The Power of Israel’s Salvation | God’s Plan for Israel Now

Rabbi K.A. Schneider: If Israel is God's first covenant chosen people that has a unique role to play forever and they're rejecting their Messiah, has God's plan failed? I'm here to tell you God has not rejected his first covenant people and they have a key role to play both now and in the end times. I'm going to get right into it now by going to the book of Romans. I'm going to quickly review Romans chapter 9 leading up to Romans chapter 10, and we're going to make new ground today in Romans chapter 11. By way of review, I want to simply say that many of us think Israel was important in times past, but they think that Israel has lost their place of relevancy since they have not as a nation, by and large, received Yeshua. When we study the book of Romans, we first of all think that the book of Romans tells us how to get saved. Some of you that are a bit older, you remember that there used to be a way to lead people to salvation, a witnessing tool that we called the Romans Road. We would go to selected scriptures from the book of Romans to show people that Jesus would save them. For example, we would go to a scripture in the book of Romans that says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Then we go to another scripture in the book of Romans, "But while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." We would walk them through the book of Romans with selected scriptures showing how all men are guilty before God, but that God has bridged the gap between sinful man and himself through the person of Yeshua. Then we taught them how to get saved. Romans chapter 10: "If you believe in your heart that God raised Yeshua from the dead and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you'll be saved." Then we gave them assurance of their salvation and we did it all by pointing to specific scriptures in the book of Romans. Many of us, when we think of the book of Romans, we think about that's the book that tells us how to get saved. Indeed, it is. But we have to consider what was in Paul's heart and mind when he wrote the Epistle. Was Paul simply trying to tell us how to get saved or was there more going on? To truly understand any book in the Bible, we have to understand the purpose of the writer. What was in Paul's heart when he wrote it? Through careful examination and inquiry, we discover that there was more going on in Paul's mind when he penned this book. We began last time by going to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9 in review starts out like this. Paul says, "I'm telling the truth in Christ, I'm not lying. My conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit." Paul is in fellowship with the Ruach HaKodesh as he shares this burden. His conscience is in fellowship with the Holy Spirit and it's a word of truth, this burden. Paul continues and he says, "I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart." Paul's burden—he's sad about this. "For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites." Romans chapter 9 begins to unveil and reveal Paul's burden for his people, the Jewish people, the Israelites. He takes all of chapter 9 to begin to help us understand Israel's call and the place that they still hold in God's heart. It's not just Romans chapter 9 that addresses God's desire to see Israel saved. Let's turn the chapter and go to Romans chapter 10. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of your Lord abides forever. Let's continue now with Romans chapter 10. Remember, all of 9 is about Israel. Now we come to chapter 10. "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation." This is not just one verse. This is a whole chapter's gone by, Romans 9, and now we begin another chapter. Romans chapter 10 now is all about Israel's unique role in God's plan of redemption and the burden that the Apostle, the Shaliach Paul, had for them. Look again at Romans 10, verses 1 and 2. "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them, they have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge." Then Paul goes on to say, "For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God." Paul's saying they're sincere. They are sincere, they are deliberate, but they missed the boat that would take them into the heart of God. He said because they wouldn't subject themselves to the purposes of God through Messiah Yeshua, but instead simply tried to earn God's favor through the law, they missed their opportunity to enter into the new covenant God had made. This brings us into the intimacy that can only be experienced when the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, comes to live inside us, which can only happen when we receive Jesus, Yeshua. The point that I'm making is Paul's continual longing to see Israel saved.
Dustin Roberts: You're listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider. He's going to be right back, but first I want to let you know that you can watch full episodes of Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku television. We have episodes that are filmed in the Holy Land and outreach events from Nigeria and Gulu, Uganda, all sorts of places. Every episode is available to help deepen your understanding of scripture and the Jewish roots of your faith. Search for Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku today.
