At Jubilee Church we have been teaching from the book of Romans. For the last two Sundays I spoke on the sovereignty of God in salvation and how God has invited us to have a part in what he is doing in the world. As Christians we are often inconsistent. We love Romans 8:28 which assures that God causes all things to work together for the good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose". We believe in the sovereign ability of God to work even bad things out for our good, but at the same time - we don't believe that God is sovereign in drawing people to himself. We want to believe he orders every detail of our personal life, but we don't want to believe that he orders the universe in such a way that people, whom He has chosen, of their own free will, choose to trust Christ.
Romans 9-11 speaks of God's choosing and hardening of Israel.
Rom 11:25 says For I do not want you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are. A partial hardening has come on Israel until the full number of the gentiles has come in.
This morning I read from Luke 13 and 19 where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, who, of their own volition, rejected him. Israel's rejection of Jesus was part of God's kingdom plan, as is the future time when they will receive him. God in his sovereignty has decreed these things and we, freely bring them about. What an amazing God we serve!
Luk 13:31-35
(31) At that hour some Pharisees came and told Jesus, "Leave and get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you!"
(32) He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Listen! I am driving out demons and healing today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish my work.
(33) But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day, for it's not possible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.'
(34) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn't want to!
(35) Look! Your house is left to you deserted. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
6:41:33 AM 
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