see

that in Jesus,

which is what

Romans 1 through to 8

has been telling us,

that in Jesus

there is forgiveness,

that there's peace

with God,

that we can have

a brand new beginning,

that we can be welcomed

and treasured

as God's children

and be given

the guarantee

of eternal life.

of course,

Paul's wish

in verse 3

of chapter 9,

his wish

that he could be

cut off from Christ,

he knows

and we know

that he can't do that.

It is just simply

expressing

what we all feel

as we think about

our friends

and our family

who are not yet Christians.

You see,

there is nothing

more important

in this life

than to be

a follower

of Jesus Christ.

Don't you long

for the day?

Hasn't your heart

ached?

Haven't you

shed tears

for people

who don't yet

follow Jesus?

Christians

always long

for other people

to become

Christians.

The second

big thing

that we want

to take

from this

this morning

is that people

who don't

become Christians

can't blame

God.

People who

don't become

Christians

can't blame

God.

You see,

while we may

desperately

want

to become

Christians

or want

others

to become

Christians,

we can never

blame God

if they don't.

It's not

God's fault.

Look at

verse 4.

Chapter 9.

Here Paul

is looking

at the

privileges

and the

opportunities

that his

own people

have had.

Verse 4.

He says,

theirs

is the

adoption

of sons.

It's talking

about the

privileged

relationship

that they

had with

God.

There's

the divine

glory.

In other

words,

they had

known God's

presence come

down amongst

his people.

There's the

covenants.

They knew

about God's

commitment to

them.

They had the

receiving of

the law that

God had spoken

to them and

had given

them his

very word.

They had the

temple worship

and the

promises.

The promises

of Jesus

to come and

the gospel

that was to

come.

There's,

verse 5,

are the

patriarchs and

from them

is traced

the human

ancestry of

Christ who

is God

over all

forever

praised.

Amen.

You see,

they've been

given every

opportunity

possible,

including the

fact that

Jesus is

one of their

own people

and they

could trace

his family

line all

the way

through.

But even

though they

had heard

the gospel,

even though

they'd had

the promises

of it all,

even though

they have

this rich

history and

heritage,

they still

do not

love the

Lord Jesus.

Perhaps

there's someone

in your

family who

has heard

many times,

but still

they are not

believers.

believers.

Maybe you're

like that.

Maybe you're

here and

you've heard

the truth

many times,

but yet you

still don't

believe.

Well, if we

don't believe,

and as much

as it may

weigh on

our hearts,

we can never

turn round

and point the

finger and say

it's God's

fault,

he's failed,

he's let us

down.

Look at

verse 6,

because he

says this,

it is not

as though

God's word

had failed.

God has

not stopped

working.

The gospel

does not

fail.

You see,

people become

Christians not

just when they

hear the good

news,

but when they

also combine

it with

faith.

again,

look at the

pattern we

have in

verse 4.

He's listing

all the

privileges,

all the

opportunities.

They have

this and

they have

that.

And we

could say

where they

went to

church,

they've had

the Bible,

they took

communion,

they were

taught in

Sunday school,

they went

here,

they went

there.

But look

how this

list of

privileges

finishes in

verse 5.

It says,

and from

them is

traced the

ancestry of

Christ.

He doesn't

say Christ

is theirs,

or that

they have

Christ,

he simply

just says

Christ came

from them.

In other

words,

Jesus doesn't

belong to

them,

and they

don't belong

to him,

because they

have never

ever joined

themselves in

faith or by

faith to

Jesus.

Despite all

the privileges

and all the

opportunities,

they have

never responded

in faith and

trusted Jesus.

You see,

we can have

all the

opportunities

and all the

privileges,

but it will

count for

nothing until

there is

faith.

So people

who don't

become

Christians

can't

blame

God.

The third

big

thing we

want to

learn this

morning is

this,

that becoming

a Christian

is always

God's work

and not

our own.

It's always

something God

does,

not something

we do.

