Sermon Notes - Romans 11:1-10 - Littleby Baptist Church - March 23, 2025

1.        When we were last in Romans.

a.        We saw that the people of Israel had rejected the wonderful message of Jesus.

b.       They had plenty of messengers telling them that Jesus was coming.

c.        They had Jesus Himself speaking to them.

d.       He performed miracles in their presence.

e.        There is no doubt that the people had the opportunity to hear about Jesus.

f.          To hear about the man who taught with authority.

g.        To hear about the one who healed the sick.

h.        Cast out demons.

i.          Who was then crucified.

j.          Buried.

k.        Then… to hear that He was not found in His tomb.

l.          Whose followers said He was resurrected.

m.     Who had later been seen by hundreds if not thousands of people.

2.        The people heard the amazing message of Jesus and His resurrection.

a.        Yet they rejected it.

b.       They disobeyed God.

3.        Romans 11:1

a.        God’s people had rejected His message.

b.       They had rejected God.

c.        Does that mean that they ceased to be God’s people.

d.       To some that would seem reasonable.

e.        Scripture tells us to love others as ourselves.

f.          That will mean loving someone regardless of whether they like us or not.

g.        If God has told us to do that, as one of the greatest of the commandments.

h.        I suspect we can trust that Paul is correct here.

i.          The people may have rejected God, but He God loves them.

j.          He would not reject them.

k.        After all, Paul is an example of God loving an Israelite and restoring Him.

l.          He is a descendent of Abraham.

m.     If God had rejected the Israelites.

n.        Paul may not have received the amazing gift that Jesus is offering.

4.        Romans 11:2

a.        God foreknew His people.

b.       Meaning they have been His people for a long time.

c.        How could He reject them.

d.       1 Samual 12:20-22

e.        Regardless of the evil the people have done.

f.          God will not abandon them.

g.        Not because of what they have or have not done.

h.        Not because He knows they are going to turn things around.

i.          But because of who He is.

j.          Because He has chosen the Israelites as His people.

k.        They will be judged for their behavior, but they are God’s people.

l.          He will not reject them.

5.        Romans 11:3-4

a.        King Ahab had attacked the prophets of Yahweh.

b.       He and his wife had thought that they had wiped them all out except for Elijah.

c.        Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah, and he cried out to his God.

d.       And that is when God told him that He has protected 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal.

e.        God had not turned His back on Israel then.

f.          He provided a path for them.

6.        Romans 11:5

a.        There was a path then.

b.       There will be a path going forward.

c.        People were saved in Elijah’s day.

d.       They were saved because their God had made them His people.

e.        He was going to keep His promise.

f.          It had nothing to do with anything they had done.

g.        The same can be said for the Israelite Christians of Paul’s day.

h.        They were not going to earn their salvation.

i.          It had nothing to do with the Law and their ability to fulfill it.

j.          It had everything to do with the Grace that comes from our Lord Jesus.

k.        The gift that He is offering.

l.          The washing away of their sins by His death.

m.     The granting of new life by His resurrection.

n.        A remnant of Jewish believers saved by grace.

o.        All they had to do was turn to Jesus.

7.        A reminder to us.

a.        We cannot earn our place in Glory.

b.       Reality is the only place we earn in eternity is the one we do not want to be in.

c.        If it wasn’t for the gift Jesus is offering, we would spend forever is hell.

d.       We would not be saved.

e.        Thankfully He is offering us that amazing gift.

f.          The gift that pays our sin debt.

g.        The one that washes us white as snow.

h.        That allows us to spend forever with Him in Glory.

i.          We cannot earn it, but He is freely offering it to us.

j.          All we have to do is to believe in our Jesus.

k.        Thank You Lord!

8.        Romans 11:6

a.        There is nothing we do to earn the gift of grace Jesus is offering.

b.       There is no magic point of following the OT Law that makes it so one qualifies for grace.

c.        It is not 70% for a C allows us to squeak by.

d.       It does not even work if we get an A at 90%.

e.        We cannot earn it.

f.          Even looking back to the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

g.        No matter what they did, they would have been lost if it was not for the faith that they showed.

h.        Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.

i.          He trusted that God was going to do what He said He was going to do.

j.          Isaac trusted God during the famine and did not go down to Egypt and was blessed because he listened to the Lord.

k.        After seeing the angels taking the stairs to heaven, Jacob trusted in God.

l.          He learned to trust in God and Scripture shows that God worked in his life.

m.     God works through them because of their faith.

n.        Not because of their works.

o.        Saved by the grace God is offering.

