Introduction

A couple years ago, my brother got me a puzzle for Christmas. I hadn’t done a big puzzle in a few years, but this one consumed our evenings for a while. That’s because it was unlike any puzzle I had ever done before. Every piece was textured, and when you shifted them under the light, their appearance changed dramatically. So, if you held a piece one way, it looked brown, then gray, then tan. It started with a line on the left, then to the right, and then you couldn’t see a line at all.

Therefore, when we first dumped out the pieces, each one looked like a meaningless, shape shifter or like a nightmare of postmodern, evolving truth. But Heidi and I plugged away. In fact, really got into it, and eventually, a cool and detailed image emerged.

A puzzle is a wonderful illustration of how we experience God’s plan. Today’s puzzle piece can vary from a surprising blessing to a devastating trial to just another boring day. By itself, it seems random and meaningless. But over time God’s good and beautiful purpose begins to emerge. Therefore, don’t despair when today’s piece seems random or not to fit. Trust the Lord that it fits perfectly within God’s perfect will for your life.

Similarly, we’ve seen in Romans 9–11, that the first century church was confused by what was happening in the church, especially among the Jews? Why were so few accepting the gospel? Were they doing something wrong? Was something wrong with the gospel? If not, how could the Jewish apostasy possibly fit within the big picture of God’s plan? Like us they wanted to know what God was doing. They wanted to know the big picture so they could understand their lives today.

Romans 11 explains how this puzzling piece fits into God’s overall plan for the ages. It tells us that chaos and random do not exist in God’s plan for the Romans, or for you. Specifically, he explains why the Jewish apostasy was not random. Instead, it was part of a broader, beautiful, wise plan of God to glorify himself and bring salvation to many. Today’s text pushes that explanation forward (read).

Again, these verses describe what God is doing right now in the church and how it relates to the nation of Israel. God’s plan is wise, good, and truly amazing. I want you to glory in his plan today and consider how you can participate. First, vv. 11–12 describe…

I.  God’s Plan for the Ages (vv. 11–12)

I especially want to emphasize that God HAS a plan. It’s very easy for Christians to be consumed with the news as if that’s what is really happening. But ABC doesn’t report the most important news. They aren’t tracking God’s greatest works. So, don’t look at the world through the lens of the news but through the lens of God’s clearly revealed truth regarding his plan for history. Our passage gets to this point by asking another…

The Question (v. 11a): Why is he asking this. It’s because of what he just said about the current state of Israel in vv. 8–10. That’s bad, isn’t it? Frankly, the spiritual condition of the Jewish people hasn’t improved. I had a friend in college who did a summer internship in New York City doing evangelism among the Jews. He said he felt like he was in the book of Acts. They were hostile, practically violent against the gospel.

So, we may ask the same question Paul asks in v. 11. Has Israel not just stumbled spiritually, but have they fallen flat on their face, dead forever to God and his saving purpose? Has God abandoned his chosen people? If so, has God broken his promises? Do you ever wonder what God is doing in the world? Where is history moving? How will this all turn out? And what is my role in this process?

You must ask these questions if you want to make an impact for Christ (which should be all of us). God hasn’t left you on this earth to chase the pleasures of this life, to feel safe, or to achieve worldly success. You are here to glorify him by partnering in his mission. So, pay attention as God explains his plan for the ages.

Paul first answers, as he has done before, with the adamant denial, “May it never be.” Why? It’s because God cannot be unfaithful. Don’t go there. Drive out any thought that God has broken his promise. Believe that God always keeps every promise. Then Paul details 4 stages in God’s plan.

Israel transgressed. Paul says, “By their transgression…” Paul was right in the middle of this process (turn to Acts 13). This passage tells a crazy story. Paul arrives in Pisidian Antioch on his first missionary journey and preaches a powerful sermon in the Jewish synagogue. Notice the fallout in vv. 42–52.

It’s an intense seen. The Jews didn’t just reject Paul’s message; they were hostile. They were interrupting him and blaspheming. Paul won’t take it. He prophetically rebukes them and turns to the Gentiles. And God did a mighty work among them.

This story is repeated several times in Acts and probably many other times that are not recorded. The Jews harshly resisted Christ. But Paul didn’t despair, and he didn’t stop preaching.

And don’t you stop preaching either. We Americans are addicted to immediate gratification, success, and approval. If people don’t immediately respond to our gospel invitation, we quit or we compromise. We certainly don’t call out their rebellion. Be like Paul. Live for God’s approval. Declare his truth boldly. Confront sin. Pursue sinners. Eagerly engage in God’s great plan for the ages.

That’s what Paul did. He called out Israel’s evil. Then he pursued the people who would listen. This brings us to the 2^nd stage in God’s plan.

