The Tragedy of Unbelief (Rom. 10:1-5)

The Tragedy of Unbelief

(Rom. 10:1-5)

In the book of Romans, Paul addresses a sincere desire, a great passion to see salvation come to his fellow Jews. Now, there were many Jews who had become Christians (but the majority of Israel was lost) but Paul had a heartfelt desire to see those lost Jews to receive Jesus as Messiah. The nation of Israel rejected Jesus and it was this rejection of God's love that grieved the heart of Paul. Paul even makes the statement that if he could become accursed and separated from Christ that he would if he could bring the lost of Israel to Christ. Israel's unbelief is a great tragedy, it has cost them much and for now Israel has been set aside for the Church but God has not forgotten Israel and His promises to Israel is still in effect and will come to pass. Through Israel's unbelief salvation has come to the Gentiles, now that's us (Rom. 11:11 - “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”). Today will look at the tragedy of unbelief.

I. Paul's Concern for their Unbelief (v. 1-3 - “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh”).

Look at how the Apostle Paul grieved for his lost countrymen. He had a great desire to see the lost saved especially those of the lost house of Israel. Paul was greatly moved about their unbelief desiring that they would believe the Gospel and receive Jesus as Lord. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles but his hearts desire was to see the lost of Israel come to Christ. If you study the book of Acts you will see that when Paul went into a Gentile city that he would find a Jewish synagogue to begin teaching and preaching about Christ and when as usual most of the synagogues would kick him out (literally and figuratively), it is then he would gain an audience with the Gentile population and churches would be started with Gentile and, hopefully, Jewish believers. Paul saw and understood the great blessings and wonders of Christ being made known to all nation, tribes, tongues, and peoples but he had a burden for his lost countrymen, the Jews. Paul went to many foreign lands and cities and has lead so many to Christ but he is still so greatly concerned for the lost of his people. It is an awesome thing to be concerned for the lost Filipino or the lost Chinaman or lost African but what about our own nation? Look at the state of America, look at our leadership, look at our entertainment, look at our cities, look at our neighborhoods, and look at our fellow citizens and see how far from God our nation is from God. We have a president and leadership in the House and Congress and in the Supreme Court that ignore and despise God and God's word. America's entertainment industry despises the name of Christ and our society has rejected the holy law of God and has called evil good and good evil. So, how about our nation? Are the churches of America concerned about the unbelief and sinfulness of America? Do we grieve for our fellow countrymen like the Apostle Paul did for his own people? It is a great thing to send missionaries to foreign lands and it's a great thing for our church to build churches in the Philippines but what about the people that live up and down our streets, those who are lost in our families, those who speak our language, who live in our neighborhoods and towns and cities, and who live in this great land who still don't know about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We, as part of the Christian church in America who might send out missionaries to the heathen in foreign lands what a great tragedy that we have forgotten the heathen, the lost that live among us and work around us everyday. We are to be interested in the foreign mission field but we should not be blind and indifferent to the lost that's around us. We have a modern society that knows a little about everything and a whole lot about nothing. And when it comes about spiritual matters, today's American would rather trust Oprah rather than Jesus. There is a famine of spiritual truth today and America is ignorant of Jesus and the Bible. Most of America is lost will we grieve and will intercede to God on behalf of our nation for Him to save the lost. America is now in a post-Christian era. America believes in the religion of self-help and their god is their own self. Paul when he is grieving over the lost nation of Israel states that the problem of Israel was like the problem of America and that they trusted in their own selves and their power and works and false religion to save them instead of trusting solely in God through Christ (Rom. 10:1-4 - “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”). We must see the example of Paul to be concerned, to be burdened for our lost neighbors and families for our nation that's fallen into unbelief.

II. Paul's Recollection of God Revealing Himself to that Nation (v. 4-5 - “who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”)

Paul tells us of all that God did to reveal Himself to Israel. That God called out a specific people that came through the lineage of Abraham. The privilege to be Israelites, the descendants of Abraham because Israel was separated out to be God's special and unique people (Ex. 19:6 - “you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”).

Secondly, God is called the Father of Israel. He has a special plan still for lost Israel. God has not altogether forsaken that nation. That nation had a special calling and blessing that God had bestowed on it but Israel as a whole had forsaken that calling. The Old Testament showed God as the Father of the nation Israel unlike the New Testament which refers to God being the Father of individual Christians. Still, it was a great honor to be chosen by God but Israel wasted that privilege through rebellion and unbelief.

Third, God revealed to Israel His glory. God's shekinah glory was seen by Israel as it lead them through the wilderness, as it was seen on Mt. Sinai, in and on the Tabernacle and later on the Temple in Jerusalem in the Holy of Holies residing between the cherubim wings on the mercy seat of the Ark.

Fourth, Israel had been given the covenants of Abraham, Moses, and David. But the greatest covenant of them all came through Israel and that of course is the covenant of redemption through Jesus, His Son.

Fifth, they had the privilege of being given the Law of God through his servant Moses. In it the 10 Commandments, the principles and precepts and standards that God demanded of those who were truly His own. Not only were they given that blessed Law but also the privilege of being custodians of the books of Moses, of King David and Solomon, and of the holy prophets of God which became what we know to be Old Testament.

Sixth, Israel was given the privilege to worship in service of the tabernacle and Temple.

Seventh they were given the promises of God concerning the promised Messiah and His everlasting kingdom and even eternal life.

Eighth, the fathers or patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through these men God chose to use, came the blessings to Israel and the whole world. Finally ninth, and the greatest blessing of all that came from Israel was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is through the person and work of Jesus Christ that salvation has come to this world.

But in all those blessings and revelations of God, Israel rejected the Gospel and Jesus Christ their long-awaited Messiah. Having the great and awesome revelations and oracles of God given to them, they rejected Him for a false system of works-righteousness. They chose darkness rather than light (John 3:19-20 - “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed”). The reason that Jesus so viciously attacked the Pharisees every time they came around was because they were false teachers and they were responsible for keeping the people in darkness by teaching works-righteousness. Israel's unbelief in Jesus was because they chose the false over the true. Now, what about our nation? I know that America is not Israel but what America was founded upon was very important to the birth and greatness of our nation. When the founding fathers of America laid the foundation of Christian principles and God blessed them to let this nation be born and the people of this nation regarded God and His holy Word with reverence and fear. The people of this nation looked with disdain and distaste at sin and immorality. If God judged Israel sins and disobedience by giving up them up to their sins and the consequences of their sins by bringing them into captivity and destruction (remember that was God's chosen nation), what will He do to America. How will He judge us? I believe America is seeing the wrath of God abandoning this nation to our vile sins. Church are we willing to warn our nation? Are you willing to tell your neighbor that only Jesus can save their souls? I believe that we as God's people must individually and corporately pray and intercede for our country and our lost countrymen. We must become just as concerned to turn around the heart of this nation back to God. We must pray and we must be concerned enough to tell this lost nation that Jesus still saves and there is no other way.

Today, as we see Paul's concern for the lost of his fellow countrymen and how even lost Israel knew the truth once but forsook it for false religion. We must again as the church in America be burdened enough to witness to our family and friends and burdened enough to pray for the heart of this nation to turn back to God in fear and reverence.