 Amen. So Acts chapter 18. So here we're starting. If you look at your map, Paul takes a little jump from Athens over to Corinth. If you look at your map, we just he heads across a little land bridge to the south of and the southernmost part of looks like a little peninsula there in Macedonia or modern-day Greece. So let's look at Acts chapter 18 and see what we can come up with this evening. We're only going to get in and explain something that happens in verse number six, but let's look at things right away for a sake of time and get moving. Verse number one, the Bible says after these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth and found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus. Lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because the Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought for by their occupation they were tent makers. So just a real quick side note right here. I mean we see, it's kind of surprising. If you're reading Acts and you come to this point, you realize that there's, you know, Paul works. Paul is bivocational. All right, go to 1 Thessalonians chapter two. I just want to make two quick points here before we get to the main meat of the sermon. But Paul, I mean you think about all the things that Paul has gone through in the book of Acts so far, and here he is. He's supporting himself along the way. He's working as a tent maker as he's visiting these different cities, as he's, you know, debating in the synagogues, as he's being chased from town to town to town by the Jews that he's upsetting. We'll get to that in a minute. And then, you know, the whole time though, he's working. He's working and he's confirming the disciples and he's guarding churches, but he's working the whole time. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter two. I want to make two points about that. All right, so he's a bivocational evangelist, I guess you could say. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter two. The first point I want to make is in 1 Thessalonians chapter two where the Bible says, for yourselves brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. So I want to, I want to give you two points that, that Paul working and supporting himself as he was an evangelist, two advantages that gives him. All right, there's nothing wrong with a pastor being paid or being supported by the church, but to be bivocational there's two advantages that Paul points out in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. I want to show that real quickly. So we see that Paul worked in Acts chapter 18. For yourselves brethren, now he's writing to the church at Thessalonica, know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. He's like, it was not for ourselves, it was not for our gain. Look what he says in verse two. But even after that we had suffered before, we were shamefully entreated. As you know at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto the gospel of God with much contention. So what he's saying is, you know, I want you to know that we're not here for our own gain. As a matter of fact, you know, we're being, you know, treated badly is what he's saying. He's like everywhere we, I mean, no kidding. We're studying through the book of Acts. We see that Paul is not being treated well. He's being, he's being shamefully entreated. He's being persecuted as he preaches the gospel. Now, I mean, personally, I mean, you can be a church member and have respect. A lot of people think like, okay, you know, the pastor, you know, he gets all the respect, all this kind of stuff. But here's the thing, you could be a good standing church member and have a lot of respect from both the pastor and your brothers and sisters in the church. You can be a very respectful person. The difference going into the ministry is the disrespect that you will receive. I'm not talking about anybody here. But I'm just saying, you know, just from a personal testimony, I have never been disrespected so much as when I went into the ministry. As a church member, you have the ability to have respect. Hey, just walk faithfully. Just be a man of your word. Just follow what the Bible says. People are going to respect you. I'm going to respect you. Right? But the difference Paul is saying here is like, look, we're shamefully treated. We're not here for ourselves. What could possibly be in it for us? Because we're just being abused everywhere we go. It's basically what Paul is saying. Look at verse three. He says, our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, not saying guile meaning slowness, trickiness. He's not, he's like, we're just out here and we're just like telling you how it is. Look what he says in verse four. But as we are allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time, look what he says, used we flattering words. So what he's saying is, we just came with the gospel. We came with the gospel not to please men just to just, we didn't come here to tell you how great you are. We didn't come here to flatter you. We just came here to tell you what God said. We just came here to preach the gospel. And then look what he says, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness. So he's saying, we didn't come here to flatter you. And we didn't come here for your money, is what Paul said. Now look at verse number six. Nor of men sought we glory. He's like, we didn't even come here just to be like, hey, look at how great we are. He's like, we're not here for vanity. We're not here for glory. Neither of you nor yet of others. When we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. Now what he's saying here, and Paul always kind of gives this caveat, he said, we may have been coming to you as the apostles of Christ. I mean, look, we're a pretty big deal the apostles of Christ. You know, we could have come to you like that, but we didn't. He's saying, we could have been burdensome. We could have expected you to take care of us, is what he's saying. We could have expected you to provide for us. We could have expected you to, you know, give us sustenance and give us, you know, payment for whatever we were, for what we were preaching. He says, but instead, verse seven, we were gentle among you. And as a nurse cherished it, her children, so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you were dear unto us. He's like, we only did this because we care about you. For you remember, brethren, our labor and travail for now this is exactly what happened in Acts chapter 18, laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel of God. He's saying in 1 Thessalonians chapter two, they did the same thing there. He's saying, hey, we came there, and we weren't chargeable to any of you. We could have been, but we weren't. We weren't going to be a burden to any of you. We worked. And he's saying, the reason that he's saying that it was an advantage to them, a benefit to them, is so no one could say that they were greedy or covetous. Nobody could say that Paul came to preach to them to, you know, as a job, you know, to make money, is what he's saying in 1 Thessalonians chapter two. Look, this is what the Bible says