You see,

even though we

may fail to

respond as

we should,

even though

God in

his goodness

has given

opportunity

after opportunity,

he doesn't

stop making

people Christians.

He still

keeps on

working in

people's lives.

That's the point

of verse 6,

it's not as

though God's

word had

failed.

So two

things from

this we want

to learn.

First,

becoming a

Christian

is dependent

on God's

gracious

promise.

Becoming a

Christian is

dependent on

God's

gracious

promise.

Let's

read verse

6 again.

It is not

as though

God's word

had failed,

for not

all who

are descended

from Israel

are Israel.

Now,

that sounds

confusing,

that last

little statement,

but this is

what he's

saying.

Just because

you've heard

the good news

about Jesus,

just because

you've had

this privilege

and this

background,

doesn't mean

to say that

you will

automatically

be a

Christian.

So,

how do you

become a

Christian?

Well,

read on,

verse 7,

Nor because

they are his

descendants are

they all

Abraham's

children.

On the

contrary,

it is through

Isaac that

your offspring

will be

reckoned.

Now,

again,

it's confusing,

it's difficult

to get our

heads around

it,

but one way

to help us

to do this

is to think

back to the

story in

Genesis where

we read about

the beginning

of Israel

and Abraham

and his

first children.

Because in

that story in

Genesis we

read that

Abraham had

two sons.

The first

son he

called

Ishmael.

The second

son he

called Isaac,

that's being

referred to

here in

verse 7.

They're both

physical

descendants of

Abraham.

Abraham is

their dad.

They both,

if you like,

had the same

opportunities,

the same

privileges.

However,

only one of

them belonged

to the true

people of

God.

Only one,

if you like,

became a

Christian and

that was

Isaac.

Why?

Because God

had given

the promise

of salvation

to one

but not to

the other.

look at

verse 8.

In other

words,

it is not

the natural

children who

are God's

children,

but it is

the children

of promise

who are

regarded as

Abraham's

offspring.

The true

people of

God or

people who

become

Christians

are those

who are

dependent on

God's

gracious

promise to

us.

it is

never about

our

privileged

position

before

him.

You see,

some people

think,

like the

Jewish people

here in

this passage,

that it is

all about

position,

it is all

about

privilege.

So people

could say,

oh well I am

a Protestant

or I am

a Catholic

or I am

a Baptist,

but the

point is it

does not

matter what

your pedigree

is,

it does not

matter what

your position

is,

salvation

only comes

to us

because

God

promises

it.

Look at

verse 9,

for this

is how

the promise

was stated,

at that

appointed

time I

will return

and Sarah

will have

a son.

Again,

if we are

to go back

into that

story,

we remember

that Abraham

and his

wife Sarah

at this

time were

very,

very old.

Sarah

was well

past the

age of

having

children.

It was

physically

and

biologically

impossible

for her

to have

a child.

But God

had made

a promise

to them

and said

that I'm

going to

come back

and at

that time

when I

return

you will

have a

child

because

what was

impossible

for Sarah

suddenly became

possible

through God's

promise.

And this

is illustrating

the fact

that salvation

is only

possible

because of

God's

promise

to us,

not because

of our

privileged

position.

In other

words,

becoming a

Christian

is always

God's

work.

And this

is repeated

again,

but in a

slightly

different way.

Becoming a

Christian is

not just

dependent on

God's

gracious

promise,

it's

dependent on

God's

gracious

choice.

Look at

verse 10.

Not only

that, he

continues,

but Rebekah's

children had

one and

the same

father,

our father

Isaac.

You see,

as we follow

the story

through of

Abraham and

Sarah and

the two

children,

in this

case,

Isaac,

well, we

learn that

Isaac also

had two

sons.

In fact,

these two

sons were

twins.

They were

called Esau

and Jacob.

So if

Isaac had

received the

promise of

salvation,

does that

mean his

children will

also have

the automatic

right to

salvation?

Well, look

what it says

in verse 11.

