Sunday 11/13/16
Series: …but by My Spirit Pt. 22
Message – Knowing the Holy Spirit through Intercession V
Living in the Kingdom
POINT #4 – We unite with God’s heart through Intercession.
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(Sub-point) God is a God Who LOVES both Justice and Mercy. He WILL NOT pervert justice and show partiality to NO ONE!
In my opinion, one of the BEST verse to illustrate this is Isaiah 30:18,
“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
Last week we saw how Christ intercedes for US – revealing Intercession as the heart of the Father EVEN for believers….
Heb_7:25 “But this (priest), because He abides forever, has the priesthood which is non-transferable, for which reason He is able to be saving those completely and forever who come to God through Him, being always alive for the purpose of continually making intercession for them.”
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EXAMPLE via Parable…
Luke 13:6-9 “(6)He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. (7) Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ (8) But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. (9) And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ “
So we see that even though we are born anew and are the off-spring of God, we STILL need an advocate – One to intercede for us before the Father WHO is a God of JUSTICE.
Today We are further making or rather illustrating the point of God’s Mercy and Justice as it is demonstrated in the New Testament towards believers thus, making the case for our need for intercession.
James 5:16-20,
“(16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (17) Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (19) Brethren, if anyone among you wanders FROM THE TRUTH, and someone turns him back, (20) let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
Goodness and severity
Rom 11:16-36,
“(16) Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. (17) Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, (18) do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag–you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. (19) Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (20) True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. (21) For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. (22) Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you–if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (23) And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. (24) For if you were cut off from your native wild olive, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these–the natural branches–be grafted into their own olive tree? (25) So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: a partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (26) And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. (27) And this will be My covenant with them, when I take away their sins. (28) Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of their forefathers, (29) since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. (30) As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience, (31) so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy. (32) For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.
“(33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (34) “FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? OR WHO HAS BECOME HIS COUNSELOR?” (35) “OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM AND IT SHALL BE REPAID TO HIM?” (36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
Concerning verse 22,
“Goodness” means Goodness, kindness, gentleness.”
“Severity” A cutting off, severing, as of a man cutting off dead or useless boughs from a fruit tree.
The condition of “if” in this verse is concerning presumption, and in general all attitudes of superiority to the Jews.
Wuest says,
“The Jews had lost their standing because they had come to believe that it was indefectable, and independent of moral conditions; and if the Gentiles commit the same mistake, they will incur the same doom.
Turn to Matt. 21:33-43,
“(33) Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
(34)Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. (35) And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. (36) Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. (37) Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (38) But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ (39) So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. (40) “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
(41) They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
(42) Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. THIS WAS THE LORD’S DOING, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’ ? (43) “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”
The church today is dangerously close to the same assumption Israel had.
When the Rapture arrives, the Gentiles will then again be set aside in favor of Israel which will be restored as the final channel through which God will work to bring the good news of salvation to the human race. In the same way in which Israel can now be saved, though largely through the witness and ministry of the Gentiles – so in the future the roles will again be reversed.
In this sense, the Gentiles will be cut off as Israel was and for the same reason, a failure to function as the means through which God works for the salvation of sinners.
“Cut off” literally means “cut out” as a branch is cut out of the main trunk of a tree.
The word “Continue” means “to remain or abide.” It is often used of one abiding in a home as a guest. Therefore it speaks of friendship, companionship, mutual intercourse. (just like we’ve talked about with the Holy Spirit)
It is the attitude of superiority the Gentiles have towards the Jews and their beliefs that their position is indefectable, and independent of moral conditions that Paul is specifically referring to here.
Q. Can you think of any groups of Christians to whom this might apply and therefore, for whom we should be interceeding?
A. If you can answer YES – you now know someone for whom you can intercede!
Remember what Paul told us in Romans 2:1-11,
“(1) Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. (2) But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. (3) And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? (4) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (5) But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (6) who “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: (7) eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; (8) but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, (9) tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; (10) but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (11) For there is no partiality with God.”
2Peter 3:14-15,
“(14) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; (15) and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,”
You cannot wander from the truth if you were never IN the truth to begin with! “Anyone AMONG YOU”.
Next week we will begin looking at point #5…
We brag on our Father through sharing the Gospel.
…Blessings!
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Blessings!