that false prophets are all about. It's all about making money. In Titus 1, in verse number 10, it says, for there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially if they have the circumcision, the Jews, whose mouths must be stopped, whose subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not, for filthy, lucre's sake, saying they're doing it for money. So this is a big driver for, this is one of the main drivers of false prophets, even today. You say, why does somebody get up, why does somebody like Joel Osteen get up and just, he just uses the name of Jesus to just, you know, as a token, to get people into his, you know, prosperity church, where he can sell books, and he can tell people how great their life is going to be if, you know, they just come to his church and they give money. Why is he up for filthy, lucre's sake? That's why. I mean, it's, look, it's not good for business. When you run the church, like God wants to run the church, because that means like, you know, people come in here that do certain things, they're going to be, you know, escorted out the door. That's not good for business. You know, false prophets, that's what it's all about, filthy, lucre's sake. And Paul's saying, look, we weren't chargeable to you. We worked day and night. You can't call us covetous. Like there's, Paul is literally saying, he's such a great example, because he's saying like, there's literally nothing in this for me. He's like, all we care about is you. Right? Now turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Here's the second reason. So the first reason is so nobody could accuse him of being, this is just an advantage. This isn't to say that, you know, a pastor of a church that can afford to, you know, support a pastor shouldn't do so. Paul, but this is just an advantage that Paul had. Is that he could say, you know what, nobody could accuse me of doing this for the money. Alright? Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verse number 6. Now we commend you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you'd withdraw yourselves from every brother that walk at disorderly. So here we got a problem. Here we got a problem in this church where there's people that aren't doing a brother saying there's men in this church that aren't doing what they're supposed to do. They're walking disorderly in what way? And not after the tradition which he received of us. He's saying not after the example that we showed. What is that example? Look at verse 7. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you. So he's saying you got some brothers in the church that aren't acting. Look, he doesn't say that he's not accusing them of not being a brother. He's just saying you got some brothers in the church that aren't acting the way we showed that they should act. He's like, because when we were there, he said we did not walk this way. What's he talking about? Look at verse 8. He says, neither do we eat any man's bread for not. And again, but we rot with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you. So he's saying, and then look at verse 9 again, he says, not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example to follow us. He's saying not that we couldn't have done that. Not that we would have been wrong. In 1 Corinthians chapter 9 it talks about how you know it's not wrong to pay a minister of the gospel. So he's just saying, we didn't give that example though. And so the people in your church, the men in your church that aren't working, he's like, they needed to get to work is what he's saying. And he's he's saying, so first of all, the first one is so nobody could accuse him of being covetous. And the second one is as an example, it's a good example of what? Of work ethic. So you know, don't be so hard on a bivocational pastor, because there's a couple of good things there. You know, it's an example of work ethic to the people of the church, particularly the men of the church. And it's also a proof that the pastor or the evangelist or whoever is not in it for the money. All right, Acts chapter 18, let's go back and look at verse number four. That's just a side note. So Paul, I still find that amazing. As you see all the things, we've gone through that map, all the trouble Paul has had along the way. He's working day and night to support himself. You know, he's making a tent here and there. So he has some, he has some of his own bread to eat. All right, look at verse number four of Acts chapter 18. So he reasoned in the synagogues every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timothyus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And verse number six is where we're going to stop here. We're really going to focus in verse number six. And it says, and when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, so here he's saying he's in the synagogues and he's reasoning, he's preaching Jesus to the Jews in the synagogues, but it says they opposed themselves, meaning they were contradicting themselves. They were saying one thing and then he would you know use the Bible to you know prove that wrong and then they would say something that contradicted what they said over here. And then they blasphemed. I mean finally he just got you know they were just talking, they were talking bad about Jesus is what they were doing. All right, they blasphemed. He shook his raiment and said unto them, your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. That's a big moment right there. That is a big moment right there and that is what I want to talk about tonight. I have preached through the book of Romans at the beginning of you know several years ago, but and then I've kind of pieced some things together about the Jews, but I want to explain the significance of this statement and what is actually taking place in Acts chapter 18 regarding the Jews tonight. That's what I want to look at. Turn to Titus chapter 3 to start off. First of all let me just before we get into you know the Jews and Paul saying you know your blood be on your own heads, I am clean. Let's just look at Titus chapter 3 in verse number 10. The Bible says first of all Paul is acting biblically here. When he doesn't just stay there and just argue endlessly with people, Paul is acting very biblically here because the Bible says in Titus 3 10 it says a man that is in heretic after the first and second admonition rejects. Knowing that he that is such is subverted and Sineth being condemned of himself. He's condemning himself by arguing with the Word of God. So you run into this soul winning. You run into it, we ran into it today. You run into it soul winning and you're not to sit there and just give somebody you know Bible verse after Bible verse after Bible verse after Bible verse when they don't even believe the Bible in the first place. I mean you're the Bible here saying like it's just you're wasting your time. So you give one Bible verse and an explanation, you give a second you know Bible verse and an explanation and if people are like yeah I just don't believe that look there's nothing you're going to do there. That's all heart problem and us as people you