 Good morning and welcome to class. Sorry, I'm having a little problem with my camera. It worked perfectly fine in the first two hours. It took us for the first years who's working but it's not coming on so Okay, we just hope that will come on. We'll begin but against one of you, please lead us in prayer please. Anyone who need us in prayer say will you be able to lead us in prayer? Yes, Pastor In the name of Jesus, we thank you Lord for another class. We thank you for your mercy Thank you for all you have been teaching us Lord Through your daughter Thank you for Preparing us Lord for what is ahead of us And thank you Lord for making your word Lord available for us Lord to learn from the doctrine of what it means to be a believer in Christ Jesus and All that is expected of us Lord to live by Lord becoming this class onto you. We pray by the spirit of God give each and every one of us On the standing of what will be taught today And Lord for your daughter, we pray Lord that in the name of Jesus That Lord you will give out the wisdom Lord to impact upon us Lord the knowledge required for us Lord to Understand your word and Lord to be Teachers of your word to others who Lord you will bring in encounter with us Lord to teach your word Thank you Lord for a wonderful class. We bless your holy name We will not remain the same way we came into this class All to your praise Lord Jesus name amen Thank you Okay, I'm not sure why my camera is not coming up, but You are not able to see me. It's coming here in this logitech Okay, praise God By all of these different things just Really problem mines Okay, we were looking at chapter 10 in In the previous class on on Wednesday and today we'll be looking at Chapter 11 so in Chapter 10 we saw, you know, basically how You know we saw that Just a minute Yeah, the importance of the word We need to keep the word in our heart in our mouth and also we see the importance of preaching the word and You know and Paul says that those who believe, you know We'll receive righteousness by faith and not by keeping the law and he says that you know the The Jews are trying to see if their own righteousness They're trying to work out their own righteousness by keeping the law and it's not going to work But he says those who receive righteousness are those who receive righteousness by faith and he talks about, you know His own seal and his passion for his own people to know God to be safe and He's, you know, answering this question, you know, has God forgotten About the Jews, you know, they were given all the promises. They were given the covenants They had the law they from them where the priests that who came up so has God forgotten all of this and Paul says no, he's not forgotten but No, very fact that, you know The gospel is being preached to the Gentiles and salvation is being made available to the Gentiles Paul says is Because, you know, he wants to stir up The Jews, you know, he's provoking them. He's actually waking them up from their sleep from their slumber You know and telling them You know, it's because they are trying to work out their own righteousness by keeping the law and not by faith That, you know, they will be justified that they will be in right standing with God and so he talks about how, you know Person can be made righteous by faith and not by keeping the law and then he goes on to talk about the word by quoting Deutronomy and there it talks Moses is talking about the law but You know Paul here is talking about the word. He says the word is near you It's in your mouth and in your heart and what do we do with that word? You know, he just gives us the dynamics of what we need to do He says we need to believe in our heart and we need to Confess and it's not something that we believe in our heart and confess. It's not a one-time thing But he says the other dynamic of this whole thing of keeping God's word in nearer near us. It's in our heart. It's not mouth It's something that should become a lifestyle for it for us. It's something that we live by. It's something that becomes a way of Life for us and he says it's not only that we keep it With us. It's not something that we believe and that we keep confessing it Because when we believe and we keep confessing it We receive more of the blessings of what Jesus has done on the cross for us He says it's important for us to also share this with others Okay, and he says, you know, whoever will share These words of the gospel Will believe and whoever Believes there's no distinction between the Jew and the Greek and whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. So he's basically talking of motivating us To share this message of Christ to share this word of faith Which is what Christ has done what he has accomplished for us on the Cross, okay, and then he says how can anyone hear if they You know if nobody tells them and how can they believe if No one preaches to them and how can somebody preach if nobody Is sent so the importance here he's talking about Verses 14 and 15 in chapter 10 was our classic text to encourage people for missions and It says it's important that people hear the gospel. They can only hear when they They can only believe when they hear and they can only hear when somebody goes and Preaches to them. So he says, you know, hasn't The Jews heard about the gospel message. He says no, they have heard Did Israel not know about this gospel message? He says no, they