Radical Mercy: Inviting All to Christ's Table

 

Summary

Paul’s deep grief over his own people missing the Messiah reveals the true cost of love—a love that aches for those who don’t yet see what God is doing. The story of Israel is not one of failure, but of God’s persistent mercy. God’s rescue plan began with a barren couple, Abraham and Sarah, so that no one could boast in their own strength or heritage. Israel was chosen not for privilege, but for mission: to bless all nations. When Israel stumbled, God’s plan didn’t end; instead, He widened the table, inviting outsiders in and turning stumbling blocks into invitations.

The Torah was always meant to point to Christ, not to be a checklist for earning God’s favor. The tragedy was not in Israel’s devotion, but in missing the goal of that devotion—Jesus Himself. Paul’s anguish is not about drawing tighter boundaries, but about longing for hearts, both inside and outside the circle, to turn toward Jesus. Sometimes those who seem farthest away are actually moving toward Him, while those inside the circle may have hearts that are distant.

God’s mercy is radically inclusive, breaking down the walls we build and inviting all people—regardless of background or tradition—into the story. The only requirement is allegiance to Jesus, not pedigree or perfect observance. The Gospel is not a fence, but an open invitation. Our mission is to declare, “Jesus is Lord,” and to invite others to experience the welcome of the Messiah, even those who seem most unlikely.

Faith is both inward and outward: believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth. The presence of God is not far off; it is as near as our own lips and hearts. We are called to be the rescue plan for the world, not by our own strength, but by joining in the work of the Rescuer. God’s mercy doesn’t just overcome obstacles—it uses them to invite more people in. Every stumbling block can become God’s next invitation. The challenge is to turn from tribal thinking, to celebrate the continuity of God’s covenant, and to boldly share the astonishing mercy that has found us.

Key Takeaways

- Grief is the cost of love, especially when those we care about miss what God is doing. Paul’s sorrow for Israel’s unbelief is not a rejection, but a passionate intercession, showing us that true love aches for the restoration of others, even when they disagree or seem far off. Our own grief for those outside the faith can become a powerful prayer that God uses to draw people home. [02:00]

- God’s rescue plan is always bigger than our failures or boundaries. When Israel stumbled, God didn’t abandon His mission; instead, He widened the table, turning obstacles into opportunities for more people to be included. What looks like a dead end in our lives or communities may actually be God’s way of inviting new people into His story. [06:41]

- The heart of faith is allegiance to Jesus, not heritage, tradition, or perfect observance. The Torah was meant to guide people to Christ, but when it became a checklist or a badge of identity, its purpose was lost. Our own zeal can become toxic if it builds walls instead of opening doors; true righteousness is found in turning our hearts toward Jesus and inviting others to do the same. [20:03]

- The Gospel is an open invitation, not a fence. Sometimes those who seem farthest from God are actually moving toward Him, while those inside the “circle” may have hearts that are far away. We are called to look beyond our boundaries, to see where God is at work, and to join Him in welcoming outsiders home. [16:29]

- God’s mercy transforms stumbling blocks into invitations. Every obstacle, every moment of rejection or misunderstanding, can become the very place where God’s grace breaks through. Our mission is to astonish the world by crossing boundaries, sharing boldly, and seeing every “outsider” as a potential recipient of God’s astonishing mercy. [43:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:05] - Paul’s Grief and the Cost of Love
[03:11] - God’s Rescue Plan: Abraham to Israel
[04:37] - The Rescue Plan Needs a Rescue Plan
[06:41] - Widening the Table: Mercy for All Nations
[07:57] - Righteousness by Faith, Not Heritage
[09:14] - The Quest for God’s Presence
[10:38] - The Temple, Exile, and the Hunger for God
[14:11] - Stumbling Blocks Become Invitations
[16:29] - Who’s Really Inside the Circle?
[18:44] - Zeal, Self-Reliance, and Missing the Point
[20:37] - Christ as the Goal of the Law
[24:20] - Confession, Belief, and the Nearness of Salvation
[25:43] - The Radical Inclusivity of God’s Mercy
[26:53] - The Mission: Making Disciples of All Nations
[28:42] - The Challenge of Unresponsive Hearts
[31:37] - Israel’s Stumble and the Inclusion of the Nations
[36:39] - Tradition, Scripture, and Allegiance to Jesus
[38:48] - Confessing Tribal Thinking
[40:15] - Surprising Followers and the Direction of the Heart
[41:55] - Sharing Boldly and the Open Door
[43:03] - Mercy Turns Stumbling Blocks into Invitations
[43:50] - Communion: The New Covenant in Christ
[45:15] - Living as the People of Christ