know I mean God fixes the heart. We don't fix the heart. Okay so that's what Paul is doing. He's literally shaking the dust off his feet. He's just saying look you're opposing yourself, you're blaspheming the Lord. That's it. I mean look you're going to run into people where you know you say you know you know it's by belief alone, it's by trusting in Jesus. It's not of works and they're like yeah I understand that but you have to do the works. I mean you're going to run into people like this and then you show them another verse. I mean you could show like you know dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of Bible verses that clearly show that salvation is not of works at all. It is only by belief, only by trusting and then they're like well believe means believe on means to turn from your sins and you're just like okay then they're reinventing words and you look you're going to waste your time with these type of people. This is why Titus 310 is there. It's like after the first and second. Look, there's somebody down the street that wants to listen. There's somebody down the street whose heart is white. You're going to waste your time debating. This is where Paul got. He's like hey I'm going to waste my time just endlessly debating you when you're contradicting yourselves. If you're clearly not accepting what the Word of God says there's nothing I can do for you. You say yeah but that's sad that you can't convince those people. Well turn to Ezekiel chapter 33 real quickly. But here's the thing. Paul says I am clean. He says I am clean. What does that mean? What did he mean by that? Where he said I am clean. He said your blood be on your own heads I am clean. Let me show you what that means. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 33 and I'll explain to you exactly what Paul was talking about. Ezekiel chapter 33 in verse number 2. So they're opposing themselves. They're not even making any sense. They're saying yeah I believe it's not of works but it is of works and they're saying you know the things that we've heard a hundred times just not making logical sense. And Paul says you know I'm done here. You're blaspheming the Lord I'm done I am clean. Look at verse number 2 of Ezekiel chapter 33. The Bible says son of man speak to the children of thy people and say unto them when I bring the sword upon the land if the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set him for their watchmen if when he seeeth the sword come upon the land he blow the trumpet and warn the people then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning if the sword come and take him away look at this his blood shall be upon his own head. So here's the situation here's the analogy that the Bible is giving here. You know the Bible says you have a city and the city chooses a watchman and the watchman sits upon the tower and the watchman sees danger coming and the watchman he sees the danger coming and he does what he's supposed to do. He warns the people and goes do do do do. He blows the trumpet as loud as he can and everybody hears or at least this guy in verse number 4 hears and he's just like yeah I'm watching the game. He's like ah I'm cooking ramen noodles. You know he's like yeah you know I heard the trumpet but you know I'm taking a nap or whatever right I mean whatever the things that we hear a million times but here's what we do when we're going up to the door you know hi we're from Holt-Fast Baptist Church. That's what we're doing. We're being the watchman. We're being the watchman and if people are like they knock your trumpet out of your hand. Alright I'm going to calm down here kids are getting me a little excited. The point is that if the watchman blows the trumpet and the people hear it but disregard it it's their fault. That's what the Bible is saying. Now look at verse number 5. He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning. His blood shall be upon him. This is exactly what Paul said to the Jews. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But now here's that here's the one that wasn't Paul but if the watchman see the sword come and he's watching the game it says and blow not the trumpet and the people be not warned if the sword come and take any person from among them he has taken away in his iniquity but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. Alright so this is the problem. The Christian who is saved today and goes and just hangs out with all his unsaved friends and unsaved family and isn't living anything of what the Bible says that he should be living and he knows that the enemy is coming. He knows the danger that the unsaved are in. He knows as John 3 36 says that the wrath of God abideth on them. I mean what kind of friend is that? That guy it says he's not going to be clean. Look he's going to lose rewards for that is what the Bible is saying. Alright he's going to lose rewards for that. So yes we care we want to pull people out of the fire. You know we want to pull people out but at the end of the day it's not on us. If we go out and we war we blow that trumpet and in these extreme cases like Paul he's going to be in chase from city to city. They're literally chasing him down trying to kill him over and over and over again. Finally he's like hey the blood's on your own head. He's like I am clean I have tried to warn you and he says from henceforth I go to the Gentiles. Now this is a super important stage in the book of Acts right here where Paul says from henceforth I go to the Gentiles. Go to Romans chapter 11. In order to understand this we really need to do a verse by verse study through Romans chapter 11. But it's interesting while you're turning to Romans chapter 11 let me just read this for you. It's interesting he said you know your blood be on your own head because it seems that the Jews knew this because if you remember in Matthew chapter 27 Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate and the Jews want him killed. Pontius Pilate is like he's like he hasn't done anything wrong and they're like they're like crucify him they're like crucify him crucify him crucify him and the governor said I'll read it to you why what evil have he done but they cried out the more saying let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but rather a tumult was made he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just person CE to it then answered all the people these were the Jews they said his blood be on us and our children I kind of get chills every time I read that in the Bible and that's exactly what Paul is repeating he's saying you know your blood is going to be on you I've tried to warn you I am clean. Now look the Jews the Jews are completely misunderstood today completely especially by Christianity whatever that even means in our country today but the Jews first of all it is not a race thing we just I just preset racism last week there's one blood there's not many races there's one race the human race that's what the Bible clearly teaches but again it's not even a genealogy thing Jesus said you know forget about endless genealogies it means nothing it never has it's a religion that's what