Rabbi K.A. Schneider: Your support is fueling a powerful move of God through the Discovering the Jewish Jesus Israel Awakening initiative. Right now, we're equipping and strengthening congregations throughout Israel. We're launching evangelistic outreach campaigns in the land. Lives are being changed as Israelis encounter the love of Jesus. Stand with us today and boldly proclaim the gospel in Israel, clearly and without compromise. If God is moving you to join us, go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Now, back to Rabbi. God's plan hasn't failed because his people have always only been a remnant. Paul's addressing that he's explaining that even though national Israel in the majority has not believed, God's plan hasn't failed because God's always worked through a remnant. There's a remnant on earth in every generation of Jewish people that have believed. We're going to continue on now and we're going to chapter number 11. All of chapter 9's about Israel's salvation, all of chapter 10's about Israel's salvation. You're starting to see that the book of Romans is about much more than just getting saved. The book of Romans reveals the important place that Israel plays in God's heart and in the plan of redemption. We've already had two chapters that are about the Israelites and Jewish people, now we're going to go to Romans 11. Now we've got three chapters. Paul says this: "I say then, God has not rejected his people, has he? Far from it for I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." Then Paul goes on to explain the believing remnant as I just described to you using the illustration of Elijah. I'm going to pick back up in verse 11 of Romans 11. Paul says this: "I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?" In other words, is God done with Israel? Have they fallen forever? Have they been left behind? No way. Paul says no way. The difference between stumbling here and falling is if you trip but you don't fall flat on your face. Israel stumbled but they didn't fall flat on their face from God's perspective because God's still got something that he's doing. God has not rejected his people is the point. "But by their wrongdoing," Paul continues on, "salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous." Paul's saying God's plan hasn't failed and even though they're not believing right now, they haven't fallen irrevocably. In fact, because they have stumbled, the word of salvation has come to the Gentile. When Paul first came to faith, we read about this in the book of Acts, he was convinced after he came to faith in Yeshua that the Lord was sending him to his own people to proclaim Yeshua as Messiah. Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews. Paul was a leading, respected religious leader of his age. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He was at the top of the pecking order when it came to being respected by the religious Jewish leadership. He was a Pharisee, he described himself as as to the law blameless. From a human perspective, he thought he was keeping the law perfectly. Paul had been educated under the leading Jewish sage of his day, Gamaliel. Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews from the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised, educated under the leading Jewish sage of his day. When the Lord revealed to Paul that Yeshua was the Messiah, Paul thought he was qualified because everyone respected him to go to the Pharisees whom he was a part of to share with them Jesus is the Messiah after all. Paul thinks God's setting him to testify to the Pharisees regarding the person of Jesus and Paul goes to Jerusalem, he goes to the temple. While he's at the temple, the Lord speaks to him. God speaks to him and says this: "Paul, Sha'ul," his Hebrew name, "they're not going to receive your testimony, Paul. I am sending you far away to the Gentiles." If the Pharisees, if the Jewish leaders would have received it, Paul would have stayed there. But God said to him, "Paul, that door's shut. I'm sending you far away to the Gentiles." What Paul is saying here in Romans 11 is as a result of the Jewish people's rejection, he was sent to the Gentiles. By their rejection, salvation was sent to the Gentiles. It's all part of God's plan. This was all part of God's unfolding historical plan of redemption. Then Paul goes even on further to say that as he delivers the word to the Gentiles and they become believers and start to experience the supernatural reality of God's presence in their lives, it's going to be so evident that they're experiencing the reality of God that it's going to provoke Jewish people to jealousy. Paul understood that through his ministry to the Gentiles, he was going to reach his own people indirectly because Gentiles would be used of the Lord to provoke Jews to jealousy when Jewish people saw the reality of God in Gentiles' lives. I actually have a real example of this. I have a relative that had as a college assignment, they had to go to an environment, to go to a cultural experience that they had never experienced before to expand their horizon. My relative went to a Pentecostal church, my Jewish relative who had no exposure to Christianity, no exposure to the charismatic gifts, no exposure to Pentecostalism. My relative went to a Pentecostal church as part of this college project and she was so blown away by what she experienced there, by the reality of the experience those in this congregation were having as they worshiped God, it spurred her on to try to bring what they had into Judaism. This individual actually became a rabbi. My relative actually became a rabbi in the Jewish Renewal Movement. Unfortunately, you