SPRINGCREEK FELLOWSHIP
Sunday, May 3, 2026

      • Acts 2:42CSB

  • Here I Am To Worship

      • Psalm 119:65–72CSB

  • What A Beautiful Name
  • How Great Is Our God
  • In Christ Alone
  • The TITLE of this morning’s message comes from the Exegetical Guide to the Greek NT by John Harvey and Robert Yarbrough, and is the HEADING for Romans chapters 9-11.
    And though it is a bit ACADEMIC in nature, it is ACCURATE because these next chapters in Romans are answering some very important questions that would rise from both the original recipients of the letter (especially the Jewish Christians), and of readers today.
    Allow me to explain…
    If something needs VINDICATION, then the implication is that there is a charge against God’s righteousness, and it now needs a DEFENSE, or at least, an EXPLANATION!
    Q: “Why would anyone, Jew or Gentile—then or now, QUESTION God’s Righteousness?”
    A: BECAUSE of ALL that Paul has written up to this point regarding GENTILES becoming Children of God!
    Previously, God had said,
    Deuteronomy 7:6 CSB
    6 For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
    The CONVERSION of the Household of Cornelius in (Acts 10) did not happen until at least TEN YEARS after the start of the Church (around 40AD)!
    Acts 11:18 CSB
    18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”
    The FIRST JERUSALEM COUNCIL (48AD), they were still debating about how what Gentiles needed to do to become part of the Church!
    “Did they have to convert to Judaism (be circumcised)? How much, if any, of the Law were they required to keep?”
    SO WHEN Paul writes about the Gentiles inclusion in Christ, this is a CURRENT TOPIC for the recipients:
    Romans 3:22 CSB
    22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
    Romans 3:29 CSB
    29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
    Romans 5:1 CSB
    1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Romans 8:1 CSB
    1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
    Romans 8:11 CSB
    11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
    Romans 8:14–17 CSB
    14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
    Romans 8:38–39 CSB
    38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    THE QUESTIONS that would be screaming in the back of their minds (especially the Jews) is,
    “What about Israel?”
    “Has God cast away Israel?”
    “Didn’t God make SIMILAR PROMISES to the Israel?”
    The ANSWER to the last question is, “YES!”
    Exodus 4:22 CSB
    22 And you will say to Pharaoh: This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.
    Exodus 19:3–6 CSB
    3 Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, 6 and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”
    Deuteronomy 4:20 CSB
    20 But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.
    Deuteronomy 7:6–9 CSB
    6 For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.
    Deuteronomy 14:1–2 CSB
    1 “You are sons of the Lord your God; do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your head on behalf of the dead, 2 for you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
    Deuteronomy 26:18–19 CSB
    18 And today the Lord has affirmed that you are his own possession as he promised you, that you are to keep all his commands, 19 that he will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God as he promised.”
    Deuteronomy 32:6 CSB
    6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father and Creator? Didn’t he make you and sustain you?
    Deuteronomy 32:9–10 CSB
    9 But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob, his own inheritance. 10 He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; he surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of his eye.
    Deuteronomy 32:18 CSB
    18 You ignored the Rock who gave you birth; you forgot the God who gave birth to you.
    1 Kings 8:51–53 CSB
    51 For they are your people and your inheritance; you brought them out of Egypt, out of the middle of an iron furnace. 52 May your eyes be open to your servant’s petition and to the petition of your people Israel, listening to them whenever they call to you. 53 For you, Lord God, have set them apart as your inheritance from all peoples of the earth, as you spoke through your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.
    Psalm 135:4 CSB
    4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his treasured possession.
    Isaiah 49:3 CSB
    3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
    Jeremiah 2:3 CSB
    3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it found themselves guilty; disaster came on them.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
    And I promise you, I have only scratched the surface of the number of passages I could have read!
    My friends, if God has cast away Israel, then you and I are on shaky ground!
    Our security as believers hinges on whether or not God keeps His Word—that God means what He says!
    God still has a PLAN and PURPOSE for Israel (Revelation 12, 14, and 7)!
    GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ISRAEL!
    And these next three chapters in Romans is Paul’s ARGUMENT why God is still RIGHTEOUS!
    Chapter 9 - Israel’s REJECTION—their PAST!
    Chapter 10 - Jews and Gentiles RECEPTION—the PRESENT!
    Chapter 11 - Israel’s RESTORATION—their FUTURE!
    We begin with (Romans 9:1-33):
    There are FOUR MAIN QUESTIONS (the first one implied, and the remaining three direct) in Chapter 9 that will serve as an outline of our study:

    (v.6) - “Has the Word of God failed?”

    (v.14) - “…Is there injustice with God?”

    (v.19) - “…Why does he still find fault?”