have Hurt but because they have hardened their hearts, you know, God has let them to go in their own way To make their own choices to lift the consequences of their own choices But because they rejected the truth, you know, the truth has the gospel has not been taken to the Gentiles and even the gospel being taken to the Gentiles is for a reason that God would provoke the Jews to jealousy so that Through the Gentiles coming to know Christ Through them receiving salvation it will somehow awaken the Jews to know about Jesus Christ, okay, so that is what he Shades and or he writes to the church at home in chapter Now we move on to chapter 11 where he's continuing talking on these same lines. He's talking about God's plan for Israel so in chapter 11 all is revealing to us God's plan for Israel. He's showing us of God's plan of Sharing the gospel to the Gentiles To awaken the Jews so he says in in verse one I say then has God asked to weigh his People okay, so he again he begins this part of his letter or this chapter By asking a rhetorical questions has he's been doing In the previous chapters and then he answers it himself. He says certainly not God has not cast away his people. So why is he saying has God cast away his people because They feel that God has forgotten them because now the chosen People you know the chosen generation is the church to them. He God has given the keys of the kingdom Okay, so as he's forgotten about the Jews because now the Gentiles have also been incorporated into the church into God's plan Into God's blessing. So he says certainly not And he gives a proof Okay, of what he's saying he's saying that look at me, you know, I myself am a Jew I'm a seed of Abraham. I'm from the tribe of benjamin, but you know Uh, I was somebody who was even persecuting Uh, the Christians for believing in Christ or sharing the gospel message, but look at me, you know The gospel message came to me Jesus encountered me and here I am An example, okay, so uh, he says that you know, God has not cast them away Even though the Jews have protected the gospel and salvation is now taken to the Gentiles Um, and God's chosen people are now the church, but Paul says certainly not God has not rejected the Jews He says look at me. I'm an example. I'm a Jew. You know myself the tribe of Benjamin I I'm an example that God has not cast away his People and he gives another proof from the Old Testament from first Kings chapter 19 Here he's talking about The prophet Elijah now the prophet Elijah, you know, he has just finished this Great event on the on the mountain where You know, they you know, he tells So worshipers of Baal you prepare your altar You sacrifice to God and you ask your God to send fire So the prophets of Baal they prepare the altar They ask their God to set down fire then they cut themselves they scream they shout the whole day Elijah gives them Time but there's no fire from there. God and then you know, you know what Elijah does he builds the altar. He builds a trench. He posts you know barrels of water On the offering so that people don't say there was a fire there and you know It just came out and he does not scream shout cut himself dance or do any of those gimmicks But he just calls on God and God sends the fire not only burns the animal But even burns the stone the mud the water everything Okay, and then people realize that uh, Elijah's God is a true and living God and then, you know, he like to give You know tells the people to kill all the prophets of Baal and they kill about 400 prophets of Baal and when Jezebel comes to hear this she's very angry and You know, she sends words to Elijah saying that uh, you know Be sure what you did for the prophets of Baal. I will make sure it's done to you So what does Elijah do? He's so afraid. He's running for his life You know an angel of God meets him gives him food strengthens him and finally he's hiding in the cave And God is asking Elijah. Hey Elijah. What are you doing here in this cave? And he's like, you know, God I'm the only prophet left and you know, Jezebel is going to take my life And what does God tell him? But you're not the only person left but there are seven thousand men Who God has preserved who have not bowed down their knees to Baal like the thought, you know, the wicked queen Jezebel has killed everybody. So, uh What is Paul basically trying to say here is basically trying to say that God has a remnant He's not given up on his people. He's not forgotten about his people See, there are a few Jews who have accepted him who have made the choice To believe in Christ to receive the gospel message. They have received righteousness by faith And so, you know, Paul is saying I'm an example. He's giving an example of Elijah How God preserved seven thousand men who have not bowed their knees to Baal and God is saying, uh, you know Paul is saying sorry that, you know, there is a remnant that God has Kept among the Jews who have accepted him by faith. So God has not cast away his people totally, okay So in the same way Today, even though there seems to be a widespread rejection of the gospel among the Jews yet You know, God has a few people a few Jewish people a remnant of them who have said yes to this gospel And so Paul is saying I am one of them who said and Yes, okay, and that is what he says in Verses two to verse six. So can somebody read that please versus two to six The verse two says God has not