A Broke Evangelist

November 27, 2024

Romans 11:1

Evidence that God Won’t Cast Us Away

“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.”

Ahhh, yes…tomorrow is Thanksgiving—the day we gather with loved ones to express gratitude, overeat, and politely argue over who really makes the best side dish. It’s also, conveniently, the first major holiday after the general election. Families everywhere are gearing up for that cherished tradition of hopeful fellowship, which inevitably spirals into crying, yelling, throwing things, and at least one dramatic declaration of, “I’m never eating with you people again!” In my case, though, the chaos isn’t fueled by politics. Nope, my young grandchildren will be coming over, and that’s a whole different kind of battlefield.

Let me just say, I adore my grandkids. They’re the absolute best. My five-year-old granddaughter, Lorelai, is on the autism spectrum and is the most precious little girl in the universe. (yes, NASA confirms this.) She’s a bundle of nonstop energy, bouncing around the house, checking out everything like a one-kid recon team. She loves singing along to music and playing with the toys we keep just for her visits. She doesn’t talk much, but her happiness radiates louder than words ever could. And her favorite hobby? Bullying her little brother, my grandson Heath.

Now, Heath is two years old. Actually, he’s two-and-three-quarters if you ask him, which, let’s be honest, is just an age where he’s a total Zen master of emotional stability. So naturally, when Lorelai takes one of his toys, he calmly reflects on the situation and says, “Sister, your happiness is more important than my material possessions.” Right?

Yeah, no. Not even close.

The second Lorelai swipes his toy, Heath explodes into a dramatic opera of betrayal and injustice, complete with tears, pointing fingers, and a face so red you’d think someone tried to feed him Brussels sprouts with wasabi smeared on top. If he could string more sentences together, he’d absolutely draft a petition to send Lorelai to a high-security toddler penitentiary. Thankfully, these toy feuds don’t happen too often, but when they do—oh boy, grab the popcorn.

In the background of this delightful chaos, we’ve got Disney movies on loop, conversations weaving through the noise, and the howls of our two dogs banished to the garage, where they bark their grievances about being excluded from the fun. Yet, as loud and wild as it gets, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. A quiet house? No giggles, no hugs, no turkey-stained smiles? That’s a no for me.

What I don’t get, though, is how some families let politics derail their Thanksgiving joy. Imagine ruining an entire holiday over who someone voted for. Is your turkey really going to taste better because you yelled about tax reform? Sure, elections can affect the economy or policy, but honestly, life’s too short to lose friends and family over political disagreements. Let’s save the arguing for who gets the last slice of pie and enjoy the blessing of having people to argue with in the first place.

So, yes, sadly there will be a few small-minded people rejecting their family members this Thanksgiving, but one thing for certain is that God will never reject His family. Paul tells us about it, beginning with Romans 11:1…

Romans 11:1 - I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.”

Before I start in Romans 11, a quick review of Romans 9 and 10 shows us how Paul takes us on a journey into God’s master plan for salvation, and he means business. In Chapter 9, he’s heartbroken over Israel’s refusal to embrace Jesus, despite all the blessings they’ve been given—similar to having VIP access to the greatest event ever and refusing to go. He makes it clear that being part of God’s family isn’t about DNA or tribe one is from, but about faith. He reminds us of how God chose Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau to show that His promises depend on His mercy and not human effort. God is like a master artist, shaping the clay however He wants—sometimes showing mercy, sometimes hardening hearts (like he did with Pharaoh). In the end, Paul points out the irony that Gentiles, who weren’t even chasing after righteousness, found it through faith, while Israel stumbled over Jesus, trying to earn righteousness by following the law instead of trusting God.

In Chapter 10, Paul changes gears, turning to human responsibility. His longing desire for Israel is for them to be saved, and he lays out the simple but profound truth: salvation doesn’t come from following a rulebook but from trusting Jesus. All you need to do is confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead—pretty simple, right?

Let me pause for a minute and take a minute to highlight Romans 10:9, where it says: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This verse is powerful, but I’ve noticed something worth pointing out—many people focus on the first part but miss the significance of the second. Sure, they’ll declare, “Jesus is Lord,” but believing in their heart that God raised Him from the dead? That’s where they stumble.

It reminds me of a story where a man asked a preacher, “So, all I have to do is say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and I’m saved?” The preacher wisely responded, “Well, you’ve got to believe it in your heart too—just saying the words isn’t enough.” This distinction is so important. Many people follow Jesus’ teachings—living by His morals, quoting His parables—but they miss the full picture. They overlook what Scripture says about obedience to the gospel, particularly the heart-level belief in the resurrection.