    (v.30) - CONCLUSION: “What should we say then?…”

    BEFORE we look at these QUESTIONS, by way of INTRODUCTION we begin with the first five verses:

    INTRODUCTION: (Romans 9:1-5)

    (READ TEXT - PRAY)

    A. Paul’s Grief Over Israel - (vv.1-2)

    1. The INTENSITY of his GRIEF! - (ἀλήθειαν λέγω, ‘Truth I say…’)

    There is a TRIPLE WITNESS - (v.1)
    “…the truth in Christ”
    “…my conscience testifies to me”
    “…through the Holy Spirit”
    There is DOUBLE ANGUISH - (v.2)
    “…great sorrow”
    “…unceasing anguish”

    2. The REASON for his GRIEF! - (v.3)

    Paul’s DESIRE for himself reveals the current condition of his kinsmen - “…my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood”!
    Who, by what he wishes on himself reveals their condition: “…cursed and cut off”

    B. God’s Amazing Gifts to the Jews - (vv.4–5)

    In the next two verses, Paul lists NINE AMAZING GIFTS given to the Jews:

    1. Special Status (Ἰσραηλῖται)

    Genesis 32:28 CSB
    28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”

    2. Adoption (ἡ υἱοθεσία)

    Exodus 4:22 CSB
    22 And you will say to Pharaoh: This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.

    3. God’s Glory (ἡ δόξα)

    Exodus 40:34 CSB
    34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
    Isaiah 60:19 CSB
    19 The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.

    4. Covenants (αἱ διαθῆκαι)

    Deuteronomy 29:1 CSB
    1 These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
    Psalm 89:3 CSB
    3 The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:

    5. God’s Law (ἡ νομοθεσία)

    Deuteronomy 4:13–14 CSB
    13 He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 At that time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to follow in the land you are about to cross into and possess.

    6. Temple Service/Worship (ἡ λατρεία)

    Hebrews 9:1 CSB
    1 Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary.

    7. God’s Promises (ἐπαγγελίαι)

    Ephesians 2:12 CSB
    12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
    Hebrews 6:13–14 CSB
    13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: 14 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.
    “What were the PROMISES?”
    The P’s: God’s PROTECTION; God’s PRESENCE; a PLACE (the land promised to Abraham); and PROSPERITY (of blessing)!

    8. Patriarchs (οἱ πατέρες)

    Deuteronomy 10:15 CSB
    15 Yet the Lord had his heart set on your ancestors and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—he chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today.

    9. Christ/Messiah (ὁ Χριστός)

    Genesis 12:3 CSB
    3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
    Genesis 49:10 CSB
    10 The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.
    Matthew 1:1 CSB
    1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
    Romans 1:3 CSB
    3 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh
    Revelation 22:16 CSB
    16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
    NINE AMAZING GIFTS! “How can all of that be simply cast aside?”
    And since we are talking about the CHRIST/MESSIAH…

    C. The Truth About the Messiah (9:5b)

    1. Jesus is SOVEREIGN! - (ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸς)

    Colossians 1:16–17 CSB
    16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.

    2. Jesus is DIVINE! - (θεός)

    John 1:1 CSB
    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    Colossians 2:9 CSB
    9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,

    3. Jesus is ETERNAL! - (εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας)

    Revelation 1:17–18 CSB
    17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.

      • Deuteronomy 7:6CSB

      • Acts 11:18CSB

      • Romans 3:22CSB

      • Romans 3:29CSB

      • Romans 5:1CSB

      • Romans 8:1CSB

      • Romans 8:11CSB

      • Romans 8:14–17CSB

      • Romans 8:38–39CSB

      • Exodus 4:22CSB

      • Exodus 19:3–6CSB

      • Deuteronomy 4:20CSB

      • Deuteronomy 7:6–9CSB

      • Deuteronomy 14:1–2CSB

      • Deuteronomy 26:18–19CSB

      • Deuteronomy 32:6CSB

      • Deuteronomy 32:9–10CSB

      • Deuteronomy 32:18CSB

      • 1 Kings 8:51–53CSB

      • Psalm 135:4CSB

      • Isaiah 49:3CSB

      • Jeremiah 2:3CSB

      • Genesis 32:28CSB

      • Exodus 4:22CSB

      • Exodus 40:34CSB

      • Isaiah 60:19CSB

      • Deuteronomy 29:1CSB

      • Psalm 89:3CSB

      • Deuteronomy 4:13–14CSB

      • Hebrews 9:1CSB

      • Ephesians 2:12CSB

      • Hebrews 6:13–14CSB

      • Deuteronomy 10:15CSB

      • Genesis 12:3CSB

      • Genesis 49:10CSB

      • Matthew 1:1CSB

      • Romans 1:3CSB

      • Revelation 22:16CSB

      • Colossians 1:16–17CSB

      • John 1:1CSB

      • Colossians 2:9CSB

      • Revelation 1:17–18CSB

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