Morning Message: Pruning The Olive Tree - Part 1

Bobservations' Column

Titled - "Pruning The Olive Tree" - Part 1

Written by:  Pastor Bob Lawrenz

The dogma’s of today’s church are sometimes a bit bizarre. Among them today remains the heresy of “Replacement Theology,” where the Church replaces Israel in prophecy. I say bizarre because of the scriptural evidence against it. It’s therefore quite strange. God’s promise is that all Israel is to be saved, and all Israel in this case means all spiritual Israel as we covered last chapter. Not necessarily the biological descendants of Abraham, but that part of Israel that followed the faith of Abraham. That Israel! 

This is also the heart of Paul, the evangelist to the Gentiles (Romans 10:1) with still a strong attachment to his Jewish brethren. As in the previous chapter 10 of Romans, Paul has mentioned it three times in this Epistle. The error of this dogma is clear as we read of Paul’s hope, and his practice of preaching in the Synagogues of the cities he visited. It is no doubt a clear result of being taught by the Holy Spirit in Arabian Desert for three years (Galatians 1:17, 18). Being led by the Holy Spirit, Paul clung to this hope. And now in Chapter 11, he goes more in-depth about God’s promise to His Chosen People.

This entire premise is based on faith-in-God, and His Word. This is the outworking of grace-through-faith in operation: Being given a promise from God, and waiting on the Lord, for His perfect timing to fulfill the promise. Waiting on the Lord might be difficult for those who get anxious thoughts. 

As we have seen in Hebrews 11, it might not be our generation that sees God’s promises fulfilled. The Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob didn’t see the fulfillment, and like the Apostles, they kept the faith, knowing and having experienced His faithfulness to His Word.

Therefore, we know having seen God’s work in our own lives, that He will be faithful to all His children; to the Jews first, and also to the Gentiles.

Heaven awaits for those of faith.

From Revelation 7:4 - 

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

Bobservations Column: Audio Version

Sunday Morning Message:

Romans 11:1-17 - "Pruning The Olive Tree" - Part 1

Having considered Israel’s past and God’s sovereign purpose in Romans 9, and then Israel’s present situation and God’s continued patience in chapter 10, one crucial question remains: Is God done with Israel? Has he rejected his people for good? This is what Paul begins to address in chapter 11 as he focuses on Israel’s future and God’s glorious design.

Paul begins Romans 11 by setting the record straight—God has not rejected Israel.  The Church has not replaced Israel.  After all, Paul himself is a Jew. Just as in 1 Kings 19:9-18, when God told Elijah that He was keeping a remnant (a small portion of a large group) of 7,000 men, God is keeping a remnant at the present time. The rest of Israel was “hardened” (Romans 11:7), having eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear (Romans 11:8). But what does that have to do with you and me? Everything, as far as our salvation is concerned. 

Beginning in Romans 11:11, Paul explains that through Israel’s unbelief, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Israel’s trespass means riches and reconciliation for the world and Gentiles (Romans 11:11-15). That is great news! Because of Israel’s unbelief, the gospel message of Jesus Christ—who lived a perfect life and died so that sinful man may live—has come to Gentiles. It is God’s kindness, His grace and mercy, not anything that we have done, that allows us to believe (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Sunday Morning Audio Message:

Key Words and Definitions with Reference: 

Cast Away (11:1) - To thrust away from oneself.  The form of the question in the Greek text expects a negative answer.  Despite Israel's disobedience (9:1-13; 10:14-21), God has not rejected His people (cf. 1 Samuel 12:22; 1 Kings 6:13; Psalms 89:31-37; 94:14; Isaiah 49:15: 54:1-10; Jeremiah 33:19-26).

God Forbid (11:1) - The strongest form of negation in the Greek.

Which He Foreknew (11:2) - Israel's disobedience does not nullify God's predetermined love relationship with her.

A Remnant (11:5) - Although the nation had rejected Jesus, thousands of individual Jews had come to faith in Him (cf. Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:1).

Election of Grace (11:5) - God did not choose this remnant because of its foreseen faith, good works, spiritual worthiness, or racial descent, but solely because of His grace (cf. Deuteronomy 7:7, 8; Ephesians 2:8, 9; 2 Timothy 1:9).

