The Unhindered Harvest Acts: The Unhindered Harvest

Romans 1-8 The great doctrines God’s Wrath Sin Judgement Grace and Justification God’s love Believers security

Romans 1-8 The full message of the gospel Breadth equaled by its depth

Romans 9-11 All about Israel Seemingly random Unexpected insertion Her past Her failures Her future Seemingly random Unexpected insertion

Romans 9-11 God’s integrity at stake Can God be trusted? Past behavior predicts future actions, right?

Romans 9-11 “…this assertion of the certain fulfillment of God’s promises to Christians…leads Paul now to raise the question of God’s promises to Israel.” (New Bible Commentary)

Romans 9-11 Church unity at stake Jews…LOSERS! Gentiles…the favorites

History of the Jews Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12-17) Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 29 and 30) Davidic Covenant (2nd Samuel 7)

History of the Jews 931 BC -- Kingdom Divided (1st Kings 12) 722 BC – Assyrians wipe out Northern Kingdom (2nd Kings 17) 605 BC – Babylonians invade Judah (Daniel 1)

History of the Jews 538 BC – Persians conquer Babylon (Daniel 5) 332 BC – Alexander the Great conquers Persia 142 BC – Maccabean revolt and Judah freed

History of the Jews 63 BC – Roman Conquest 37 BC – Herod the Great makes Judea a Roman province How about them covenants?!

Romans 10:8-13 But what does it say Romans 10:8-13 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;

for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995

Has God’s word failed? NO! (9:6) God is sovereign (9:10-18) God’s purpose was to save all peoples (9:19-24) Israel was faithless (9:30-32)

“…God’s sovereignty in rejection and man’s responsibility for that rejection are to be maintained as two complementary truths…

…truths that must not be used to detract from one another …truths that must not be used to detract from one another.” (New Bible Commentary)

Who does God save? Those who believe (10:9-11) Nationality does not matter 10:11-13 9:6 and 11:26

Has God rejected His people? NO! (11:1) There is always a remnant (11:2-5) God’s sovereign purpose (11:17-27) God’s wisdom (11:33-36)

Reaping the Harvest Trust God’s word, not your experience Trust God’s ability to redeem Respond to the gospel Reaping the Harvest

“...God has brought His salvation near to us…it is here, present and available; what men and women are called on to do is to accept it inwardly by faith and confess Christ publicly as Lord.” (Bruce, pg. 189)