cast away his people who he foreknew Or do you not know that the scripture says of Elijah? How He pleads with God against Israel saying Lord, we have killed your prophets and tune down your orders And I alone am left and they seek my life But what does the divine response say to him? I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed their knees to Baal There's five in verse six even so then at this present time There is a remnant according to the election of grace and if I grace then it's no longer of works Otherwise grace is no longer grace But if it is so works, it is no longer grace Otherwise work is no longer Work, okay So paul here is writing in verse five is saying even so then at this present time There is a remnant according to the election of grace So he's saying there are people who are elected by grace now this word again elect election chosen select You know or chosen beforehand comes up the word election or selection must here also be Interpreted or understood in the light of how we interpreted the rest of Romans when we look at chapter nine When we look at God selection or election We said that it's not a partial selection of people It's not eliminating or discriminating few and choosing a few others But here it means all those who said yes to the salvation message All those who said yes to Jesus Christ all those who said yes to what Jesus has done on the cross They are the ones who receive the call. They receive the call by grace. They are the ones who are Selected. Okay, as I already mentioned You know that those who believe and confess with their mouths will receive salvation They will become the elect the select or the chosen ones in Christ. We already looked at this in In chapter 10. Okay, so it's not here again God predestining a few to choose him Or to you know to be aligned to his planet purposes to be part of his kingdom and a few who he discriminates and he Predestines that they will go to hell. No, it's the choices that you know it predestines whether they are In God's kingdom or not whether they are going to be sons and daughters of God or not It's our own choices That you know brings about our own consequences. So Paul says that those who embrace Christ They receive salvation by grace and it's not by Works we've already looked at this in the previous chapters They're chosen by grace and not by work So Paul is saying that those who said yes to the salvation message to the gospel of Jesus Christ They receive a righteousness by faith. It is through grace by faith, okay That they receive their salvation Okay, so it's not by their own works But it's because of their faith in Jesus Christ what he has done on the cross that they have received this grace So in verses one To verse six Paul is saying that God has not given up on Israel on a large scale They have projected the gospel But yet God has not given up on them There are a few who have made the right choice who have said yes to the gospel and you know, they have received it by Grace, okay, and Paul says I am one of them and there are others as well There's a few remnants who have received this righteousness by grace To faith, okay, and so they have come to become children of God to become sons and daughters of God, okay, any questions about verses one to six any questions Okay, if not, we will move to verses seven to ten when somebody read verses seven to ten, please So this is the situation most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God They're looking for so earnestly If you have the ones God has chosen but the hearts of the rest Were hardened as the scriptures say God has put them into a deep sleep To this day he has shut their eyes so that they cannot see and close their ears and they're not here That's what David said that there will be Let the ground of the table become a serenity But a shirt that makes them think all is full That there is no possibility to settle and let them be able to deserve That their eyes will not see and they're bound to be bent for Thank you, kong So Paul is saying that Israel as a nation they have not got what they are seeking Why because they are seeking or trying to receive righteousness by Keeping the law and you know, they cannot receive righteousness by keeping the law It does not work that way But the next the chosen people those who said yes To the gospel they received this righteousness by Faith it's by grace through grace that they receive this righteousness. It's not true Works. So what about the rest of the Jews? He says the rest of the Jews who Do not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says the rest of them are Blinded. Okay. They're blinded to the truth. They're blinded to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They're blinded to What Jesus has done for them on the cross and he quotes two passages from the Old Testament In verse eight in verse eight Paul is basically quoting from Isaiah chapter 29 versus 10 to 13 10 and 13 and you told me chapter 29 versus three to four. So he's talking of the fact that uh, you know The Jews they have a spirit or stupid or a spirit of slumber Okay, and in verse nine and 10 he's quoting from what David said in psalm chapter 69 versus 22 23 So he's saying yes, there's a few people a few remnant of few Jews who have You know being chosen. Why have been why have they been chosen selected elected? It's because they have said yes to the gospel. They have received their