Stand With Israel!

Intro: God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that through him the nation of Israel would be born and God said He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who treat Israel with contempt. God also said all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham and his seed Jesus, and His people, the nation of Israel. The hate for the Jewish people is on the rise because of all the miss-information by the media. We as God's people must take a stand for Israel, pray for them and try to correct all the false information.

I. Salvation is of the Jews. [John 4:22] Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well; “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” God thru the Jews gave us the holy scriptures and Jesus. The Jewish Jesus gives salvation to all mankind who will believe in Him. Without the Jewish people there would be no Christian faith. We owe them for that. Jesus was and will always be a Jew by birth. We need to bless the Jews for their part in bringing us salvation through Jesus and for bringing us God's word.

II. Salvation is to the Jew first. [Romans 1:16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Matthew 15:24 Jesus told the woman from Canaan "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." God chose the virgin Mary through whom He would send Jesus to the nation of Israel so they could be the first to be saved and then help spread the gospel to the world.

III. God has not rejected Israel. Romans 11:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ²  God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ³  "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? ⁴  But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." ⁵  Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶  And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. The Jews are and always will be God's chosen people. God chose them above all others. Some pastors teach that God has replaced Israel with the church. But God says in these verses that a small remnant of the people of Israel have remained faithful to this day because of God’s undeserved grace & kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness and grace, then it is not by their good works. If by works then God’s grace would not be what it really is, free and undeserved.

IV. God says someday all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:25-29 (NKJV)²⁵  For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; ²⁷  For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." ²⁸  Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Israel has been temporarily blinded (in part) until the fullness of the Gentiles come in, but God is not thru with them. When Jesus returns to set up His rule & reign from Jerusalem, God by His divine grace will honor His covenant and take way all their sin and all Israel will be saved. Ezekiel 37:26-28 ²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. ²⁷  My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ²⁸  The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, (which means purify from sin) when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."

V. Israel's salvation means life to the world. [ Romans 11:12 (NLT) Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. As a result of Israel’s rejection of the gospel, the nation was set aside (temporarily) and the gospel went out to the Gentiles. In this sense the fall of the Jews has meant riches for the world, and Israel’s loss has been the Gentiles’ gain. As a result of Israel’s rejection of the gospel, the nation was set aside and the gospel went out to us Gentiles. In this sense the fall of the Jews has meant riches for the world, and Israel’s loss has been the Gentiles’ gain. Since that is true, how much more will Israel’s restoration result in rich blessing for all the world! When Israel turns to the Lord at the close of the Great Tribulation, she will become the channel of blessing to the nations. The curse that is now on the earth will be lifted. Crops will produce in abundance. These blessings will come to the world thru Jesus and the Jewish people.

VI. Jesus will return to Jerusalem where He will rule & reign over all the earth. Zechariah 8:3 "Thus says the LORD: 'I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.' Zechariah 14:4-5 And in that day Jesus' feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. 5 Thus the LORD God will come, And all the saints with Him. At that time His truth and holiness will be imparted in the city and throughout the earth. Jesus will rule and reign from the city of Jerusalem and all the world will be blessed. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. These scriptures prove that Israel has not been permanently rejected. She will be restored to God. He has put His name there forever.

VII. We are to pray for Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King Jesus. Psalm 122:6-9 NLT ⁶  Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. ⁷  O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. ⁸  For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” ⁹  For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

If you have not been praying for the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, now would be a good time to begin. As the scriptures point out, those who bless Israel, God will bless, and those who curse Israel God will curse. If this nation forsakes Israel, God will forsake us.

Conclusion: The bible tells us that God gave the land of Israel to them. It does not belong to any other people. We must stand for Israel no matter what the fake news media says about them and what's going on in the war against terrorism for that is God's chosen nation.

Invitation: The bible says “all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.” The Jewish Jesus came to earth to save sinners. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you. Then invite Him to take charge of your life. Be baptized as a public testimony to your faith in Jesus as your Savior! 

Priority of Love!

 

Intro: “Valentine’s Day” celebrates romantic love between two people. But today I would like to talk about agape love that is a spiritual love between God and man. Agape love is a self- sacrificing and unconditional love that God has for mankind and mankind should have for God. God’s love for us and our love for Him are very different from romantic love. Today we will look at God’s priority for love.

I. All love begins with G od. Love is the royal law on which the whole universe is founded. Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.” God has drawn us through Jesus. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 1 John 4:16 (NLT] ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

II. We love God in return. Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

a. A Christians’ love for God is based on His love for us. God’s love is the source, the initiator of all love. People cannot love God on their own; it happens as a result of His loving us first. By obeying the royal law of love, everything abides in perfect harmony, joy, peace and fruitfulness.  b. How do we know if we really love God? John 14:23-24 ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

III. We love others. Mark 12:31 And the second greatest commandment is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

a. Jesus said to love others as we love ourselves. When Jesus said to love your neighbor “as yourself,” He simply was emphasizing how important it is to love others and be genuinely concerned for their welfare. Jesus said in John 13:34-35 ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

IV. We are to love our enemies. Matthew 5:44 (NKJV) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Jesus said for people who are called by His name to love all mankind and pray for them, even our enemies. We are to respect and honor all men even though they don't honor and respect us. Every human being has something that is commendable because they are made in the image of God, and they are fellow human beings with a soul to be reached for God. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the amazing merciful love of God that He stooped down to save sinners like us who were His enemies and in opposition against Him. We would expect God to save only righteous and good men, but it catches us completely off-guard when it is stated that He loves and saves sinners. And we are commanded to love all people with this same love by which God loved us, even our enemies by praying for them that God in His love would open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. When God's royal law of love is broken, disharmony immediately results and then comes evil and miseries of every kind that we see in this world today. Godly love is the only hope for mankind.

Conclusion: 1 Corinthians 13 ^13 “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” May we make God's royal law of love a priority for this year and always and then share it with others and watch their lives and ours change.                                                      Invitation: Father God says in Isaiah 54:10 (NLT) “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then, my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” God in His mercy offers an eternal covenant of blessing to all who will confess their sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive them. Have you taken advantage of God's eternal covenant blessing of salvation that He offers you through His Son Jesus Christ? If not, the bible says that today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off!