The future nation - Next - Bible in a Year Pastor Kile Baker - November 12th, 2023 Big question: What is God’s plan for our nation, for the nation of Israel, and for the nations of the world? Nations are often defined by people as: A defined geographical border Shared culture, customs, or government An allegiance to a set of ideological beliefs Nations are defined by God as: A defined geographic area where God rules Shared ultimate governance by God A defined covenantal allegiance to God Jeremiah 1 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The “books” in the book of Jeremiah Book 1 (1-25): Prophecies against Judah & Jerusalem Book 2 (30-33): Comfort & restoration Book 3 (46-51): Oracles against the nations Book 4 (52): Historical appendix & destruction of Jerusalem Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.” Romans 11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I might somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them. For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree? The future of the nation of Israel, just like any other nation, is based on their faithfulness to God. Our nation has the opportunity to be a part of God’s family tree if we “abide” in Jesus. The future nation: Will be all nations under God, our job is to represent Him here and now as ambassadors to every nation. Next Steps: Thank God this week in your prayers that you were grafted in. Think of yourself as an ambassador for Christ rather than a Christian. Pray for and research a nation other than your own. Small Group Questions Do you know what nation you and your family originally come from? Talk a little about your ancestry if you do. Why is this important? What do you know about the nation Read Romans 11 again, and John 15:1-7. Why is it important to understand Paul’s and Jesus' analogy of a tree, the root and its branches? How does this apply to you? Why is it important to see yourself as an ambassador for Christ, and not just a Christian? What’s the difference? What nation can you pray for and research this week? Why did you choose that nation?