righteousness by faith um In Jesus Christ their faith in Jesus Christ and what he's done on the cross And then he says what's happened to the rest of the Jews. So he says the rest of the Jews. They are blinded Okay, it's not that God has blinded them from understanding or receiving the Gospel, but it's that you know, there is is that own spiritual pride or it's their own, uh, you know Choice that they are making That they don't want to see the truth. They don't want to believe the truth So where does this blindness come from or what is causing this blindness? There are two sources One source is our own choosing or us departing from the truth We choose not to see the light So he's saying that you know, the the israelite some of the Jews Is they chose to depart from the truth they chose not to see the light And uh, there could be various reasons why uh, they could have done this or why people even today Reject the gospel why their eyes are blinded is because they chose to depart from the truth And uh, he's uh, you know, just like john road. He says men love darkness rather than the Light so some people love darkness. They love to live in the darkness They don't want the darkness to be exposed by the light and so he says, you know, the first reason why These people's eyes are blinded is because they're own choosing they departed from their truth It's their own free disposition You know, uh When we it's our own sometimes their own predisposition We choose to go away from the truth and that's when God gives us Um, remember he's he's a god who's given us a free will to choose He says you want to make this choice? He helps us to make the right choice But if we want to choose, you know, he lets us go our way He says, okay, you want to make this choice? You want to go that way? Then you can go that way He just gives us up. So this is one source of blindness The other source of blindness can be even satan that blinds the minds of those who believe He basically puts a will he basically covers Us he causes a blindness on people So when Paul is saying that God has given them a spirit or stupor in was It was eight of chapter 11 You know, we can ask this question with God Himself You know put that blindness no You know, God cannot blind the eyes of people from seeing the truth If we say that God is causing that blindness or God is causing them to be blind from seeing the truth Then it would be we are self contradicting ourselves So because you know, or God can even be self contradictory. God would be contradicting his own self You know, how could he on one hand say I want you To accept and receive my son. I want you to accept and believe in the message of Christ and then would he again work against himself by preventing people from receiving the message No, God cannot contradict himself. He cannot go against what he is doing No, could God do that would he work against himself? You know, definitely not So here it says that you know, God has given them a spirit or stupor Eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear To this very day. So how do we understand this because here it says God has given them a spirit of Stupor eyes that they should not see and ears. They should not hear to this very day So are we saying that God is causing them to Be blind is God causing them not to hear the truth. No, we can't say that Okay, uh, then how do we interpret this? Okay, if you see that God is causing them the blindness God is causing them not to hear Then we can even say that you know, God caused Pharaoh to harden his heart Okay, which is not the truth. We already saw about this in Romans chapter nine, right? We saw in Romans chapter nine that Pharaoh's heart was Hardened but we said that we also read in scripture that God Hardened Pharaoh's heart, but we said how do we interpret it? It's not that God causes heart to be hardened so that he can display his glory But we said how did we interpret that we said that you know Pharaoh's heart was hardened and God gave him up to his own Choice God gave him up to go in his own way. He says, okay, you want to harden your heart This is what you want to do. You know God allowed him to harden his heart. It's not that God Hardened his heart. It's not that God caused him to harden his heart Okay, so how did we interpret it then we said that you know Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he made a choice to harden his heart So God let him go his own way So here also when we read that God had given them up to a spirit of stupor That the eye should not see and the ear should not hear it does not mean that God darkened their eyes or God blinded their eyes or God did not You know block their ears from hearing the truth. That is not how we interpret it We interpret it in the rest of the other scripture how we interpret it what we Read about Pharaoh also for example if we take Judas, you know, did God make Judas betray him? Because he wanted somebody to betray him so that he can You know, it can lead him to be To be arrested so that he can be crucified did God cause Judas to Make that choice. No, you know if God caused Judas to Betray him then you know Judas had all the right to say God You know, you caused me to do it and my betrayal actually helped you to fulfill God's plan and purpose And because of me you actually went to the cross. So I am actually also a greater savior You are a savior. I'm also a greater savior because because