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

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### Bible Reading

- Romans 9:30 – 10:15
- Deuteronomy 30:11-14
- Matthew 28:18-20

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### Observation Questions

1. In Romans 10:1-4, what does Paul say is the reason his fellow Israelites missed out on God’s righteousness?
2. According to Romans 10:8-10, what two things are needed for salvation?
3. In the sermon, what does the pastor say is the purpose of the Torah (the Law) for Israel? [10:38]
4. What does Jesus command his followers to do in Matthew 28:18-20?

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul experience such deep grief for his own people, even though he knows God’s plan is still moving forward? [02:00]
2. The sermon says, “The Gospel is an open invitation, not a fence.” What does this mean for how we view people who seem far from God? [16:29]
3. How can zeal for God become “toxic” or misdirected, according to the sermon? [20:03]
4. What does it mean that “faith is both inward and outward”—believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth? How does this shape our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus? [24:20]

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### Application Questions

1. Paul’s grief for those who don’t know Jesus is described as the “cost of love.” Who in your life do you grieve for spiritually? How can you turn that grief into prayer or action this week? [02:00]
2. The sermon challenges us to see every “stumbling block” as a possible invitation from God. Can you think of a recent obstacle or disappointment in your life that might be an opportunity for God to work? How could you respond differently? [43:03]
3. The pastor talked about “tribal thinking” and drawing circles to decide who’s in or out. Are there people or groups you tend to see as outsiders? What would it look like to widen your table and invite them in? [38:48]
4. Sometimes those who seem farthest from God are actually moving toward Him, while those “inside the circle” may have hearts that are distant. How can you check the direction of your own heart this week? [16:29]
5. The only requirement for being included in God’s story is allegiance to Jesus—not background, tradition, or perfect behavior. Is there any area where you’ve been relying on your own “pedigree” or performance instead of simple trust in Jesus? [36:39]
6. The sermon says, “Our mission is to declare, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and to invite others to experience the welcome of the Messiah.” Who is one person you could invite into a conversation about Jesus or welcome into your life this month? [41:55]
7. The presence of God is “as near as our own lips and hearts.” What is one practical way you can remind yourself of God’s nearness this week—especially in moments of doubt or discouragement? [24:20]

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Devotional

Day 1: God's Mercy Turns Stumbling Blocks into Invitations
God’s mercy is so expansive that even when people miss the point or stumble over what God is doing, He transforms those very obstacles into opportunities for more people to be welcomed into His family. The story of Israel’s struggle to recognize the Messiah is not a dead end, but rather the beginning of a wider invitation—God’s plan to bless all nations continues, and what seems like failure becomes the open door for others to join the table. No one is too far gone; God’s mercy is always making room for one more, and every stumbling block can become the next invitation to grace. [06:41]

Romans 9:30-33 (NET)
What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Reflection: Who in your life have you considered “beyond hope” or outside God’s reach? Can you pray today for God to show you how His mercy might be inviting them in, and how you might participate in that invitation?


