Romans #23 – Vintage Faith: The Past Remnant

Vintage Faith: The Past Remnant Romans 11:1-10

EL Pastors Conference – majority & remnant minority

1. Person: Pastors I know (adultery, heresy, anti-Christ)
2. Church: Heartbreaking examples
3. Denomination: “Jesus never rejects anyone & neither do we.” (Covid closed)

Apostasy – Pro to Anti Christ vs Unbeliever (sexuality & popularity)

Military term soldier betray = treason against King & Kingdom (CULT)

Does God Reject His People?

11:1-2a I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

Abraham

·         Gentile – godless father & family (boundary)

·         God brought the nation of Israel – faith & family the same

·         God chose Him, saved Him, called Him

1. Physical descendants – Jews & Muslims today
2. Spiritual descendants – believers in Jesus Christ
3. Physical and spiritual descendants – Jewish Christians/Paul

-OT – Hebrew, Israel, Prophets/Priests/Kings, Apostles, Jesus Christ!

-1^st followers Jesus mainly Jewish. End 1^st Century mainly Gentile (NT issues)

“has God rejected his people?”

• Massive ?? if ur one of God’s people
• Cannot lose your salvation but you can fake it
• Sheep & Goats                                   Wheat & Tares (weeds)
• Visible & invisible Church (the 12 & Judas)
• 2 Tim. 2:19 “The Lord knows those who are his”                   +

 

What is a Remnant?

Romans 11:2b-6 Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” ⁴ But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Elijah

·         Prophet days of godless King Ahab & wife Jezebel

·         Baal – most powerful demonic counterfeit in ancient world, temple for sex

·         Elijah called a showdown – 850 Satanic prophets vs God’s prophets (counterfeit)

·         Build altar to Ball & call down fire for a day

·         Elijah mocked, soaked in water, called on God. Fire came. Then rain.

·         Death sentence. (1 Ki 18-19) Scared, hiding in a cave – supposed “believers” attacking God worshipping Baal & wanting to kill Elijah “I only, am left”

·         Sometimes it feels like God lost & you’re the only true believer (Rambo complex)

Remnant – e.g. carpet – “7000 men”

1. Only 1X in NT
2. Jesus calls this “little flock” & “narrow” gate/path/door
3. John in Rev – remnant “the rest” (2:24), “strengthen what remains (3:2)

Abuse of  “remnant theology” – if you do things “right” it will not thrive (Rom 10)

Godly Remnant Stories

1. Turkey
2. Episcopalian Pastor (good pastors bad governance)
3. The Golden Girls (fought denom., bedside)
4. Jews – small nation, surrounded by enemies, multiple Holocausts, 1000’s yrs

 

Pruning for the Next Harvest

Romans 11: ⁷ What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, ⁸ as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” ⁹ And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; ¹⁰  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

3 Groups – all together but God has everyone sorted out

1. Israel – nation/Abraham’s physical descendants the Jewish people
2. Elect – believers in Jesus the Jewish Messiah promised to Abraham
3. The Rest – unbelievers

Christendom vs Christianity (cultural Christianity largely born into)

1.    Church and World – lines blurred 500 years ago

2.    Church/Faith – central to formation of decent society & moral order

3.    Politicians – had to state faith commitment, appeal to biblical language

4.    “God” was open to definition – Mormon, JW, Jefferson & Unitarians

5.    Prez George Washington farewell address, “Of all the dispositions & habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion & Morality are indispensable supports….  Reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

6.    Later President-elect Dwight Eisenhower, “Our form of government has no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don’t care what it is.”

7.    Lots of people who professed faith they did not possess or practice

America is Israel. The Revolution is our Exodus. The Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution compose our canon of sacred scripture. Abraham Lincoln is our Moses. Independence Day is our Easter. Our national enemies are our Satan. Benedict Arnold is our Judas. The Founding Fathers are our apostles. Taxes are our tithes. Patriotic songs are our hymnal. The Pledge of Allegiance is our sinner’s prayer. And the president is our preacher. 

• Various Reports – 40-70%
• Bradford Wilcox. John Dickerson “The Great Evangelical Recession” 7-8.9%

= More left-handed ppl, Texans, cats

1. Most places most benefits long gone
2. We are not losing XN’s. We are getting more accurate data
3. God is pruning to get to a devoted remnant

Apple Trees – Bloom, Harvest, Celebration, Pruning/Winter  

A remnant is what remains after a pruning with the goal of a greater harvest

=A faithful few within a larger group

• Noah & his family
• Joseph & his family of 70? in Egypt = nation millions
• Daniel and a few friends in Babylon (bow, pray) = return & rebuild Israel
• Jesus & 12 disciples = XN Church
• The 40 in the upper room before the day of Pentecost = 3000 added
• Driscoll family & building (remnant – harvest – pruning – apostasy)