of me It made it possible for you to go on the cross. No, we don't interpret it That ways we see that Judas made his own choice and God allowed Judas to Go his own way make his own choice and we see the end result You know that Judas it was Judas his own choice How do we know it because Judas was so burdened so guilty what he did and we know that he went and Hung him Self up if it was God's will, you know, he wouldn't have the restlessness. He would not like that peace He would not go and hang himself so we don't You know, we don't interpret what Judas did saying that God caused him to do it or we don't say fair or God hardened fair this heart So likewise here, you know, like we interpret the rest of scripture here also We see that, you know God did not blind the eyes of the Israelites Stopping them from seeing the truth. So that's the salvation The gospel can be taken to the Gentiles so that the Gentiles can receive salvation or what did not cause their years You know to be blocks that they don't hear the truth. It's their own Choices so just like we interpreted, you know What we read in Romans chapter nine about Pharaoh the same way we understand Romans chapter 11 was eight we interpreted in the same sense and also To give another example if you would want, you know, we read in Romans chapter one was 24 We say that we see that God gave them up to their Uncleanliness God gave them up enough proof that there is a God. He says even creation You know creation reveals the invisible attributes of God creation reveals the glory of God It reveals the eternal power of God the deity of God the Godhead Okay, you have enough proof But he says in spite of me giving these proofs if you still want to go and worship idols He says God says I give that I gave them up to their Uncleanliness in verse 26 He says God says our form is chapter one God gave them up to their vile Passion as a result of them worshipping idols, you know, it led to uncleanliness wild passions And also in verse 28 of chapter one God says I gave them over to a debased mind to fall in my Why it's not because God wanted them To have a debased mind No, not that he wanted them to indulge in my passions. Not that he wanted them to Live in uncleanliness. Why did he give them up? Because it was their own choice It was their own bill. It was their own decision So it was what they wanted to choose. He gave them up to their own choice Didn't God foreknew that Judas would betray Jesus? Yes He also says that one among you will betray me, right? He had Through the the the gift of the spirit. He already knew who's going to betray him Did God know that Judas is going to betray him? Yes God did God knew that Adam and Eve are going to eat from the tree that God is telling them not to eat. Yes Did God know that Pharaoh's want to harden his heart? Yes. Did God know that That Charles is going to Choose him as his personal savior. Yes. Did God knows that others are not going to choose him? Yes Okay, but you know, irrespective of The choices that we made that's what we've been talking about this in chapter 9 and chapter 10 God still goes about doing his plan his his sovereign will irrespective of man's choices Yes, man can choose to do God's will but even if man Goes against God's will God can still go ahead and fulfill his planet purpose And that is what we've been seeing in history. Yes, pharaoh hardened his heart But did God set his people free just like he promised Abraham That there would be slaves in an in an unknown country for 400 years and then God said he will Send you know deliver them and take them to promised land. Yes. Got promise. He kept his promise Even though pharaoh's heart was hardened Uh, he kept his promise. So God in spite of the choices that you and I make God can still bring about his plans and purpose He can still fulfill his divine plans and purpose. So did God know Judas was going to do it. Yes Did he allow him to do it? Yes, because you know God, um, You know respects the choices that he uh that we make he created us in this image He gave us free will to choose he respects our choices. Does he help us to make the right choices? Yes, he does. But when we don't he gives us up just like We saw he gave up pharaoh He gave up Judas to make his own choice. We read also in Romans chapter one, which is 24 26 and 28 so when we say that We read here in verse Was eight of chapter 11 God is giving them a spirit of stupor. So did God give them a spirit of stupor? No You know God they chose darkness they chose to reject Christ and God gave them to To let them go on their own way. He chose them to go on their own the way So what Paul is saying here is you know, Israel is not able to obtain or the Jews are not able to obtain their own Righteousness the way they want But there are some who obtained it by grace and the rest are in blindness and in darkness And they are there because God has let them To make their own choices to live by their own consequences of their own choices and their own decisions Okay, is that clear? Is it clear? Yes, anyone has any questions any doubts. Did I help answer your question chance? Okay, if there are no questions. Yes, it did. Thank you pastor. Thank you Charles Thank you Charles Okay, we'll move on. Can somebody else please read verses 11 to verse 15, please Somebody who's not read can ask which it to read was 11 to 15 Or anyone else can read 11 to 15, please But through their fall