Judaism is that's what it was then and that's what it is today it is just a religion look even modern-day Jews know this even modern-day Jews know this it's just a religion being Jewish is the is is being Muslim being Buddhist it's just an it's just a religion is all it is let me the Jews know this today let me let me read to you how to immigrate to Israel ok there's a way that you can immigrate there's like basically one way to immigrate like say I want to go and be an Israeli citizen and live in Israel today it's called aliyah for Jewish immigrants and it says this is what you have to do to go and be a citizen of Israel it says any person born to a Jewish parent or those who have formally converted to Judaism can immigrate to Israel under a process known as aliyah as a Jewish person under the law of return you can return to Israel and we receive all the rights of an Israeli citizen so it says any person born to a Jewish parent this is very similar this is not genealogy this is very similar to you know someone that says they're Catholic because their parents were Catholic it's it's a religion you're identifying with a religion that's all it is so you were born to Jewish parents or you did what you converted it doesn't say you have to be black red white yellow it doesn't say anything it just says you have to convert to Judaism that's it look even the Jews know it's just a religion it's just a religion that is it and look I'm not even saying that it's wrong for them to say you have to convert you know to our religion you know to come to our country I'm that's not even I'm not even going there the point is the is that it is a religion today it's it's completely misunderstood like if you say something against the Jews you know your your races no it's you could say okay you're against that religion but it's it has nothing to do with race okay so look go to Romans chapter 11 I'm going to explain to you what happened in Acts chapter 18 with Paul saying you know what I'm going from henceforth I go on to the Gentiles that process is explained in Romans chapter 11 which guess who wrote Romans by the way Paul wrote Romans to the Romans after the situation with you know obviously for us it's for everyone but you Romans after this situation in Acts chapter 18 look at verse number one of Romans chapter 11 all right now the we're going to go through this verse by verse I'm going to explain all of this to you all right because there's a lot of confusion today but it is very simple when you just follow what the Bible says all right look at verse number one I say that heth God cast away his people you know of course he's talking about he's talking about the Jews God's people all right he's talking about the Jews here heth God cast away his people God forbid for I also am an Israelite of the seat of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin so remember who was in Judah who are the tribes that were in Judah by the way the tribes that were in Judah were mainly Judah Benjamin and Levi all right there was really three tribes that were in Judah look at verse number two God heth not cast away his people which he foreknew what you not that the scripture say heth of Elias how he made intercession to God against Israel saying talking about Elijah here okay Lord they have killed thy prophets and dig down nine altars and I am left alone and they see my life he's talking about Elijah when he was just he was just like everyone's against me and I'm the last one he's like I'm the last one first Kings chapter 19 then God says to him but what say at the answer of God unto him I have reserved unto myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal this is the famous showdown with Elijah you know but God saying look it's not just you and so we start out Romans chapter 11 saying are all the Jews like not I mean because the majority of them rejected Christ and Paul is saying like what are all the Jews rejected of Christ and he's like no not all the Jews and he compares it to how Elijah thought that there was nobody left that still worship the one true God there was seven thousand men that had not bowed the knee in the same way also look at verse number five even so so this is a comparison even so then at this present time there also is a remnant there's a remnant according to the election of grace all right now what is the what is the when we see the election this is defining what the election means for us right here it's the election of grace meaning what those that believe those that believed on Christ okay those accepted the gospel that Paul was preaching and if by grace now verse number six is a great verse so what would Paul is saying in verse number five he's saying just like there was seven thousand even though Elijah thought there was none just like it seems like most of the Jews rejected Christ he said there is a remnant there is some there is some that were of the election what do you mean the election like God just picked them no election of grace meaning they believed alright now look at verse number six and this is just such a great verse showing that you know this is a great verse to just show people that like there is no like like grace plus works there is no oh I'm saved by trusting on Jesus but I still have to do these things or God will take it away from me no there is none of that there's either grace there's works that's it and if you if you want grace there can be no work what does that mean that means you can't trust any work meaning if you're believing if you believe Jesus for you but you also believe you have to do even one thing no grace and then the Bible says in Romans 4 for debt that's what you have instead of grace look at verse number six if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace is like otherwise you did it yourself he's like if you had to go you know pound your own nails into the house he's like you could claim you could do what you could boast as Ephesians chapter 2 says you could both you say yeah you know what Jesus died for me but I put in those four nails I put in those four nails myself but what people do is the house is completely built the house is completely built and God gives a hey here's a completely built structure it's perfect there's nothing else that needs to be done and there's nothing missing and you go up there and you start pounding in all your own nails no grace that's what the Bible is saying here all right he's like so he defines what grace means then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work look at verse number seven what then he says Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded so it's saying some of them obtained it through what grace and it says the rest of them were blinded look at verse number you skip down to verse number 11 for sake of time it's any says I say then have they stumbled that they should fall he says God forbid but here's where we get into Acts chapter 18 right here he says I say then have they stumbled that they should fall so look this nation now you have to understand he's talking about Israel this nation he's like some achieved the election through grace and he just keeps