Day 2: Righteousness Comes by Faith, Not by Works
True right standing with God is not achieved by heritage, effort, or religious observance, but by allegiance to Jesus—trusting in His resurrection and confessing Him as Lord. The nearness of God’s word and presence is not something to be earned or climbed toward; Jesus has already done the work, and salvation is as close as your own heart and lips. This is a call to inward trust and outward confession, a faith that is both deeply personal and boldly public, inviting all people—regardless of background—into God’s new creation. [24:20]

Romans 10:8-13 (NET)
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you are relying on your own effort or background rather than simple trust in Jesus? What would it look like to confess and believe anew today?


Day 3: The Mission: Widening the Table for All Nations
God’s rescue plan was always meant to include all nations, and Jesus commissions His followers to go and make disciples everywhere, crossing boundaries and breaking down walls. The presence of God goes with us as we invite others into the story, teaching and baptizing in His name. The mission is not about drawing tighter circles or guarding who’s “in,” but about lengthening the table and welcoming those who are different, so that the blessing promised to Abraham reaches every people group. [26:53]

Matthew 28:18-20 (NET)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reflection: Who is someone outside your usual circle that you could invite into your life or faith community this week? How might you help widen the table for them?


Day 4: The Danger of Tribal Thinking and the Call to Heart Alignment
It’s easy to assume that being “in the circle” or part of the right group means your heart is close to God, but true belonging is about the direction of your heart toward Jesus. Tribal thinking—equating God’s favor with our customs or excluding others based on differences—can blind us to what God is doing in people we might overlook. Instead, we are called to examine our own hearts, confess pride or boundaries we’ve set, and look for those whose hearts are moving toward Jesus, even if they don’t look or act like us. [38:48]

Isaiah 29:13 (ESV)
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…”

Reflection: Where have you equated God’s favor with your group’s customs or drawn boundaries that keep others out? Ask God to show you one way to turn your heart more fully toward Jesus and to see others as He does.


Day 5: Faithfulness Responds to God’s Persistent Call
God’s invitation is persistent and patient, reaching out even to those who seem stubborn or far away. Not everyone responds, but faith comes through hearing the message of Christ, and our role is to share that message faithfully, trusting that God is at work in ways we may not see. Even when we feel like obstacles or when others seem uninterested, God’s mercy keeps calling, and our faithfulness is simply to witness, pray, and keep the invitation open for all. [29:41]

Romans 10:17-21 (NET)
So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Reflection: Who is someone you’ve given up on spiritually, or who seems resistant to God? How can you persist in prayer or loving witness for them this week, trusting God’s patient invitation?

Quotes

It's easy to find people that just kind of agree with you. It's actually a test of love to see if you can interact with people who might even have a different opinion than you. You're going to sit around the table today and you might have different opinions than people across the table from you. It's going to be amazing. But that's okay. But Paul's anguish over Israel's unbelief in the Messiah. And remember, Paul is a Pharisee and a proud one at that. And he's like, he always lays out his reasons why, you know, you can trust that I love my people. But his grief... is bound in love for them. Grief is the cost of love. Some of you know that are grieving. That's what it costs you to love. [00:01:41] (49 seconds) Edit Clip


And then if Israel is God's rescue plan for the world, what happens when God leaves them and sends them out of the nation to exile? Well, the rescue plan needs a rescue plan. Does that make sense? So there's going to be one people who's going to bless all the nations, and then most of them get scattered, and then even the exiled people are sitting there going like, well, that didn't work. Where's God's presence among us? When was that going to come back? When is he going to restore the nations? And so there's a rescue plan for the rescue plan. It's when the tow truck gets bogged down in the mud, and he's like, well, we're going to need another tow truck. And so Jesus is the rescue plan for the rescue plan. And then he launches through us, guess what? The rescue plan. [00:05:07] (46 seconds) Edit Clip