can't bring what that congregation had into your life or into Judaism without Jesus. But she was made jealous. She didn't respond by receiving Jesus, she tried to take the outer trapping of it and bring it into Judaism, but Jesus is the center of everything. Without him as the fullness, you're going to end up lacking. Again, Paul understood that through his ministry to the Gentile, Jews would be provoked to jealousy. Today, if I go to a Jewish person and share Yeshua with them and the good news of salvation, often they're going to react right away because they think it's so anathema for a Jew like myself to believe in Jesus. They look at me like a heretic. But if you as a Gentile go to a Jewish person and start sharing your faith, they're going to think, "Well, they're supposed to believe in Jesus, they're a Gentile." They're not going to react so emotionally. We see many Jewish people coming to faith through Discovering the Jewish Jesus being broadcast in their home. I want to thank all of you that are supporting this ministry. Because of your support, we are able to broadcast this message all over the earth. Jewish people are sitting alone in the privacy of their home watching, listening, paying attention, and we're getting testimonies all the time of how Jewish people are coming to faith as well as getting testimonies from Jewish people that do believe in Jesus but felt like they were all alone. Thank you to those of you that are partnering with the Lord through this ministry. Paul concludes by saying this: at the end of the day, there's no place for pride because the Jewish people in rejecting Jesus will be humbled, but the Gentile people had no place at all before Paul the Jewish apostle came to them. At the end of the day, we all stand before God being able to offer nothing of our own goodness. No one's better than anybody else. We all receive God's gift of salvation, of shalom, of wholeness through his grace by receiving God in the flesh through the person of Messiah Jesus. I want to encourage you, if you know Jewish people, share your love for Jesus with them. You don't have to have the entire Bible memorized, all you have to do is let them know that you love the God of Israel and how Jesus the King of the Jews made the God of Israel real to you. Think about this. Most of us know the miracle of Yeshua multiplying the loaves and the fish. But in order for the loaves and the fish to be multiplied that resulted in the feeding of thousands, they first had to bring to Jesus the loaves and the fish. I think this is related to the Lord speaking to us and says, "Honor me with your finances, test me in this and see if as a result I will not open up for you the windows of heaven and bless you." I think honoring God with our finances is so huge not just because God blesses us when we trust him and honor him, but because it opens up our heart and brings us to a place of living a yielded life unto him. This is just truth and I'm just asking God's people, let's live in obedience. If this message that I'm sharing right now is bearing witness with your soul and you feel a leading of the spirit, would you make an offering to him through this ministry?
Dustin Roberts: If God is leading you to give Discovering the Jewish Jesus a gift of any amount, you can reach us at 800-777-7835 or give online. Just visit our website at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. You can also send your check in the mail. Our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, PO Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan 49228. One of the easiest ways to stay connected with Rabbi's teaching is through our audio podcast on YouTube. Whether you're driving, working around the house, or just trying to find a quiet moment with the Lord, you can take Rabbi Schneider's messages with you wherever you go. Or if you want to spend more time learning about the Jewish roots of your faith, we've got playlists of full series there and Hebrew Moments as well as shows that are exclusive to our radio and podcast program. You can also find our podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. So subscribe and let these teachings continue strengthening your walk with God one message, one day at a time. If these messages are encouraging you, would you consider sharing them with someone else? I took a poll the other day and found out there are still many Christians who don't know about Discovering the Jewish Jesus. We want people to discover the Jewish Jesus. Please tell your friends and your family and thank you so much for supporting us. This is why your gift really matters. It helps us spread this message far and wide. If you haven't given, just give at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. We're really grateful for everyone who supports this ministry. Thank you. Now, here's Rabbi.
Rabbi K.A. Schneider: What I love about the Aaronic Blessing is that it did not originate with man. The words actually proceeded from the very essence of God himself. The blessing comes from the Book of Numbers chapter 6. So listen to these words and receive the blessing of the Lord into your life today. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance and the Lord give you, beloved ones, his peace. And now in Hebrew. Yevarekhekha Yahweh veyishmerekha. Ya’er Yahweh panav eleykha vikhunekha. Yissa Yahweh panav eleykha veyasem lekha shalom. God bless you and shalom.
Dustin Roberts: This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus, and I'm your host Dustin Roberts. Come back next week when Rabbi Schneider explains what it takes to create a lasting legacy. That's Monday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.