repeating that and repeating that through out the chapter and we'll point that out but he's like some of them obtained achieved the election through grace he's like others were blinded others were blinded right the remnant was the election others were blinded he's like what why have they stumbled that they should fall he says God forbid but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousy you see that he's saying no no this was not for nothing it's like God God can make anything good to those that love him to those that are going to listen to the gospel Romans 828 so he's saying yes but through their fall through their blindness guess what he's like the Gentiles are getting saved the Gentiles are going to get saved and not only that but that's going to provoke my people to jealousy because all the Jews are going to see all the Gentiles accepting the gospel and they're going to be like oh man it's going to provoke some of them to get saved to out of jealousy look at verse number 12 this is where Paul he's going to go look this isn't the last time that Paul talks to the Jews but he starts focusing on the Gentiles as he says in Acts chapter 18 and a good blessing that comes out of that for the Jews is that some of them will get saved because they're jealous that the Gentiles are coming to the Lord look at verse 12 now if the fall of them be the riches of the world meaning the fall of Israel the fall of the majority of those that didn't believe is the riches of the world meaning it's the it's a blessing to the Gentiles so Paul this is what you're seeing the fall of them be the riches of the world just right in your Bible Acts chapter 18 verse 6 right there the fall of them is the riches of the world that's where Paul says you know what I'm done here I'm going to the Gentiles that's the fall of them was the riches of those Gentiles that Paul went to and the diminishing of them meaning as they get lower the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fullness for I speak to you Gentiles now he's talking to the Gentiles in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles I magnify in my office he's like I'm glad that I'm the apostle to the Gentiles even though look Paul was a Jew Paul was a Pharisee if by any means I might provoke to emulation them which are my flesh he's saying look I magnify my office to the Gentiles I am happy to go and I am joyful to go out and preach to the Gentiles if by if that helps my own people come to Christ is what he is saying and might save some of them you know that's that's such a powerful statement right there because look we're going out and and if you're somewhere you know we go knock will knock two hundred doors will knock three hundred doors before you know we get three or four people saved but we know we can't save them all but you know what we could save some Paul knew I'm not going to save the majority of these Jews but I could save some he's like I'm not going to save them by by preaching to them but you know what by by just preaching to the Gentiles and having the Gentiles come and get saved and become part of the church and become disciples of the Lord is like you know what that's going to provoke them to jealousy and he's like so I'm just push harder at this look at verse 15 for if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead look at verse 16 for if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches and now we get into a really great analogy here we get to a really great analogy about the Jews and about the Gentiles look at verse 17 and if some of the branches be broken off these are the Jews that did not believe and thou being a wild olive tree worked grafted in among them and with them partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree what he's saying is some he's using the idea of grafting a tree look in California everybody understands this right I mean it's pretty amazing actually never seen a tree that like grows like five different kinds of fruit it's because they just they take and they excuse me they take and they graft they graft in like a like an orange tree and a lemon tree and all these things in the tree it grows from the same root and and all these different branches were grafted into this same tree so it says some of the branches are broken off and you were wild all of tree and you were grafted in you know amongst this good olive tree he's saying boast not against the branches he's like don't start getting all puffed up about that he's kind of lecturing the Gentiles now he's like now you were grafted in and you're just as part as much part of this tree as it as the original branches were like but they got cut off don't be like you know all proud and boasting against the branches that were cut off it says but if they'll boast they'll bear us not the root but the root thee that will say then the branches were broken off that I might be grafted in he's saying just be happy that some you know branches were broken off and that you know I came to you is what he's saying that's what he's saying since since those branches were broken off that's why Paul went to the Gentiles right Acts chapter 18 verse number six there because Paul got so frustrated he said I'm clean I'm done from henceforth I go to the Gentiles that's bringing the Gentiles in and grafting them in so that is exactly what is happening in Acts chapter 18 look at verse number 20 and he says now why are they broken off and let's just recap why were they broken off and why were they grafted in now verse number 20 is just a great verse to just explain again it says well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standeth by faith so again he's comparing the fact that they were they were broken off because they didn't believe and thou standest by faith they believed so believed grafted in didn't believe or unbelief cut off be not high-minded but fear look it's not ethnicity it's belief or unbelief that's it it is so simple look at verse number 21 now he says don't be high minded but fear he's saying remember what happened to the nation of Israel he's saying you Gentiles as you got grafted in now think he's talking about and he's talking to nations here he's talking to groups of people here if you apply this to individual salvation you will be so confused and it will contradict the Bible so many places he is talking about the nation of Israel he is talking about the nations of the Gentiles he's talking about you can even apply it to families and family trees okay but he's saying don't be high-minded don't think that you you and your nation and your group are so great because you were grafted in he's like no it was just belief or unbelief that's it look at verse 21 he says for God spared not the natural branches take heed that he also that lest he also spare not the this is not talking about losing individual salvation alright the Bible says in John 10 20 and 8 says Jesus said Jesus himself says I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them from my hand eternal salvation is so clear in the Bible the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1 it says you know what you've trusted on Jesus you