Yet,

before the

twins were

born,

or had

done anything

good or

bad,

in order

that God's

purpose in

election might

stand, or

to put it

this way,

in order that

God's purpose

might be

driven by

his choice.

Not by

works,

but by

him who

calls people.

She was

told the

older will

serve the

younger.

God

made a

choice.

And I

know we

find that

hard to

take in.

I know

we're

struggling to

hear that.

But

according to

God's

purpose,

he chose

between the

two boys,

between the

two twins,

he chose

one and

not the

other to

receive his

salvation.

Verse 13,

just as it

is written,

Jacob I

loved,

but Esau

I hate

it.

What?

Are you

sure that's

what it

says?

I thought

God loved

everybody.

What does

the great

verse say?

That God

loved the

world.

how can

God

hate

someone?

Well,

the sense

is something

like this,

that Jacob

I have

chosen,

but Esau

I've

rejected.

Jesus

said the

same kind

of thing.

Keep your

finger there

in Romans

9 and go

back to

John

John 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

John's

gospel

chapter 6.

John's

gospel

chapter 6

verse 37.

This is

Jesus

speaking

about those

who will

come to

him,

those who

will be

Christians.

John

John 6:37

chapter 6

verse 37.

Jesus

says all

that the

father

gives

me

will

come

to

me

and

whoever

comes

to

me

I

will

never

drive

away.

Verse

39.

And this

is the

will

of him

who sent

me,

that I

shall

lose

none

of all

that he

has

given

me,

but raise

them up

at the

last day.

God's

will,

God's

purpose,

God's

choice to

call people

to himself.

And that's

what Paul is.

He's essentially

saying the same

thing here.

in other

words,

God has

chosen to

give his

saving

love to

some

and not

to others.

And we

may think,

well,

if God

made a

choice like

this,

maybe it's

because

Jacob

must have

been a

better boy

when he

was growing

up.

Or maybe

it was

because

God

knew that

one day

Jacob

would

trust

in

God

and he

knew

how he

was going

to turn

out and

that's

why he

chose

him.

Well,

it's got

nothing to

do with

those things.

It's got

nothing to

do with

our

character.

Look at

what it

says in

verse 11.

This is

Romans 9

Romans 9:11

verse 11.

Yet

before

the twins

were born,

before they

were born,

or had

done anything

good or

bad,

before they

even had an

opportunity

to come

running in

and say

something nice

or to

throw a

tantrum,

God made

his choice.

It wasn't

as if God

looked down

and said,

oh,

Jacob is

going to

be a

good boy,

I'm going

to choose

him,

or Esau

isn't going

to believe

in me,

so I

won't

choose

him.

No,

the point

is this,

that becoming

a Christian

depends on

God's

gracious

choice of

us,

not our

character,

not about

who I

am.

Becoming a

Christian is

always

God's

work.

And the

fourth

thing that we

want to take

from this

is this,

that although

these things

we're struggling

with,

and I know

you've got

questions,

and I know

there's lots

of puzzles

that we're

trying to

work out

here,

but if we

try and

work all

those things

out,

in some

sense we'll

get bogged

down.

And what

we need to

try and do

is to

accept and

to go with

it,

because if

we hear what

God is saying

to us,

it will

change our

lives in

an incredible

way.

It will

change our

lives in

an incredible

way.

Three things

that this

will change

our lives.

The first

is this,

it creates

humility.

It creates

humility.

You see,

if God has

made me a

Christian,

that means

there is

nothing in

my life

that I can

point to

and say,

God made

me a

Christian

because,

or God

chose me

because I

was a

good boy.

If you're

a Christian,

it's not

because of

who you

are or

what you've

done,

or because

you've

decided to

do something,

it's simply

because God

chose to

give his

love to

you.

have a

look back

in

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

and verse

7.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7:7

7,

verse 7.

Deuteronomy

The Lord

did not

set his

affection

on you

and choose

you because

you were

more numerous

than all

the other

peoples,

for you

were the

fewest of

all peoples.

In other

words,

he didn't

choose you

because of

anything

about you,

but,

verse 8,

it was

because the

Lord loved

you.