Grace . . . No More of Works (11:6) - Human effort and God's grace are mutually exclusive ways to salvation (cf. 3:21-31; 4:1-11; 9:11; Galatians 2:16, 21; 3:11, 12, 18; Titus 3:5).

Israel . . . That Which He Seeks (11:7) - In spite of their intense religious zeal, the Jews of Paul's day had failed to obtain God's righteousness (9:31, 32; 10:2, 3). 

The Election (11:7) - Those whom God graciously had chosen in turn sought and found His righteousness.

Were Blinded (11:7) -  By a judicial act of God (cf. Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:20, 27; 11:10; 14:4,8, 17; Deuteronomy 2:30; John 12:40), in response to their hardened hearts (cf. Exodus 8:15,32; 9:34; 10:1; 2 Chronicles 36:13; Psalm 95:8; Proverbs 28:14; Matthew 19:8; Mark 3:5; Ephesians 4:18; Hebrews 3:8, 15; 4:7).

It Is Written (11:8) - The first line is quoted from Isaiah 29:10 and the last lines are adapted from Deuteronomy 29:4.

Stumbled . . .Fall (11:11) - The form of Paul's question and his strong response confirm that Israel's blindness, hardening, and apostasy are not irreversible.

Their Fall (11:11) - Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ.

Provoke . . . To Jealousy (11:11) - God intends to use His offer of salvation to the despised Gentiles to draw the nation back to Him (vs 25-27).

Salvation . . . Unto The Gentiles (11:11) - Something the Old Testament had long prophesied (cf. Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 8:11, 12; 21:43; 22:1-14; Acts 13:46, 47; 28:25-28).

Riches of the World (11:12) - The rich truths of salvation (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 49:6; cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Fall of Them (11:12) - The refusal of the Jews to acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah and to be God's witness nation resulted in the Gentile church being given that privilege.

Their Fullness (11:12) - Their future spiritual renewal (Revelation 7:4, 9; cf. Zechariah 8:23; 12:10; 13:1; 14:9, 11, 16). Israels "fall" and "failure" is temporary (vs. 25-27).

Apostle to the Gentiles (11:13) - See Acts 18:6; 22:21; 26:17, 18; Ephesians 3:8; 1 Timothy 2:7.

My Flesh (11:14) His fellow Israelites.

Life From the Dead (11:15) - Not bodily resurrection, but the passing from spiritual death to spiritual life (John 5:24).  This phrase also describes the future spiritual rebirth of Israel (cf. vs 25-27; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1).

Firstfruit (11:16) - The first portion of the harvest, which was to be given to the Lord (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Leviticus 2:12; 23:10; Numbers 15:19-21; 18:12, 13; Deuteronomy 18:4).

The lump is also Holy (11:16) - Because the firstfriut offering represented the entire portion, the entire piece of dough could be said to be holy, set apart to God (cf. Exodus 31:15; Leviticus 27:14, 30, 32; Joshua 6:19).

Root (11:16) - The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Branches (11:16) - The patriarchs' descendants: the nation of Israel.

Branches Be Broken Off (11:17) - See Jeremiah 5:10; 11:16, 17; Matthew 21:43.  Some, but not all, of the branches of Israel were removed; God always preserved a believing remnant (cf. vs 3,4).

Wild Olive Tree ... Grafted In (11:17) - Olives were an important crop in the ancient world.  Although trees often lived for hundreds of years, individual branches eventually stopped producing olives.  When that happened, branches from younger trees were grafted in to restore productivity.  Paul's point is that the old, unproductive branches (Israel were broken off and branches from a wild olive tree (Gentiles were grafted in.

Root and Fatness (11:17) - Once grafted in, Gentiles partake of the richness of God's covenant blessings as the spiritual heirs of Abraham.

The Olive Tree (11:17) - The place of divine blessing; God's covenant of salvation made with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-27).

Morning Message: The Only Way

Bobservations' Column

Titled - "The Only Way"

Written By:  Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Today, Paul’s expose’ on righteousness, salvation, and justification takes us into the realm in which faith operates. He wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 2:8 that salvation is by God’s unmerited favor (grace) through faith, and that faith is a gift to us from God Himself. Predestination and election are clearly involved, but there is no timetable as to when our minds and hearts are open to receive God’s gifts to us. It could be instantaneous upon hearing the Gospel, or a death-bed change-of-heart.