God is blessing the nations with salvation. You see that in Acts 13. Verse 49 says, “The word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.” Think about that. The Jews’ hostility didn’t stop. Instead, God used it to redirect Paul to the Gentiles and to begin an amazing work in that region. Verse 52 adds, “The disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Our text adds, “Salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

And praise God that this work has only grown. Don’t be so consumed with the problems in the West that you lose sight of what God is doing all over the world. We think Christianity is dying, but I am almost certain that more people are getting saved worldwide than at any time in history. The church in China and many other difficult places is exploding.

And there is nothing that politicians in Washington or Sacramento can do to stop the spread of the gospel here either. The harvest is plentiful. God is working among us, and God can use you if you will embrace Paul’s passion and faith. Preach the gospel. Be bold. Join a ministry and help us make disciples. God is fulfilling his plan. It’s incredible. Join the party. And God says that this will lead to a 3^rd stage in God’s plan.

Some Jews will become jealous and be saved. Any modern-day Jew ought to be able to compare their local synagogue to the many churches around them and see that far greater things are happening in the church than in Judaism. In the present, God doesn’t say this will lead to mass Jewish conversions, but it will lead to some.

This hope inspired Paul. He loved the Jews. He wanted them to see the obvious power and grace of God in his church in hope that at least some would come to Christ.

Paul didn’t believe anyone was beyond the reach of God’s grace, and neither should you. Keep praying. Keep sharing. Keep hoping. With all of this, Paul’s great hope was the 4^th stage in God’s plan.

God will fulfill every promise to Israel (v. 12). This verse argues from the lesser to the greater. If Israel’s transgression caused the establishment of the church, just imagine what their “fulfillment” or salvation will bring to the world.

Someday Christ will return in glory, and Zechariah 12:10 states, “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

When Israel sees its Messiah, Romans 11:26 says, “All Israel will be saved.” No amount of human hardness can resist God’s sovereign power. God will gloriously save the Jews, and Christ will establish the Millennial Kingdom. I wish we had time to read the description of this kingdom in Zechariah 13–14. Christ will bind Satan, he will reverse many effects of the Fall, and he will reign in glory from the throne of David in Jerusalem.

And this Israelite kingdom will bring tremendous blessing to all the earth and especially to the church. We will rule and reign alongside Jesus and enjoy every beauty and wonder of his kingdom.

So, vv. 11–12 declare that God has a plan for the ages, and it is marvelous. Yes, you might look at some of the current puzzle pieces and scratch your head. Why are so many Jews so hostile to God’s Word, even OT values? Why does our government continue to press such an evil agenda, and why do people keep electing the same people? Why does American church attendance continue to decline? Where is God? What is he doing?

Remember that just because you can’t see the point of a single puzzle piece, does not mean it’s useless. God has a marvelous plan. You know how the story ends. So, don’t be discouraged. Make an impact on someone’s life. Remain bold in your Christian convictions. Trust the Lord to fit the pieces together. In light of this, vv. 13–14 develop…

II.  Paul’s Passion for the Lost (vv. 13–14)

In these verses, Paul makes an important transition that we all must make. He just reflected on the big picture of God’s purpose. But he refused to be so heavenly minded that he was no earthly good. Instead, he applies what he knows about the big picture to his small puzzle piece. What should I be doing right now in light of God’s overall plan? Paul identified two priorities for his life. First…

Paul labored to reach the Gentiles (v. 13). It’s noteworthy that Paul says he is primarily speaking to Gentiles. We might think that Romans 9–11 was really for the Jewish portion of the congregation, but Paul says that wasn’t true. The Gentile majority cared about the Jewish apostasy also because it seemed to threaten the character and promises of God. We need to pay attention to these kinds of contextual helps because they are important to understanding God’s Word to us.

That said, Paul goes on to say that he “magnifies” his ministry to the Gentiles. What does he mean by that? Following Paul’s conversion, God told Ananias about his plans for Paul, “He is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). God called Paul to establish the Gentile church, to begin God’s mission to take the gospel to the nations.

So, Paul says, “I magnify my ministry.” God had given him a glorious task. He embraced it, loved it, and poured all his energy into it. He built his life around this task. And he wanted the Romans to see just how important it was. The Gentile mission is central to God’s glorious plan for the ages.

Yes, none of us are Paul, and God hasn’t called most of you into vocational ministry or cross-cultural missions. God has given you a stewardship in your job, your home, and in your community. You must fulfill them well. But like Paul, I want to magnify the Gentile mission. God has given you the glorious privilege of participating in the most important work happening anywhere in the world—Christ’s mission to build his church.

There is nothing in all the world more beautiful to God than a local church that is growing into the image Christ and reflecting his glory and power to the world around them. You get to help build a local church and to work toward establishing other churches all over the planet. I hope you see how great of a privilege that is. I hope you are all in. Don’t build your life around everything that you want to do and then add the Great Commission where it conveniently fits. Make it a priority, a driving passion for all that you do.