You see,

the question

here is

not what

about

everybody

else.

The amazing

thing is,

is that

why would

God love

me?

Why would

he love

me?

That's

what's

amazing.

And if

we can

grasp that,

then it

takes away

all notions

of superiority.

That means

I can never

ever look

down on

somebody and

say,

I'm better

than you

because I'm

a Christian

or because

I chose

to follow

or because

God saw

something

beautiful in

me.

It just

creates

humility.

It makes

me love

other people

and serve

them and

care for

them in

the same

way in

which God

did that

unconditionally

for me.

So first,

it creates

humility.

Second,

it brings

about

security.

You see,

if God

has made

me a

Christian,

then salvation

is not

dependent

on me.

If I

chose to

become a

Christian,

if it was

about me,

then that

means I

can choose

not to be

a Christian.

So I can

kind of jump

in and be

a Christian

and then

decide at a

later point

not to

be a

Christian.

Now,

I don't

know about

you,

but I've

got an

issue about

that because

I choose

to sin

every single

day.

I choose

to disobey.

I choose

to ignore

God's

word.

So am I

in or am I

out because

of my

choices?

But if I

understand that

it is God

who chose

me,

then my

salvation is

not dependent

on how good

I am or

how bad

I am,

but God

has promised

to me.

He chose

me.

And that

means I'm

secure forever

no matter

if I

failed or

whether I've

been a

good boy.

Romans 8

Romans 8:38

verse 38.

This is why

he can say

this.

Romans 8

Romans 8:38

verse 38,

for I am

convinced that

neither death

nor life,

neither angels

nor demons,

neither the

present nor the

future,

nor powers,

neither heights

nor depth,

nor anything

else in all

creation,

will be able

to separate

us from the

love of God

that is in

Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Why will we

not be

separated?

Because of

the work God

has done in

our lives.

And then the

last thing that

it brings about

is it leads

to responsibility.

If I am a

Christian,

then this

truth will

change my

heart and

give me an

incredible love

for other

people who

are not yet

Christians.

That's how

this text all

started in

verse 3.

As Paul

looked in at

his own

heart, the

great sorrow

and unceasing

anguish that

he had, how

he wishes

that he could

be cut off

from Christ

so that

others would

become

Christians.

Christians.

And here's

the wonderful

thing, that

if you are

a Christian,

God has

chosen you

and God

has called

you to be

his witness

where you

are amongst

those people

who are not

yet Christians.

Maybe you're

the only one

who is a

Christian at

this time in

your family.

perhaps you're

the only one

who believes

when you go

into your

workplace.

Maybe you're

the only

Christian in

your neighbourhood.

God has

chosen you

and God

has called

you and

he's called

me so that

we would be

his witness

placed in the

middle of all

those people

so that

through you

they can hear

the good

news and

respond in

faith and

become

Christians

to.

It is

puzzling.

It raises

questions.

But let

these three

things that

we've just

touched on

at the end

settle in

your hearts.

God has

called you

to be a

Christian.

He has

chosen you

and it

brings about

humility.

It brings

security.

But it

leads to

responsibility.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Father,

we prayed

at the

beginning

that your

word is

truth.

And there

are many

things that

are in

it that

are confusing

to our

own minds.

And there

are many

things that

we find it

hard to

accept in

our own

hearts.

things that

are

faithful to

us.

And so we

pray for

your ongoing

work of

your spirit

to bring

clarity

and to

bring

acceptance

in our

hearts.

And that

above all

that we

would be

people who

bow in

humility

before you

and thank

you for

our amazing

salvation,

for your

amazing love.

and to

know that

no matter

what,

whether I've

had a bad

week or a

good week,

that your

love still

remains and

we are

secure.

And in

the knowledge

that you

will go on

making

Christians and

that your

gospel has

not failed,

help us

that we may

go out

into this

week with

a message

and with

a truth

about the

Lord Jesus.

Help us

as we go,

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Amen.