Let's practice getting to lunch, huh? Amen? Okay, you got this? Okay, good. So, we've got the people inside the circle, but one thing we haven't really checked on is to see if there's some people in the circle whose hearts are actually far from the Lord. I mean, is it possible that we have some people that are in the circle, but if you think about the direction of their heart, they're not looking to Jesus. They're just happy to be in the circle. Is it possible that there's some people in the circle? people out here that you're like, well, they're really far out of the circle, aren't they? But they're actually thinking about, I wonder what God would do with a life like mine. I wonder if there's any hope for a person like me. [00:15:45] (44 seconds) Edit Clip


You're assuming I couldn't have a heart that could draw myself away from Jesus? You should ask your pastor sometime. Like, how's Jesus drawing you to Himself? What's He doing? Are you pursuing Him? Because I think there's some people obviously out here. There's some people obviously, not obviously, moving toward Jesus that we're not even connecting with because, well, they didn't show up here. So, obviously, they don't love Jesus. Like, wow. Congratulations. You really dialed it in. But Paul's vision isn't about creating more boundaries for people, but about how to open hearts that are moving toward Jesus. Some actually who might seem on the outside are finding their way home. So, can you just seriously show me some hands if you are one of those outsiders who's finding your way home to Jesus? You felt like you've been on the outside, but you're like, no, I'm headed in. I'm headed toward the heart of the whole matter. Because the Gospel is an invitation. It's not a fence. Oh, so glad we got our people. Us four and no more. Praise God. You know? You're like, wow. So that was the mission for the world? [00:16:57] (67 seconds) Edit Clip


And then there's this inward thing. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Right? It's a relational allegiance to Jesus, not a ritual observance of just, well, I'd go to church. Good. Because hopefully at church with the people of God, you'll get the mission of God and you'll go out there and confess that Jesus is Lord. That's great. It's great training. Great way to be here. But this doesn't put a pin in it and say, good, I did it. This is where we begin. Gentiles enjoin Israel's story, not replacing Israel, but joining in the story. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. And the scriptures, when they say that, they mean Yahweh, the creator of everything, but who is in the person of Jesus. And so now we see everyone who believes in him. It used to be called on the name of Yahweh and be saved. And now it's called on the name of Jesus and be saved. And that's the same thing, apparently. [00:24:59] (58 seconds) Edit Clip


For the same Lord is the Lord of all who richly blesses all who call on his name. Let's say it again. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, Yahweh, Jesus will be saved. So he's putting it all together on this Trinitarian belief. God's mercy is radically inclusive. It goes outside of your little boundaries that you set. And the covenant is expanded. The table is widened and everybody is called to join. But how? This is the big question. How are they to call on one they've not believed in? How are they to believe in one they've not even heard of? Jesus is Lord. What's that? Could you speak up? Okay, Jesus is Lord. And I need to declare that. That is the Gospel announcement. Jesus is Lord. I need to declare that. How are they going to do it? Well, how are they going to hear without someone preaching to them and how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written? How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim good news? [00:25:45] (58 seconds) Edit Clip


In this case, the news is Jesus, the Christ, is Lord. This mission to bless all nations is being fulfilled in the Messiah's message which is going to all nations. All authority, said Jesus, in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So listen up. I am Lord. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And check this out, I am with you always even to the end of the age. You want my presence? Awesome. So my presence is going to go with you as you make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And what's one of the things he has commanded us? [00:26:53] (52 seconds) Edit Clip


But what if the real question isn't, are you in or out? It's just, is your heart pointed toward Jesus and can I show you the direction? I want to show you where I go. I'll show you where Jesus is. Some of the most surprising followers of Jesus are those that from the outside look nothing like us, but whose hearts are being drawn to Him. It's like, wow, I want to be a part of that. What did you see? I remember I helped a guy go on a mission trip and we went on a mission trip and down to Northern California and he shared the story. He knew enough of the Gospel. He shared the story with this person. This person receives Christ and she just lights up. Her face is just lit up. She wants to get baptized. Let's do this whole thing. And then he basically looks back at her and is like, can you tell me what I just told you? Because I don't think I have what you have. [00:40:30] (48 seconds) Edit Clip


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