are sealed by the Holy Spirit it's very simple everlasting life eternal life he's just talking about he's saying careful Gentile nation he's like because if you turn away if you turn away from the Lord he's like you'll be cut off too you'll be cut off too I mean there's so many nations like that let me think of an example right now how about this one America America a nation that used to have so many Bible believing Christians so many saved Christians so many gospel preaching churches and now you can hardly find one people that we know move all the way across the country to find a gospel preaching church that has a King James Bible in their pulpit and that is going out and preaching the gospel you think that used to be all over this country but God is saying hey fear you should fear right God spared not the natural branches what do you think he's going to do if you turn away all right not talking about individual salvation look at verse 22 behold therefore the goodness and severity of God kind of two sides of that coin isn't there how how good God is to these Gentile nations that Paul would go in these Gentiles that you know they didn't have anything they didn't have the oracles of God they didn't have you know but look God says there is no neither June or Greek it means nothing to him so God as good as Jesus came and he died he died for the sins of the world whosoever but the severity of God meaning God's wrath you know the Bible says that if you're not saved you know God's wrath abideth on you God's wrath is on you says the goodness and severity of God and on them which fell severity but so he's saying those got off it's severity they're under God's wrath because they didn't believe unbelief remember he says but towards the goodness the gospel what do they call that the good news if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shall be cut off talking again about nations families otherwise that just be straight up preaching works salvation right so that's obviously not what he's talking about he's talking about he's talking about the whole context of this is Israel is Israel of Romans chapter 11 and they also so here it is proving that it's not a person right it says and they also if they abide not still and who's they who's they there Israel he says and they also if they abide not still and unbelief shall be grafted in for it as God is able to graft them in again the Bible here is saying look there's all this weird doctrine today like how there's going to be this magical salvation for Israel there's going to be this magical salvation for the Jews can can Jews get saved yes how can they get saved if they believe I mean how many times does the Bible have to say it it just says it again and again and again it says God is able to graft them in again if they abide still not in unbelief let me translate that for you if they believe so God is saying he can graft them into if they believe you know on an individual basis or as a you know it's an individual thing to believe folks all right he's able to graft them in again but the Jews today folks that believe in the Jewish religion they're broken off they're broken off look at verse 24 for now we're cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature and we're grafted contrary to nature in good olive tree how much more shall these which be natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree now like all these like weird evangelists that aren't even saved they use this one verse and they say see God's going to graft in the Jews say no but look at verse 23 yeah he's going to graft them in if what if they believe I know I'm sounding like a broken record but I mean the Bible just keeps saying it over and over again it's like you either believe or you don't believe I mean this is not rocket surgery I mean it's believe or not believe that's it all verse 24 is saying for a Jew that believes like their graph they'll just be grafted in because God's able to graft them back in look at you know look at verse 25 there's nothing magical there's nothing magical there's gonna be no magical salvation for a certain group of people if believe or not believe look at verse 25 for I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery unless you should be wise in your own conceits again he's just saying don't do the same thing that Israel did don't be all proud being like we're God's people you know he's telling the Gentiles please don't be like that please don't be like we're in the vine we're in the tree we're the olive tree we're a branch you know and don't be that don't be like that because then he's like you're gonna end up being cut off because your nation will fall into unbelief you'll think you're so great you fall into what basically what happens you fall into workspace salvation just like the Pharisees that's what I mean there's nothing under the sun all the Pharisees were preaching was workspace salvation that's it they were just preaching like follow the law look at how great we are be like us that's it look at verse 24 no I'm sorry go to go to verse number 20 we're in verse number 25 now this is the big part we're gonna get into some prophecy here it says that blindness we continue it says blindness in part is happened to Israel again repeating this idea that blindness in part most of them has happened to Israel and then it says this kind of this cryptic statement it says until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in and then all the John Haggis and people will say see there's gonna be a point where God just magically saves them all but they're all just gonna like just wake up all the sudden and just be like I believe in Jesus right they're gonna see you know some you know something their blindness is in when this until the fullness of the Gentiles come in well guess what God tells us the Bible tells us when the fullness of the Gentiles is alright look go to Luke chapter 21 but look some believed let me just finish you turn to Luke chapter 21 blindness in part happened to Israel some believe we see this in Acts we see this again and again and again in Acts some believed but most of them the most powerful ones are trying to kill Paul trying to kill the apostles right verse 26 I'm gonna keep reading while you're turning to Luke 21 it says and then here's another one so the fullness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved this is where they get this magical salvation right when this fullness of the Gentiles happens all Israel is gonna be saved right look let's just go figure out what the fullness of the Gentiles means and then maybe it'll lead us to understand what's happening here right as it is written there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away on godliness from Jacob for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins so who's the who's the deliverer out of Zion that's Jesus right so it says Jesus is gonna come let's go to Luke chapter 21 and see if we can find out what the fullness of the Gentiles is because it's significant alright Luke chapter 21 now if you were here for the clues and milestones timeline of events I'll try to recap it a little bit for you