to provoke they provoke them to jealousy salvation has come to the Gentiles Now if their fall is riches for the world and their failure reaches for the Gentiles, how much more they face fullness? For I speak to your Gentiles in as much as I am the apostle to the Gentiles and magnify my ministry If by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them For if they're being cast away Is the reconciling of the world? What will their acceptance be but the life from the dead? Thank you Abinas So here Paul is writing saying that I see them I see them have this number Abinas you have to Okay, thank you I say then have this tumble that they should fall Certainly not. So he's asking another question Okay, and this question is similar to what he asked in verse one has God cast away His people and he says no God has not cast them away Because there are some people among The Jews who have believed would accept the gospel they receive their righteousness by faith So yeah, the next question he says so have been fallen because of their state of blindness Or are they in a place where they cannot be brought back? So have they fallen on it or are they in a place where they cannot be brought back? He says certainly not it's the word fall here or fallen You know it says, you know, just basically means have they pressed fast or have they gone out of their Way or have they gone out of the way? So he says through their fall So he says it's very clear that it is therefore and their trespass It's not that God has put them in blindness and that The blindness has put them into this trespass But he's saying true therefore that means he's you know, he's saying it's your choice Okay, it's your choice that you make that you have made To reject Christ to reject the gospel of salvation to receive righteousness by faith. It's your choice So he says very clearly it's through their fall. It's through their fall and their trespass Okay, it's not that God has put them in blindness and their blindness that has Has put them into trespass, but it's because of their own choice their own mistakes But he says but through the trespass of the Jews, you know, God is going to do something Okay, even though they have rejected him He's still going ahead with his plan Okay, he's still going ahead with this his sovereign will that all men Come to know the truth or the salvation that is in Jesus Christ our lord so he's going ahead with his plan and he's You know, he's brought about salvation or the gospel message to the Gentiles And many of the Gentiles are receiving salvation and he's saying by doing this also in some ways, you know You know, he's provoking the Jews to jealousy so that by this means at least some of them Can come to receive the righteousness in Christ Jesus by faith So he's saying that the Jews are in darkness and sin But God is going to use the salvation That he's brought about to the Gentiles to awaken them to bring them back and to Prove them So it was really saying the following following a way of the Jews has got so much of benefit for the Gentiles, you know, the failure of the Jews has brought riches and blessing to the Gentiles and he says think what will happen You know, if the Jews just fall in line think what will happen if the entire Jewish race or many of the Jews if they accept Jesus Christ just imagine the immense blessing That will that will be blessed that the Gentiles will receive or how immensely blessed You know, the Gentiles will be just because of their rejection of the gospel Just because of their failure it has brought riches and it's got so much of blessing to the Gentiles Just imagine if the Jews accept salvation they accept Jesus How much more will the Gentiles be blessed what supernatural blessings will just an outflow of blessings That will just flow out on the Gentiles as a result of The juices accepting Jesus as the Lord and Savior He says even though he's an apostle to the Gentiles What he really likes to do by preaching the gospel message or bringing the salvation message or reaching out to Gentiles Is that even as the Gentiles receive salvation through the gospel that Paul is preaching out He's saying he's hoping that in some ways, you know, it will provoke the Jews to jealousy so that they too can be Seen so he says yes, I'm an apostle to Gentiles. I'm preaching to them the salvation But he's saying by some means even as I'm doing this, you know, I'm just believing that it will provoke The Jews to jealousy so that they too can be saved and what's 15 he says But if they're being cast away is reconciling the world What will their acceptance be but life from the So he's saying the Jews come to faith There will be a great grand Resurrection that is going to take place. In fact, that is what is going to take place As a great revival Which is spoken of in revelation that, you know, there will be a great in gathering of souls from among all the people of Israel Just before the final resurrection from the Dead so he's saying that if you know just before the final resurrection There will be a great in gathering of Harvesting of souls and revival among the Jews just before the final Resurrection. So just summing up what Paul has been saying Telling us so far in Romans chapter 11. He says God is not given up on the Jews But they have chosen darkness and because they chose job darkness They refuse to see the The truth in the gospel that is in Jesus Christ Salvation