That indeterminable length of time is only unknown to us. God knows us; He knows how long it will be; He knows under what circumstances we will choose Him. Literally, He knows when we have had enough and have come to the end of our rope. In those desperate times and low points of our lives, it is only Jesus Who has arms long enough to reach us to save us. It was a few weeks ago that I mentioned Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Frequently, it is we that get ourselves into bad situations. It’s merely misdirected pride in our own abilities that we try things on our own.

But God, knowing when to intervene corrects our thinking. “I can do all things through Christ…” Our abilities are limited specifically to turn our expectations to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot possibly know the future, but Jesus knows it already. The trials become insurmountable to us, but the Angel Gabriel told a young virgin in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” A virgin shall bear a child. Believing the words of an Angel of the Lord in a matter of faith. Undeserved favor, then faith, and the Savior was born.

Mary didn’t have to understand the “how” of the workings of God, she just had to receive the promise by faith. Of all the promises of God, we don’t know how God fulfills His Word, as Believers we just know He will be faithful to His own Word.

They say seeing is believing. 

But faith is believing without seeing. (Hebrews 11:1, 2)

Bobservations' Column: Audio Version

Sunday Morning Message:

Romans 10:1-21 - "The Only Way"

Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:

In Romans 10, Paul continues to explain God's sovereign dealings with the nation of Israel.  Paul's heart's desire is for the Israelites to truly know God through Jesus Christ, but the Israelites are rejecting Jesus as their Messiah. Though there were many factors that led the Jewish people to reject Jesus as Messiah, simply put, the reason is they did not believe in Him because they did not want to believe. It is the same reason most people throughout history have rejected Jesus as Messiah. It is not that they could not believe, it is that they would not believe. It is not that people need more evidence, it is that they do not act upon the evidence that they have.

Pride is also a major factor. We also know that the religious leaders at the time of Jesus were corrupt. Their leadership was indicative of the spiritual state of the people. Though the people went through the proper rituals that God had commanded, their hearts were not in them. They were not that interested in the truth of God.  They were not interested in His ways, but only their own. However, God decided before the foundation of the world that those who come to Him must come by faith in all humility. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:10).

Remember Pharaoh, in the last chapter, Paul used him as an example of the hardness of man's heart. The Israelites were hard of heart and so are so many of us.  Without faith, without humility we cannot receive salvation and the promises of God, including eternal life.  

The Israelites are a zealous bunch.  They had a profound sense of their own history and deep reverence and affection for the Law of Moses, yet their hearts were far from God.  Righteousness cannot be attained by strict adherence to the Law.  The Law was not an instrument to give righteousness (as the entire Old Testament reveals), but rather its purpose was to show us that none of us could never attain it on our own.  That is why Christ came, that is why Christ suffered and died and rose again.  It was Christ's sinlessness that atoned for our sin, and only He can offer forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Him. His perfection, His sacrifice. His work. His righteousness.  His gift of salvation.

God's master plan is beautifully revealed in the gospel message in verses 9 and 10 of this chapter. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

How thankful we should be that God keeps reaching out to them, and that God's heart is so expansive, that we (the Gentile nations) have been included in God's great plan of salvation. We will learn more about that in next week's teaching in Romans 11, where Paul explains that through Israel's unbelief, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Not only that, but that God is not done with Israel.  Talk about a loving God!  More on that next week. This week, it is God's desire that all should come to salvation through His Son, Jesus, for each of us, to believe, to have faith, and put our whole trust in Him.

Sunday Morning Audio Message:

Key Words and Definitions with Reference: 

Brethren (10:1) - Paul directly addressing Christians in Rome here.  "Brethren" is a term used in Christianity, particularly in the New Testament, to refer to fellow believers, emphasizing the familial bond and unity among Christians. 

Prayer to God for Israel (10:1) - Paul's calling as an apostle to the Gentiles (11:13; Acts 9:15) did not diminish his love and concern for his own, or his continual prayers to God (1 Timothy 2:1-3) for Israel to be saved (cf. 1:16; John 4:22; Acts 1:8), or his own evangelistic efforts toward Jews. 