That’s what Paul did. He gave all his passion and strength to reaching the Gentiles. But he never lost sight of his own people. Paul’s 2^nd priority was…

Paul prayed that his Gentile mission would impact the Jews. Verse 14 says that one of Paul’s goals with his Gentile mission was, “If somehow…” Paul already mentioned this thought in v. 11. Even though he boldly denounced the rebellion of the the Jews in Pisidian Antioch and shook the dust off his feet, he didn’t turn away from the Jews in disgust. Instead, he prayed and labored for their salvation.

He sets a good pattern for how we should respond to the evils of our state and our nation. Paul didn’t sugar coat Israel’s rebellion against the gospel. It angered him, and he called sin what it is. Similarly, we should never dismiss or grow accustomed to high-handed rebellion against God. So much of what is happening in Sacramento and Washington is evil rebellion against God.

But if disgust, anger, and apathy are your only responses to our leaders and the people who elect them, you have a worldly heart. You are only concerned with the cares of this world, not the passion of God. A mature believer must be able to hold in tension a strong hatred of sin with a passionate zeal for the lost and a strong confidence in God’s power to change them. By God’s grace, strive for that healthy tension, pray for souls, and pursue them for Christ.

Another application worth mentioning is that ant-Semitism has no place in the heart of a Christian. Sadly, anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism have often tried to snuggle up with so-called Christianity. Paul is clear that Christians should love the Jewish people and pray for their salvation. So, you have my permission to put any fool in his place who tries to use Scripture to justify ungodly hatred. If you share God’s heart, you will have nothing but gospel love for God’s chosen people. So, vv. 13–14 describe Paul’s passion for the lost. Finally, vv. 15–16 articulate Paul’s confidence in…

III.  God’s Power to Revive (vv. 15 –16)

Verse 15 makes a very similar argument as v. 12. You recall that v. 12 said God will fulfill his promises to Israel. We talked about the fact that considering the OT prophecies for Israel, that is a massive hope. In fact, it sounds too good to be true. Imagine being Paul and reflecting on Israel’s situation. Rome occupies Jerusalem, many of the Jews are scattered throughout the empire, and only a small remnant believes on Jesus.

So, they are a long way from the spiritual and political power that Zechariah promises. From a human perspective, it seems impossible. So, should Paul give up on that hope and go on with his life? And what do we do when the hope of eternity and God’s other promises seem impossibly far off? Paul does not give up; instead, he anchors his mind and motivates himself for mission in 2 proofs that God will do what he has said. The first proof is…

The Success of the Gentile Mission (v. 15): We shouldn’t take “the reconciliation of the world” literally. Paul didn’t believe that the whole world will come together and sing Kumbaya. He also didn’t believe that all people will be reconciled to God in salvation. But he could see that the gospel was spreading rapidly among the Gentiles. Churches were popping up everywhere and growing.

Yes, the gospel still had a long way to go. Paul didn’t even comprehend how big the world is. But he could see what God was doing, and he knew Jesus intended for it to go into all the world. By faith, he could see where the Gentile mission was going.

And this evidence reassured him that God will also give Israel “life from the dead.” I believe that Paul is drawing on the imagery of Ezekiel 37. Like Paul, Ezekiel lived in a dark time. So, God shows him a vision in which he pictures Israel as a valley full of dead, dried out bones, bones that you couldn’t possibly imagine coming to life.

But the bones begin to move, flesh starts to grow, and they come to life. God tells Ezekiel, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel…I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it.’” (Ez 37:11–14).

God’s going to resurrect a nation. He’s going to give them a kingdom. He’s going to fulfill all his promises. And they won’t just bless Israel. They will bless the entire earth. Imagine the best life you could possibly have, everything you want in this world. The kingdom will blow it all away. It will be truly incredible.

Do you believe it will happen? Does it show in how you live? Paul believed, and it showed in his continued passion to reach the Jews for Christ. Will you share the gospel and make disciples like you believe God is winning? I hope you will. The 2^nd proof is…

God’s Covenant with the Patriarchs (v. 16): Next time we’ll get into this more, but for today, I’m just going to say that “the first piece of dough” and the “root” refer to the Patriarchs, especially Abraham. The idea is that God set Abraham apart to himself, and he promised that Abraham’s descendants would belong to the Lord.

Paul is saying that the fruit of that promise remains. “If the root is holy, the branches are too.” Israel still belongs to God. He won’t abandon his people.

So, what did Paul do when he was crushed by Israel’s apostasy? He anchored his soul in the character and promises of God. He fought falsehood with rich, biblical theology. Then he looked forward with confidence to what he knew God will do in the future. And that hope inspired him to press forward today.

Conclusion

What should you do when the puzzle piece in your hand seems meaningless? How should we respond when the world around us seems hopelessly hostile to the work of the gospel? What prospects should we have for the spread of the gospel in a place like Tajikistan or California? We should have great hope because we have a great God. He has a marvelous plan, and he will accomplish that plan. So marvel at God’s perfect plan. Look forward to the day that Jesus fulfills every promise. And get busy spreading the gospel, making disciples, and building his church.