{"id":751,"date":"2016-02-15T17:59:39","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T17:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/?p=751"},"modified":"2016-03-14T03:10:19","modified_gmt":"2016-03-14T03:10:19","slug":"sermon-february-14-2016-its-gods-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/sermon-february-14-2016-its-gods-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon &#8211; February 14, 2016:  &#8220;It&#8217;s God&#8217;s Choice&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-751-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/sermons\/feb14-16.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/sermons\/feb14-16.mp3\">http:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/sermons\/feb14-16.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<h4 class=\"box item bible\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.com\/e\/2MzH\">Download YouVersion Sermon Notes<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"box item bible\">\n<h4>Birth of Isaac&#8217;s sons<\/h4>\n<p>Genesis 25:1-28 ESV<\/p>\n<p>Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. These are the days of the years of Abraham&#8217;s life, 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham&#8217;s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah&#8217;s servant, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham&#8217;s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, &#8220;If it is thus, why is this happening to me?&#8221; So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, &#8220;Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.&#8221; When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau&#8217;s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<h4>Short Outline<\/h4>\n<p>\u2022 Verses 1-18 is a toledoth. \u2022 Verses 19-28 Recorded birth of Esau and Jacob and prophecy. \u2022 Verses 29-34 Story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<h4>Paul&#8217;s Use in Romans<\/h4>\n<p>\u2022 The choosing of Isaac over Esau as an example of how God \u201cchooses\u201d his children. \u2022 Verses 10-15 are often used to justify the Calvinistic idea of unconditional election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<h4>Five Points of Calvinsim vs. Arminianism<\/h4>\n<p>TULIP Total Depravity Unconditional Election Limited Atonement Irresistible Grace Perseverance of the Saints FACTS Freed by Grace (to believe) Atonement for All Conditional Election Total Depravity Security in Christ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item bible\">\n<h4>Purpose of the Letter<\/h4>\n<p class=\"special\">\u2022 Written to the church in Rome while Paul was in prison. \u2022 Paul desired to reach into Spain and needed a home base. \u2022 He introduces himself and his beliefs. \u2022 He takes the opportunity to address divisions between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"special\">Romans 9:1-29 ESV<\/h4>\n<p>I am speaking the truth in Christ\u2014I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit\u2014 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but &#8220;Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.&#8221; This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: &#8220;About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.&#8221; And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad\u2014in order that God&#8217;s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls\u2014 she was told, &#8220;The older will serve the younger.&#8221; As it is written, &#8220;Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.&#8221; What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God&#8217;s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, &#8220;I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.&#8221; So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, &#8220;For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.&#8221; So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, &#8220;Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?&#8221; But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, &#8220;Why have you made me like this?&#8221; Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory\u2014 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, &#8220;Those who were not my people I will call &#8216;my people,&#8217; and her who was not beloved I will call &#8216;beloved.'&#8221; &#8220;And in the very place where it was said to them, &#8216;You are not my people,&#8217; there they will be called &#8216;sons of the living God.'&#8221; And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: &#8220;Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.&#8221; And as Isaiah predicted, &#8220;If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h4>Romans 9<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<p>\u2022 Verse 1 Paul assures he speaks the truth about his beliefs. \u2022 Verses 2-3 Paul begins to transition his attention to the division. \u2022 Verses 4-5 Paul affirms some general ideas that may lead Jews to question the Gentiles participation in salvation. \u2022 Verses 6-13 Paul demonstrates that the word of God is fulfilled through his choosing of covenant heads. \u2022 Verses 14-24 Paul defends God\u2019s right to choose covenant heads as just. \u2022 These verses also remind that God is the only being in this relationship who is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and sovereign.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<h4>The Real Issue<\/h4>\n<p>\u2022 The issue addressed is not unconditional election. \u2022 The issue is how Gentiles are allowed to partake in salvation. \u2022 Paul demonstrates that God\u2019s children are those who are under chosen covenant heads. \u2022 Those who place faith in Jesus are corporately elected to be God\u2019s children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box item notes\">\n<h4>What Can We Learn?<\/h4>\n<p>\u2022 We don\u2019t get to choose who will be saved. \u2022 God\u2019s gift of salvation and call to Jesus is for all people. \u2022 Our faithfulness in proclaiming the Gospel is used by God to open the ears of people. \u2022 Do we look for every opportunity to share the Good News? \u2022 If we love those around us we won\u2019t be able to not share the Good News. \u2022 Be loving and bold. Share the Good News to all!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Download YouVersion Sermon Notes Birth of Isaac&#8217;s sons Genesis 25:1-28 ESV Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim,<\/p>\n<p class=\"continue-reading-button\"> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/sermon-february-14-2016-its-gods-choice\/\"><i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,21,43,10],"tags":[57,24,44,13],"class_list":["post-751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-members","category-sermon","category-worship","tag-bible-study","tag-members","tag-sermon","tag-worship"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/genesisbanner.jpg?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":754,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions\/754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kcc.life\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}