God is willing to give second chances to lost

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Oct. 29 Lesson

God is willing to give second chances to lost
__Romans 11:1-36
___¹I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he appealed to God against Israel: ³"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? ⁴And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." ⁵So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. ...
___¹¹Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make the Israelites envious. ¹²But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
___¹³I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry ¹⁴in the hope that I may somehow arouse my people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
___¹⁷If some of the branches are broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." ²⁰Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. ...

___By Alan Lefever
___The Battle of San Jacinto, the climactic fight in Texas' struggle for independence from Mexico, lasted only 18 minutes. The victory was swift and stunning. Santa Ana, leader of the Mexican forces, attempted to escape the defeat by disguising himself as a common soldier. He was discovered hiding in the tall grass near the battlefield by Texas forces and was eventually brought before Sam Houston. By rights, Houston should have had Santa Ana put to death for his cruelty to and the murder of Texans during the revolution. Instead, Houston spared Santa Ana's life. Santa Ana later returned to Mexico and, in spite of the mercy shown by Houston, he continued his attack on Texas during the Mexican-American War in an attempt to return Texas as a territory of Mexico. Mercy meant nothing to him.
___Israel's continued rejection of God's mercy leads one to wonder how long God will be patient with the Jews before he says "enough is enough" and severs his relationship with Israel. Paul raises and answers the question in Chapter 11.
___The original survivors
___Had God rejected Israel? Again, as in Chapter 6, Paul responds, "By no means!" As evidence of this, Paul uses himself as an example. "I am an Israelite myself." To illustrate the fact that God has not rejected Israel, Paul recalls the darkest times in Israel's history. God saved a remnant of Israel during the time of Elijah and he will also save a remnant now.
___But will God arbitrarily choose who will make up this remnant? No. Only those of Israel who believe in Jesus will be saved. Those who remain in their unbelief will not be saved simply by being a part of Israel.
___When the Alamo fell on March 6, 1836, only the women and children hiding in the fort were spared. The most famous of this group was Susanna Dickinson whose husband, John, had died in the battle. In her later years, Susanna received praise for her care of cholera victims in Houston and joined the Baptist church there in 1849 after being baptized by R.C. Burleson. Although she lived many years after the fall of the Alamo, she was always seen as a survivor of the tragic event. Many saw her as a remnant of the spirit of the men who died in that battle. Paul and other Israelites who are believers are a remnant of Israel and testify not only to the saving act of Christ but to the long historical relationship God has with the people of Israel.
___Now serving number ...
___Have you ever gone to a store or business where you had to take a number to be helped? Sometimes a person's number is called and the person holding that number does not hear or is not present when their number is called. The next number is called out and that person is helped. However, when the person holding the previously called number returns, they are immediately served without having to go to the back of the line.
___In verse 11, Paul reminds us that the majority of Israel has up to this point rejected God's gift. This means salvation has been made available to the Gentiles much more quickly than anticipated, but Israel has not "lost its place in line." In fact, Paul hopes Israel will become envious of this gift to the Gentiles and will want to receive salvation. After acknowledging his role as a minister to the Gentiles, Paul wonders if Israel's rejection of the gospel accelerated the reconciliation of the world to God. Israel's acceptance of the gospel would be nothing short of a resurrection. It should be noted that Paul has already stated that anyone who accepts the gospel is resurrected as a new creature.
___A parable that "grafts" you
___We all love a gripping story. To illustrate God's relationship to Israel and the Gentiles, Paul tells a "grafting" one. The root of the olive tree in verse 17 is God's historical relationship with Israel. Israelites that do not believe the gospel are the branches broken off while the believing Gentiles are those branches which have been grafted onto the tree. Paul cautions his Gentile audience to not boast of their good fortune. They must remember that while they are a part of the tree, they are alive only because of God's relationship with Israel. Paul also notes that the Israelites who have been removed from the tree as a result of their unbelief can be grafted by God if they believe the gospel.
___When we believe the gospel, we all become God's chosen people. While the majority of Israel has rejected the gospel, they have the opportunity to receive it and restore their relationship with God.
___A promise kept ... if it's wanted
___The last section of Chapter 11 is one of the most difficult in the book of Romans. Some interpret Paul as saying there will be a time when Israel by virtue of their longstanding relationship with God will be saved. However, Paul makes it clear that salvation only comes by faith in the redeeming act of Christ through his death and resurrection. What then are we to make of verse 26, "and so all Israel will be saved." Paul clearly believes the day will come when a majority of Israel will be saved due to God's faithfulness and patience, a product of his long-standing relationship with Israel.
___Have you ever known someone who was not dependable or trustworthy? But because you knew the person's parents and they were fine upstanding people, you continued to give the person second, third and fourth chances. That is how God relates to the unbelieving. God is giving Israel their chance for salvation. Paul believes God's patience will pay off and one day Israel will believe and be saved.
___Whether one is a Jew or Gentile, the message of Chapter 11 is the same. If we believe in Jesus Christ and accept his act of redemption, we will be saved.
_

For thought and discussion
___ Have you ever met a survivor of a tragic event like Pearl Harbor or a plane crash? How did they feel being a survivor?
___ You are at a restaurant. The host calls out someone else's name for seating. No one answers. The host then calls out your name. You are seated. How do you feel? Do you feel bad for the person who missed the call?
___ Compare grafting to the idea of adoption. What is the result of both?
___ Discuss times in your life when you have given someone a second chance. Discuss a time when you were given a second chance.
___ Remember a time when you were chosen for something (a team, a job, etc.). How did that feel to be chosen? How did it feel to be "left out" when you were not chosen?
___ What does mercy mean to you?

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