I'm kind of running out of time here but it's important that we get this alright you're in Luke chapter 21 look at verse 23 the Bible says now Luke chapter 21 again talking about end times prophecy here it says but woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days for there should be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people verse 24 and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be let away captive into all nations and look at this and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles look at this until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled so the Bible here is saying is that this time at the end so really the connection I need you to make here is that we see that the time of the Gentiles being fulfilled is connected to Jerusalem being trodden down of the Gentiles alright now let's look at Revelation chapter 11 go to revelations so we see there's something significant that's going to happen to Israel when the fullness of the Gentiles has come we see that the fullness of the Gentiles has come in Luke chapter 21 during this time of troddening down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles alright in Luke chapter 21 now let's look at Revelation chapter 11 look at verse number one revelation chapter 11 in verse number one and there was given to me a read like unto a rod and an angel stood saying rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein but the court which is without the temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto who unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall they tread under foot 40 and 2 months you divide 42 by 12 and you get three and a half years basically what we're talking about here you remember the sermon on the abomination of desolation the above we're talking about Daniel 70th week Daniel 70th week starts with the antichrist appearing and making that covenant with many remember that then he goes through this process how does he get from the covenant with many to the covenant of the whole world in revelation chapter 13 he goes to this process is defined in revelation chapter 6 of this world war and this terrible war that kills a third of the earth and then he looked he brings people into submission and then there is a one-world government that we read about talking about the mark of the beast and all the things that we've studied out all detail the revelation chapter 13 but you remember revelation is laid out chapters one through 11 and chapters 12 through 22 parallel beside each other so chapter 11 is towards the end but we can see just by what's happening here Jerusalem being trodden down by the Gentiles for 40 and two months that is started that 40 and two months is started by the abomination of desolation the abomination of desolation where that antichrist comes and he sets up the image he sets up the image in Jerusalem in the temple and demands that people worship that image and somebody that isn't going to worship that image and get the mark of the beast is going to be killed and for 40 and two months he troddens down Jerusalem tron and what is happening in that second half of Daniel 70th week that is where God is pouring out his wrath on mankind the rapture has already happened just a few days after the abomination of desolation is when Jesus comes and raptures the saints after the great tribulation the great tribulation starts when the abomination of desolation is set up that mark of the beast is given and he's just after everybody he's just hunting everybody who's got not not have the mark they can't buy or sell fine he's hunting him and the Bible says it gets so bad that if God didn't shorten it through the rapture nobody would have made it it's so bad alright that's all in Matthew 24 not to repriege that but the point is is that starting at the abomination of desolation which is basically at the beginning of the of the seven-year period of Daniel 70th week or at the middle it's it's a little bit before the middle but it's basically at the midpoint for our purposes for 42 months the Gentiles are going to trodden down Jerusalem while pouring out the the trumpets and the vials of his wrath on the earth so it's for three and a half years and at the end of that Luke 21 tells us that the full that's the fullness of the Gentiles at the end of that three and a half years when that troddening down of Jerusalem the Gentiles that's the time of the Gentiles being fulfilled when that troddening down is over alright now me just ask you this we'll see your Bible knowledge what comes after Daniel 70th week what's right after that right after that after Daniel 70 week after God is done pouring out his wrath you know Babylon is destroyed you have the battle of Armageddon where Jesus comes back with who everybody he comes back and he destroys everybody and then what happens it's the millennial reign of Christ Jesus literally rules and reigns on this earth for a thousand years that's what happens right after Daniel's 70th week so he's saying basically saying all Israel shall be saved at the end of God's wrath at the end of the week that's what he's saying now go to Matthew chapter 19 Matthew chapter 19 go to Matthew chapter 19 no look I mean God sends those two witnesses not to not to preach all of the second half of Daniel 70th week but God sends the two witnesses there's going to be people that get saved during God's wrath but guess what you know they're going to they're going to be in the millennial reign as well go to Matthew chapter 19 and look at verse number 28 so you say how does that mean all Israel is going to be saved look at Matthew chapter 19 number 28 the Bible says and Jesus said of them verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me what in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory you shall also sit upon the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel he is talking to the disciples here he is saying when I come back when we all come look there's going to be a regeneration we're going to have you know our glorified bodies we're going to be regenerated and that's what we are going to be that's the state we're going to be in in the millennial reign of Christ and here he's telling the the disciples that they are going to judge the twelve tribes of Israel mean they're going to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel who are the twelve tribes of Israel these are the Old Testament that were resurrected at the rapture that are coming back with Jesus to reign on this earth the disciples are going to be in charge of those areas look how many believers died between Abraham all the way up to Christ I mean millions millions and millions and millions of people these are the people that are look they're going to be the regeneration along with us it's going to be the resurrected saints during the millennial reign folks you know the dead in Christ shall rise first this is the Old Testament Saints people were saved in the Old Testament the same way they're saved in the New Testament all the same people there's no and guess what no we're in the Bible will you find a magical salvation that's why this this old when