Zeal For God (10:2) - Zeal without understanding!  Demonstrated by legalistic conformity to the law, and their fierce opposition to Judaism's opponents (Acts 22:3; 26:4, 5; Galatians 1:13 14; Philippians 3:5, 6). Israel's zeal is not driven by a true understanding of who God is or what He wants from them. Paul knows from experience the traditions the Jewish religious leaders have and their exhaustive knowledge of the Scriptures. To know all of that, however, and to not know Christ is to know far too little.

Ignorant of God's Righteousness (10:3) - Not only were they ignorant of God's inherent righteousness revealed in the law and the rest of the Old Testament, but also ignorant of their own unrighteousness, and the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. 

Their Own Righteousness (10:3) - The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.  "Their own righteousness" was based on self-confidence and ritualistic conformity to the Law of Moses, and often to the less demanding standards of their own traditions (Mark 7:1-13). 

Christ is the End of the Law (10:4) - The Greek word translated as “end” means “aim or purpose.” Christ is the aim and purpose of the law not because He abolished it but because He fulfilled it: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." (Matthew 5:17). By fulfilling the law, Christ guarantees the imputation of His righteousness to everyone who believes.  Apart from Christ, no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior ends the sinner's futile quest for righteousness through his imperfect attempts to save himself.

The Righteousness Which is of the Law (10:5) - A righteous standing before God on the basis of obedience to the law. 

The Man who Does Those Things Shall Live By Them (10:5) - Quoted from Leviticus 18:5. To hope for a righteousness based on obedience to the law requires perfect conformity in every detail (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10; cf. Deuteronomy 27:26) - human effort cannot attain God's righteousness by his own effort...it is impossible. 

Word of Faith (10:8) - The message of faith is the way to God.  God has clearly revealed the way of salvation:  it is by faith.

Confess...The Lord Jesus (10:9) - Confessing Jesus as Lord.  Not a simple acknowledgment that He is God and the Lord of the universe, since even demons acknowledge that to be true (James 2:19).  This is the deep personal conviction, without reservation, that Jesus Lord and Master of that person's own life.  This includes repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus for salvation, and submitting to Him as Lord.  

Believe In Your Heart God Has Raised Him from the Dead (10:9) - Christ's Resurrection was the supreme validation of His ministry (cf. John 2:18-21).  Belief in it is necessary for salvation because it proved that Christ is who He claimed to be and that the Father had accepted His sacrifice in place of sinners (4:24; cf. Acts 13:32, 33; 1 Peter 1:3, 4).  Without the Resurrection, there is no salvation (1 Corinthians 15:14-17).

Confession (10:10) - The person who confesses Jesus as Lord agrees with the Father's declaration that Jesus is Savior and Lord.  There is no such thing as a "secret" Christian.  Verbal confession of Jesus as Lord is a prerequisite to receiving eternal salvation, after receiving His imputed righteousness by faith. 

There is No Distinction (10:12) - Paul has been writing primarily to the Jewish believers in Roman churches, et he again stresses that the gospel applies equally to the Greek converts and, indeed, to all who call on the Lord Jesus.  

Calls on the Name (10:13) - Paul had been stressing God's electing sovereignty in Romans 9, but here we see human responsibility - both are true.  This familiar OT expression (Psalms 79:5, 6; 105:1; 116:4, 5) does not refer to some desperate cry to just any deity, but to the one true God as He has revealed Himself - a revelation which now includes recognition of Jesus as Lord and of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead (v. 9).

Beautiful ... Feet of those Who Preach the Gospel (10:15) - Quoted from Isaiah 52:7, It is the message of God News which those feet carry that is so welcome.

Obeyed The Gospel (10:16) - The Good News is not only a gracious offer but a command to believe and repent (1:4-6; 2:8; 6:17; Acts 6:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8; Hebrews 5:9). 

Believed Our Report (10:16) - From Isaiah 53:1.  The report Isaiah described was of the substitutionary death of Christ (53:3) - the Good News of the Gospel.

The Word of God (10:17) - The message about Christ - the gospel. 

Those Who Are Not a Nation (10:19) - This refers to the Gentiles, who are not a part of Israel, God's special, chosen nation. 

Disobedient (10:21) - Literally means "to contradict," or "to speak against."  As throughout her history, Israel once again had contradicted the Word of God - this time it was the truth of the gospel (cf. Matthew 21:33-41; Luke 14:21-24).