Rejecting
God
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A. For
many years United States senators were selected by state legislators rather
than
by popular vote as they are today. In 1858
the Illinois legislature sent Stephen A.
Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of
Abraham Lincoln, even though Lincoln had
more support among the public. When a
sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he
felt, he said, “Like the boy who stubbed
his toe: I am too big to cry and too hurt
to laugh.”
1. All of us have felt the sting of
rejection at some point in life. We may have been
rejected for a job we were seeking. We
may have been rejected for a date. We
man have been rejected for a sports team
or a talent show.
2. Can you put yourself in the sandals of
Jesus who faced the ultimate rejection?
John wrote, “He was in the
world, and the world was made through Him, and the
world did not know Him. 11 He
came to His own, and those who were His own did
not receive Him” (John 1:10-11).
B. In
Paul’s letter to the Romans he paints a sharp contrast between the Divine
dividends that come from accepting Christ
in chapter 8 and Israel’s painful rejection
of Christ in chapters 9-11.
1. This section of Romans is one of the
most difficult passages in the New
Testament.
2. In this part of the letter Paul opens a
window to let us view his personal sorrow for
his Jewish kinsmen. He boldly asserts
God’s sovereignty and the salvation God has
made available to everyone, Jew and
Gentile, through Christ.
C. As
we look at Romans 9 we find a five-part answer to the question, “What happens
when we reject God?”
I. WE REJECT THE LOVE AND CONCERN OF
OTHERS - Vss. 1-3
A. Notice Paul’s strong emotions about His
Jewish brethren.
1. Paul was broken hearted over the
Jews’ rejection of Jesus. “I am telling the truth
in Christ, I am not lying, my
conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I
have great sorrow and unceasing
grief in my heart.”
a. It troubles me that modern day
Christians do not have greater sorrow over
those who reject Christ.
b. Many people are more sorrowful
about a scratch on their car than the loss of a
soul for whom Jesus died. Many
people express greater sorrow over the loss
of a ball game than the loss of a soul.
2. The extent of Paul’s sorrow is
demonstrated in verse 3, “For I could wish that I
myself were accursed, separated from
Christ for the sake of my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh.”
a. The word, “accursed” is from the
Greek word, “anathema,” meaning “set apart
for destruction.”
b. Have you ever known someone going
through a difficult situation and said, “I
wish it was me instead of them.”
This was Paul’s sad, heartbroken response
as he viewed Israel’s rejection
of Christ.
B. If you have rejected Christ in your life
I want you to think of the sorrow you are
bringing to people who love you. It may be
your parents who have sought to bring
you up in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). I may be a
faithful Christian spouse who has done
their best to set an example before you. It
may be a host of friends who have
encouraged you to do what is right. Rejecting
Christ always breaks someone else’s
heart.
II. WE REJECT GOD’S BLESSINGS -
Vss. 4-5
A. Israel’s rejection of God was
astonishing in view of the wonderful blessings they
had received.
1. They had been “adopted as sons.” This
was one of Paul’s favorite description of
God’s people (See Romans 8:23;
Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).
2. They had been given blessings and
glory.
3. They were God’s covenant people. God
had given them the Law of Moses.
4. They had the temple.
5. They were the ancestors of the
Messiah.
B. Verse 6 is a key to this entire chapter.
“But it is not as though the word of God has
failed.”
1. Israel’s rejection of God was not
God’s fault.
2. God chose Israel. He chose Abraham,
He chose Isaac over Ishmael. He chose
Jacob over Esau. In verse 13 Paul
wrote, “Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but
Esau I hated.” This seems harsh but
consider that this is a quote from Malachi
1:2-3. This is a Hebrew figure of
speech. It is a way of saying, “I chose Jacob
over Esau,” and should not be
understood as God hating someone.
C. God’s love for us is so great that He
has an eternal plan for redeeming us from this
sin stained world. He wants every person
to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). To this end He
sent Jesus to fulfill His law and be the
atonement for our sin.