This is also why some who call themselves Christian teachers lack power in their lives. They focus on Jesus’ wisdom and ethics (which are amazing, of course!) but miss the transformative power of the cross and the truth of His resurrection. It’s not just about living a good life; it’s about embracing the full truth of the gospel—believing with your whole heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s where the real power lies!

Anyhow, back to the subject—Paul reminds us that salvation isn’t exclusive; it’s for everyone, Jew or Gentile. He highlights how crucial it is to spread the word, because people can’t believe in what they haven’t heard. Preaching the gospel isn’t just important—it’s essential! Sadly, Paul also acknowledges that Israel has heard the message but often rejected it, fulfilling prophecies about their stubbornness. Chapters 9 and 10 beautifully weave together the big picture of God’s sovereign plan with the personal call to faith. They remind us that while God is in control, we have a role to play in responding to Him and sharing the good news. It’s a divine partnership that brings both awe and action!

So, after reviewing Chapters 9 and 10, this leaves Paul at the beginning of Chapter 11, answering the questions that have arisen from those scriptures. He poses a pretty logical question at this point: if Israel’s rejection of the gospel fits into God’s eternal plan (as laid out in Romans 9:1-29) and stems from their own choices (as explained in Romans 9:30-10:21), does that mean it’s game over for Israel? Is their fate sealed forever, with no chance of a comeback? His answer is: “Absolutely not!” God isn’t in the business of giving up on His people. Despite Israel’s current situation—missing the Messiah they had been waiting for—they’re not permanently cast aside. Their story isn’t over. In fact, God has big plans for their restoration.

It’s like that unforgettable football game last season when my beloved San Francisco 49ers were down 24-7 against the Detroit Lions at halftime during last year’s conference championship. The stakes were huge—this was the game that would decide who went to the Super Bowl. Now, a lot of folks might have written them off right then and there. Even the 49ers’ motivational psychologist was standing on the sidelines preparing his “well, there’s always next year” speech. But not me. I didn’t count my 49ers out, because I knew something those doubters didn’t. My team had an unbeatable strategy tucked away, just waiting to be unleashed. It was like they were Popeye on the ground getting his head smashed by Bluto, when he gets his can of spinach in the path of Bluto’s fist, popping the can open and sending the spinach flying into Popeye’s mouth. Pre-spinach Popeye in the first half, taking hits and looking like he’s going to lose Olive Oyl, but after the spinach chow-down, it was game over for Detroit.

Sure enough, the 49ers came roaring back in the second half like a stampede of shoppers at Walmart on Black Friday! They didn’t just close the gap—they owned that field. Every pass, every tackle, every play screamed, “Yeah, we’re Super Bowl material!” And when that final whistle blew, my guys were on top, booking their ticket to the big game. I was euphoric, already planning my victory dance for Super Bowl Sunday. Life was good.

But, here’s the thing: the moral of the story isn’t about the win, but about not giving up when things look grim. The first half of that championship game said, “It’s over.” The 49ers said, “Hold my Gatorade.” The lesson? No matter what halftime looks like—whether it’s in football or life—there’s always a second half to turn things around. Of course, two weeks later, Kansas City happened (cue the violin). The Super Bowl was a nail-biter, going all the way into overtime. I’ll admit, I thought my 49ers had it in the bag, but Kansas City had other plans. Suddenly, the confetti I was hoping for wasn’t red and gold; it was red and white (Chiefs colors). What a bummer. The hardest part was watching Taylor Swift and her posse jumping up and down in joy at the end.

Thankfully, God is way more reliable than my football team (or any team), and Paul is about to break it all down for us, showing how God’s faithfulness remains steadfast and how Israel’s rejection is just one chapter in a much bigger story of mercy, grace, and redemption.

Paul adds that his belief in Jesus as the Messiah was living proof that not all Jews had rejected the gospel. He himself was a shining example that some, chosen by God, fully embraced the good news. If Paul could turn from being a fiery persecutor of Christians to one of Jesus’ biggest fans, you know God was working wonders! This brings us to an important point: when we’re looking for evidence of God’s handiwork, the best place to start is in our own lives. That’s exactly what Paul did—he didn’t just preach it; he lived it. He looked at how God had turned his life completely around and used that as a testimony to God’s power and faithfulness.

It’s the same for us. Sometimes we get caught up searching for signs and wonders out there in the world, but the clearest evidence might be closer than we think. When we look back and see how God brought us through tough times, or changed our hearts, or even given us peace when we least expected it—that’s our evidence! Like Paul, we should look at our own stories as proof of God’s amazing grace and ongoing work in our lives. It’s so much easier than hunting for burning bushes, parting seas, or wisecracking donkeys!

That’s a lot for one verse…but it’s a very powerful first verse to build on…

More to come…

A Broke Evangelist – November 27, 2024

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