9.        Romans 10:8b-11 (chapter ten)

a.        Believe in Jesus and be made righteous.

b.       It is as simple as that.

10.   Anything else would cheapen and weaken God’s gift.

a.        It would no longer be Grace.

b.       From Paul’s point it is clear.

c.        Anything we have to earn, is not Grace and is not part of God’s plan of salvation for us.

11.   Romans 11:7

a.        What Then?

b.       Israel was focused on following the OT Law and they did not see Jesus for who He is.

c.        They were thinking they could attain Glory by fulfilling each step of the Law, but they could not do it.

d.       Then he mentions the elect, those who are Christ followers.

e.        Whether they are of Jewish or Gentile descent.

f.          They heard the message of Jesus.

g.        They accepted the gift of grace.

h.        Their lives and eternal destination have been changed for the better.

i.          Then there were those who are hardened.

j.          They were closed off to God working.

k.        They could not see the One the Father sent.

l.          They did not recognize the amazing gift that was being offered.

m.     They remained lost.

12.   There are people today in each of these categories.

a.        Those who are more focused on religious practices and traditions then they are having faith in Christ.

b.       I think we have seen some of them fall away in the last few years.

c.        We need to reach them as much as we need to reach those who have never heard of Jesus.

d.       They are just as lost.

13.   Then there are those who are followers of Christ.

a.        People like most if not all of us.

b.       We are sacrificing of our time to learn about God and His plan for us.

c.        Accepting the most amazing gift that has ever been offered humankind.

14.   Then there are those who want nothing to do with God.

a.        Those who are hardened.

b.       Some by their own choice and some given over to their sin by God.  

c.        Most days we cannot share Christ with them.

d.       Until we can, we simply need to love them.

e.        Walk beside them.

f.          And let the Holy Spirit guide us on how and when to share Jesus with them.

15.   Romans 11:8

a.        Paul is reenforcing his thoughts on those who are hardened against God.

b.       It is believed he is pulling from two different verses.

c.        Deuteronomy 29:4

d.       Isaiah 29:10

e.        When people turn their back on God, there is a point where He lets you continue down that path.

f.          He hardens hearts.

g.        We saw it with Pharoh when Moses was trying to lead the people out of Egypt.

h.        Pharoh hardened his own heart several times.

i.          Eventually God hardened it for him the rest of the time.

j.          We don’t get a clear picture if that is what Paul is stating here, but it does fit with what we find in Scripture.

k.        Those who had been denying God, will eventually find themselves hardened to His work.

16.   Romans 11:9-10

a.        This was part of a prayer of Davids in Psalm 69.

b.       A prayer that God would punish those who persecuted him.

c.        Paul sees this as judgement against those who have resisted the Gospel of Jesus.

d.       That they will face persecution.

e.        That they will struggle.

f.          Turn to Jesus and receive an amazing blessing.

g.        Reject Him and stumble over the cornerstone that He is.

h.        Accept Jesus as Lord, as the Master of your life and receive His blessings.

i.          An eternity in His presence.

j.          Disobey God by turning away from His gift and your back will be bent continually.

k.        Punishment and guilt will last for all of eternity.

17.   These last few verses hit hard.

a.        They remind us of what happens when one rejects God.

b.       It is not a choice between two good options.

c.        It is a choice between an amazing option that is better than we can understand.

d.       And an option that we do not even want to imagine how horrible it will be.

e.        Accept Jesus and spend forever in Glory.

f.          Reject Him and face judgement forever.

18.   We know Israel as a nation did not recognize Jesus as Lord.

19.   But we see that all was not lost.

a.        God did not forsake His people.

b.       He still provided a path for them.

c.        Paul and many other Jewish people accepted Chrit’s amazing gift.

d.       They accepted His call and followed Him.

20.   Will you?

a.        Have you accepted the gift of grace He is offering?

b.       It is not too late.

c.        I encourage you not to delay.

d.       If that is you, I would love to pray with you.

21.   Maybe the call you are to answer today is to step out in service?

a.        Is their something that you are meant to do?

b.       A work that you were created to fulfill.

c.        If so, answer the call.

d.       Step out in faith.

e.        I would love to pray with you as you seek His will.