D. Most Americans have heard of June 6,
1944 when allied troops under the
command of General Eisenhower stormed
ashore on the beaches of Normandy to
begin the liberation of Europe from
Germany. The landings on D. Day were
preceded by months and months of
planning. Those plans involved over 150,000
troops. God’s plan involved one man,
Jesus, a descendant of Israel, the fulfillment
of Old Testament prophecy and the one to
whom every knee shall bow and tongue
confess as Lord (Philippians 2:10).
III.
WE REJECT GOD’S MERCY - Vss. 14-18.
A. The French emperor Napoleon had a
soldier who was caught stealing. The soldier
was arrested and imprisoned. His mother
came to Napoleon and pleaded for
mercy. Napoleon replied, “He does not
deserve mercy.” The woman said, “If he
deserved it, it wouldn’t be mercy.”
1. Mercy is the quality of God’s
lovingkindness.
2. This word appears two time in verse
15, once in verse 16 and once in verse 18.
a. “For He says to Moses, “I will
have mercy on whom I have mercy” (vs. 15).
b. “So then it does not depend on
the man who wills or the man who runs, but on
God who has mercy” (vs. 16).
B. God chose Moses for mercy – covenant
love. The other side of that coin was
Pharaoh who was rejected by God
because of the hardness of his heart. Once
again, Paul is demonstrating the
sovereignty of God.
C. God has chosen to have mercy on
those who come to Christ. It did not matter if
they were Jews or Gentiles. Today it
does not matter where you are from or what
your background is. God’s mercy is
available through Christ.
D. When we reject Jesus we are rejecting
the mercy God offers.
IV. WE REJECT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD –
Vss. 19–26
A. Did your ever respond to your parents
instructions by asking “why?” Perhaps they
responded, “Because I said so.” They had
the authority.
B. For those in Rome who might have been
questioning God’s wisdom and authority
Paul says in verses 21-22, “On the
contrary, who are you, O man, who answers
back to God? The thing molded will not
say to the molder, “Why did you make me
like this,” will it? 21 Or
does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from
the same lump one vessel for honorable
use and another for common use?”
C. Do you know why most Atheists reject
God?
a. It is not that they cannot accept God
intellectually.
b. It is because they cannot accept Him
morally. To recognize the potter is to
recognize His control over you.
c. To reject Christ is to say to the
Lord, “I do not want to become what you want me
to be.”
V. WE REJECT THE PROMISES OF GOD –
Vss. 27-33
A. In the concluding verses of this chapter
(27-33) Paul reiterates that God had a
plan.
1. He had a plan for Israel – “that a
remnant would be saved” (vs. 27).
2. He had a plan for His word to be
carried out on the earth (vs. 28).
3. He had a plan that through Israel
would come the Messiah through whom all
people, Jews and Gentiles, might be
saved (vss. 29-33).
B. In the early 1950’s Walt Disney drove
his friend, Art Linkletter, to a grove of
Orange trees near Anaheim, California.
Walt told Art he had bought the property
and began telling him about his plans.
He was going to build a theme park with
rides and attractions. He wanted Art to
be a partner. Art shook his head and said,
“No.” He later said that his refusal to accept
Walt’s offer to become a partner in
Disneyland was the worst decision he
ever made.
1. God offers you the opportunity to be
a part of His plan for eternity. The attraction
will greater than anything you will
ever experience at Disneyland or Disney
World.
2. God has determined that all spiritual
blessings are found in Christ (Ephesians
1:3). He has determined that
salvation is in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).
3. He has determined that we must make
the choice come into Christ or stay out of
Christ.
CONCLUSION:
A. God’s
sovereign will has always been to allow people to choose to serve Him or
reject Him. That choice was summed up by
Joshua, “Choose this day whom you will
serve” (Joshua 24:15).
1. Israel had to make that choice. They
chose to reject Christ.
2. You and I must now make that choice.
B. In
the words of an old Gospel song, “What shall it be? What shall it be? What
shall
your answer be?” May we assist you in
obedience to Christ today as you turn to Him
in faith, repentance and baptism. If you
have turned away from Him we invite you to
come home today.