we see Jesus coming on on the horse coming back for the battle they're all going to look up and they're going to believe no Jesus was saying Paul said in first Corinthians he said this was to bend the whole problem with the Jews it's like they constantly require a sign it's like the Greeks you know the Greeks speak after wisdom and Paul says you're too superstitious but the Jews wanted a sign but you know what Paul says he said we preach Christ crucified that's the sign that's the only sign the death burial and resurrection Jesus Christ that is the sign and look he saying if you didn't believe Moses you didn't leave you there's nothing that you could see that there's no sign the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ with what was Paul preaching he was preaching the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ look they're going to get saved by believing who everybody everybody that believes on Jesus is going to get saved it doesn't matter who you are what religion you're from if you trust on Jesus you're saved there is no other way in the Bible anywhere it's look it's complicated you listen to some of these these and look I'm not I don't even really think the pre-trib you know verses you know post-trib you know pre-wrath is that big of a deal amongst Christians but the problem is with the pre-trib stuff is it is it always leads into this weird magical salvation of the Jews stuff which you know who that's a you know you know who that's a you say this is this is mean well here's you know who that that is a disservice to the Jews we don't hate the Jews we want the Jews to be saved just like everybody else I mean that because that is the only way that it's going to happen go back to Romans chapter 11 verse number 28 Romans chapter 11 verse 28 it says ends con as concerning the gospel just he says it again as concerning the gospel there again he's talking to the Romans he's talking to the Gentiles he was saying concerning the gospel there are enemies for your sakes but as touching the election they are beloved for the father's sakes for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance he's saying I don't change my mind about having Abraham and Isaac and Jacob as because look they were chosen they were they were chosen for a specific you know purpose of you know being the patriarchs of you know the children of Israel and look God loves unsaved people too God wants all you know some unsaved people God doesn't love everybody that's a sermon for another time but unless they get saved eventually they are going to they're going to suffer God's wrath in hell that and that's everybody so you say I mean now we have this doctrine today like this weird doctrine of that we are like this Judeo-Christian country and I'm just like what does that even mean because you literally because what my view is this you know people have asked me before you know are the Jews cursed are the Jews cursed you know but because they said his blood be on our head and on our children look here's how anybody here's how cursed anybody is that they don't believe on Jesus that's a curse and if you are in some religion or some belief system that has hardened your heart against the gospel yeah I'd call that a curse you call it what you want but it's going to send you to hell if you can't get past that in your heart but here's how I look at it this has been my experience giving the gospel to you know around the world my experience has been the further somebody's belief system when you come up to them the further that belief system is from the truth the harder it will be for them to get saved that I mean it's pretty simple I mean you think of somebody who is you know a Muslim they're not they're not even they're not Christian you know but look we've seen Muslim saved we've seen Muslim say you know but what do they believe about Jesus well they don't believe he was God but they believe he was a good man they believe he was a prophet they believe he was from God okay you know that's not where they need to be but it's not you know they don't believe bad of Jesus just you know if you think about that now you believe about like a Buddhist they just don't even believe in Jesus at all so yeah it's a little harder there it's a further bridge to cross this has been my experience now you just take the Jews where they believe they believe Jesus was a heretic they believe that he was a liar they believe that his mother was basically a promiscuous woman they believe that Jesus is currently burning in hell in excrement that's what they believe about Jesus of all the religions they believe the worst about Jesus that's why it's so hard to get you saved I have never had look maybe somebody else has but I have never had someone who is Jewish even let me open my Bible to them because they have the problem that Paul is warning against the Gentiles in Romans chapter 11 he's saying just because you're grafted in he's like don't you get a big head about it don't you get high minded about it and you you walk up to somebody with the Bible and say I'd love to share the word of God with you and they're like I'm God's people what are you talking about look that's a disservice to them that's a religion that is a long bridge to cross to get to Jesus Christ to get to their savior that they must trust in it's a long bridge to cross so yeah I mean I don't even like replacement theology the words because like basically I mean all replace I mean the Bible teaches that it's not that the Gentiles replace the Jews it's that believers replace the nation of Israel that's it and some of those believers are Jews some of those believers are Gentiles most Jews you know there was a remnant of Jews that believed so I didn't like replacement theology because it's just such this doctrine of it's just believe or not believe no matter where you came from who your parents were what your genealogy is is so clear in the Bible it is ridiculous that people can miss it I mean this weird doctrine of some different salvation for other people I mean Jesus says in John 14 6 he says I am the way the truth and the life and no man coming to the father but by me nobody nobody no man so look you know he's just warning the Gentiles in Romans chapter 11 of getting the same arrogance that the Jews had that were God's people like would God would God send his people to hell every single that does that every single person that doesn't believe and dies is going to go to hell that's that's just as simple as it's belief and it's unbelief that's all it is that's all it's ever been alright so Paul is going off to the Gentiles and hopefully that makes sense of you know he's heading off to the Gentiles it's not that he's never going to talk to Jews again in Acts but he's heading off to the Gentiles and he's going to magnify that position he says for hopes that he'll provoke some of those people to salvation and look that should be our prayer for the Jews today is that you know they are provoked to salvation that should be our prayer for anybody today is that they are provoked to salvation because that's it that's what the goal is what's power heads in the word of prayer