was given to the Gentiles And this salvation was given to the Gentiles also as a way to provoke the Jews to jealousy So if their darkness or there is rejection of the gospel has got salvation and blessing and riches to the Gentiles How much more Will the Gentiles receive blessing if the Jews receive the gospel Or they become righteous by faith through grace Okay, so this is what this is a basic summary of what he's been Saying and verses one to verse 15 will move on to verses uh 16 to When uh 16 it was 25 Or 26 so when somebody quickly read was 16 to was 25 weeks It says but if the first fruit is holy the lump is also holy and the root is holy So are the branches and if some of the branches were broken off and you being a wild Oratory they're crafted in among them and with them become became a particular the root and fatness of the oratory Do not boast against the branches But if you do boast remember that you do not support the root but the root supports you You will say then branches were broken off that I might be grafted in Well said because of the unbelief they were broken off and you stand by faith Do not be haughty but fear but if God did not spare the natural branches. He may not spare you either Verse 22 therefore consider the goodness and the severity of God on those who fell On those who fell Severely but towards you goodness if you continue in his goodness Otherwise you will also be cut off And they also if they do not continue in unbelief will be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again But if you were cut off the oratory which is wired by nature and by crafted contrary to nature Into the cultivated oratory How much more will these who are natural branches be grafted into their own oratory? For I do not desire brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery West you should be wise in your own opinion that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of Gentiles has come in Very interesting how Paul presents the students to us He's just basically painting a very beautiful picture of an olive tree So you can just imagine Two olive trees one is a cultivated olive tree in a cultivated land where it's been You're taking care of you know Care for and there's another wild olive tree just just going In the wild again the cultivated olive tree here of the presence is while or the Jewish nation or the Jewish race And he's saying that some of them who did not believe When they do not believe what does God do he cuts off the branches He takes off the branches. He cuts off the branches of Of the olive tree the cultivated olive tree of those people and these branches that are cut off Are those Jews who've not accept the gospel and what does he say? He says that you know God You know graphs in branches of the wild olive tree and who is the wild olive tree the wild olive tree other Gentiles the Gentiles Who believe who receive righteousness by faith when they receive righteousness by faith? They are kind of grafted into the main cultivated olive tree So they receive the blessings that God gave to Abraham. They receive the riches. They become powerful kingdom of God They become children of God and they become part of what God is doing But he's telling the Gentiles. Hey now since that you have accepted righteousness by faith You believe in Jesus you've been grafted into the cultivated olive tree That is the Jews don't boast don't be proud. Okay um Don't boast because you've been grafted in there But remember the tree is standing there because of its roots And who are the roots the roots are the the Jews the origin of the Jews It is Abraham who is and uh, Abraham and the forefathers Abraham. I said Jacob All those who believed who God gave the covenants who got gave the promises the origin of the Jews They are the roots. Okay. So don't boast that you are superior to the Jews Maybe you have you know your Gentiles you've accepted gods if received righteousness by faith You've come into the church. You've been grafted into the tree of life You're part the kingdom of God. You are children of God. You are the seeds of the promise You've received the promises you receive the blessings that God spoke To Abraham to his seeds when he says hey don't boast don't think that you're superior to the Jews you're grafted in by faith. So do not be proud verse 22 he says You know because there is we can see that is both the goodness of God and the severity of God God is a God of truth and a God of justice He's a God who's good to all those who respond to his message All those who accept Jesus Christ what he did on the cross all those who respond to him in faith Who accept them in by faith or believe in him by faith? He's good to them But those who do not believe in him he has to deal with them very severely So even among the Jews, you know God he says God is able to bring them to the faith if they respond in faith But if they continue in unbelief, you know, he gives them up their own choices And it was 24. He says think about how God is grafting The branches of the wild olive tree into the main olive tree Verse 25 says I don't want it to be ignorant of this mystery. Which means, you know, God is revealing a secret The plan of God on the earth He's revealing his plan his mystery of what he's going to do here on the earth You know, what is God going to do here on this earth? What is this mystery that is revealing God is bringing in the branches of the wild olive tree Into the main olive tree. That means he's bringing in the Gentiles into the kingdom of God to being hairs of You know hairs of God, cold hairs with Christ Jesus is bringing them into his original plan But he's doing this You know, he's bringing the Gentiles into the plan and purposes of God But he's doing this notice was what he says in verse 25 He says blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in So God has allowed Israel to be in a state of Blindness that means he's not saying, okay, you be blind No, he's giving them up to their own choices He's allowing them to be In their own choices that face the own consequences of choices until the Gentiles are brought in and brought it in And then he's going to not give up on his own people. He's going to awaken the Jews He's going to work among them. He's going to bring them also back into the tree And he's going to graph them And so this is what God is doing on the earth now God is allowing all the peoples of the earth to come in to become part of his kingdom part of his plan his purpose And he's gathering him All of them in and then he's going to go after He's right. He's not forgotten them. He still has a plan for them. He's going to pursue them He's also going to graph them back into the tree of life. Yes, man. Do you have a question? Thank you pastor. Um my question is about the jewish so We now understand that everyone has free choice And they can either choose to believe or not believe or to add in their heart or soften soften it So now the each of the jewish at the end How why is god going to pursue them? And he has given them The free choice to choose to either choose him or to choose the world so and If he's going to pursue them where where is their Free choice then it's like it's forcing things to them Yes, thank you. Thank you. Yes, he's pursuing going to pursue the jews which means He's not going to those who are going to reject them. He's going to twist their arm and you know say hey Accept me, you know You have to come into my plan and purpose. You have to be grounded Because you're my chosen people. No again, then it's the free will to choose So he's what paul basically saying is he's not forgotten god is not forgotten about the jews Even though salvation has gone to the gentiles god is reaching out the whole whole world You know, he doesn't mean that he's forgotten about the jews and the jews are not receiving the gospel now The gospel is not being preached to them. No the gospel is being preached to them Uh, but god is saying, you know, he's going to work in their lives also and those who's going to make a choice Those are going to choose him, you know, they're going to be grafted back into your life the same way for the rest of mankind Okay, he's going to pursue everybody not just pursuing the jews. It's going to pursue everybody Okay, uh, he's going to go behind everybody We also know that are some people that god pursues them till the dead bed Some people have accepted jesus on the dead bed. Okay, we can say that's unfair, but it's it's god who makes He's a judge, but he pursues everyone. Why does he pursue everyone? He does not want anyone to you know, land up in hell He he died got sold up the world that he gave up his only son You know, he gave him up for his own world Okay, uh, but whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life So get the choices there. So even though he's going to pursue You or me or you pursue people we are praying for Who are gentiles he's same way is going to pursue the jews But if they don't still choose to You make a choice to you know be grafted back into the tree of life to Receive him as their person saver accept him as a person saver. He's going to give them up to their own choice God is not at any moment in time is not going to override our choices He's going to let us live and choose and go by our own choices. Did that help mangi? Yes, but yes So, uh, why are we saying this that he's going to pursue the jews is because the jews feel forgotten But so paul is writing to them and saying hey, don't feel left out. Don't feel forgotten God is not forgotten you. He's still pursuing you. He's going to pursue He just like he's going to pursue everybody But since specifically we're looking at it's in the context of jews and gentiles And he's writing specifically these chapters 9 10 11 Talking about Israel as a chosen nation he's mentioning this So we always need to interpret scripture in the light in the context of what Who is being written to What is the the context in which is writing and also interpreted in the rest of the other scripture? Did that help? Okay, anyone else has any questions Okay, there's no questions will continue from versus 26 to the end of chapter 11 And this was 36 on venice day and then we Okay Next assessment is due. So maybe I'll just post the date on the stream page or you can just You know share your comments if that's fine and then we'll go ahead. Is that okay everybody? Okay for our next assessment that is we finished chapters one two Four we will have from chapters four to eight One to four, sorry five six seven eight. We'll have five six seven eight So I will just post the date and you all can just to share your views And then we'll take it on from there. Okay. Thank you everyone for joining class. Have a blessed weekend Enjoy your weekend. You refresh and strike it and I'll see you next week. Bye Thank you