What Do You Believe?

Good morning church. Everybody feeling happy Mother's Day. Am I going to mention that we're not really doing a Mother's Day message for say we're just continuing through Galatians, but I couldn't help knowing that it is Mother's Day that there's some really great time. And so the notion of small group has mentioned before they choose how were born like, it's not a decision that I made. I didn't pick my mom and and she didn't really pick me and there's some decision-making ahead of that but not me specifically and if you ask her about my childhood, she probably say absolutely I didn't take him that said what we see in today's chapter specifically it was going to be done Galatians 1 and 2 and chapter 3 Paul. I mean, it's really complicated chapter. I'm going to warn you and I were going to read through this and for those of you that have studied a bunch of party like a he's got this not quite right it is it's a pretty complicated chapter in any regard. She's talking about a lot of stuff. It's in these trying to communicate to people that aren't quite understanding what it means to be saved. By faith and by grace and not by works. So what I like to do is go ahead and read it and then we'll go from there. I'm so if you got your Bibles great Galatians chapter 3 if you don't that's also fine. That's up on the screen help yourself read along and I here we go. Oh foolish Galatians who has Bewitched you it was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith. Are you so foolish having begun by the spirit? Are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain? If indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Know then that it is of those of Faith who are the sons of Abraham in the scripture for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham Thang and you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of Faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse or it is written cursive B everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them now. It is evident that no one is Justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith. What the law is not a safe rather the one who does them shall live by them price redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us or it is written cursive is everyone who is hanged on a tree? So that in Christ Jesus The Blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might perceive might receive the promised Spirit through faith to give a human example Brothers even with a man-made Covenant. No one knows it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises are made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say and to offspring referring too many but referring to one into your Offspring was Christ. This is what I mean. The law with came 430 years afterward does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God. So as to make the promise void where the inheritance come by the law it no longer comes by a promise, but God gave it to Abraham buy a promise why then the law It was added because of transgression until The Offspring should come to whom the promise I didn't ate and it was put in place to Angels by an intermediary now an intermediary implies more than one but God is one is allowed in contrary to the promises of God. Certainly not worth of all have been given that could give life and righteousness would indeed be by the law but the scripture imprisoned everything under sin but the Promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe now before Faith came we were held captive on the law imprisoned until the coming faith will be revealed go then the law was our Guardian until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come we are no longer under a guardian Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith or as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring heirs according to promise.

Laugh out of this is history. It's a it's a wonderful day together in this place for the weather outside the little bit dreary Lord, but we are grateful to have a roof over our heads and the more than here to feel so that we can study your word in a more peaceful setting or help us have to take that for granted and as we dive into this chapter specifically Lord, I pray that you will hide me behind you and your word Lord. This is a it's a complicated matter when it comes to trying to unpack need the complication that is our salvation and you've told us throughout the word to work it out with fear and trembling because it is complicated and it's glorious and it's gracious and perfect and we aren't any of those things and that makes it difficult for us Lord. I pray that as we dive into this word Hearts will be at refreshed by it Lord. I pray that the holy spirit will will take my words in the word specifically here in this week in the Bible. This text was studying and change my eyes in this room and and radiating out from this place towards any sense. I'm at Prairie MN.

Okay if used. You and me both anybody if I read through that any faster would have helped. Probably not have to really slow down cuz I get tied up. Just trying to read Paul's words here. So Paul is He's sort of the father of theologians. I guess most of the things we talked only talked about like the study of theology understand he got in our Salvation comes from the work of Paul ahead of time Galatians 3 is almost like the entire book of Romans condensed into a chapter is series of questions and answers. It's very very complicated. So I'll say it's a tricky chapter in our God's word and of itself is completely clear. You don't need me to interpret that we don't need study materials. That's the truth that said this was that this was an aide. God has given us the ability to sharpen one another so bear with me as we go through this from my perspective. This could go I mean probably preach half a year on this and paint in details cuz he makes a lot of references to the Old Testament all these quotes and he's making they were not going to get into it today. But basically every one of those comes from books of the Old Testament and he's comparing that to what we know to be true in the in the people that he's talking to in the world relations, but I will say despite the complication. The message itself is simple We're going to end with a very simple message but getting there sometimes in this chapter. I feel difficult, but I'll say the mechanism is complicated the way that he gets to the message due to his audience is not to me at least that first read inherently clear.

I think it's right to business. It's a very very rare that you're reading a book like the Bible something that starts with you idiots, but it basically does. Oh foolish Galatians. I mean, that's a pretty strong open thing. I said when I stepped in his fault it is you foolish Martin's billions about me. But this is what Paul is talking to I will say the difference here is Paul writing to people in a church that he knows. These aren't the thing to put on a poster board to the unchurched and what he's targeting here is problematic idolatry and I may not I didn't say nothing about Idols. That's true. He doesn't call it out as as idolatrous necessarily. I don't think that word is in here, but we see our people and we talk about this in chapters 1 and 2 that he specifically frustrated with what they're choosing to do. They know the truth and there are compounding it with things they believed to be as important as the truth. They're not putting the law in its proper place. They're misinterpreting what the law was intended to do. And as usual his urgency here leads to a very rapid Pace in the background moving up there. Turn up Hall chooses to do here and in this is very important to note because of his audience. He was talking to people who have been very familiar with Abraham and Moses in some of these Old Testament figures the predecessors to Jesus. We don't dwell on that idea nearly as much with regard to like older. Holy and about in the the law has a huge impact on our life. We should we talk a lot more about Christ the Fulfillment of the Covenant but these galatian they're saying Jesus equal importance because that's what we believe and Paul is having none of that. T'pol star to the beginning and he's talked about Abraham and he said just as Abraham and he's wrong quote believe God. It was kind of him as righteousness. He was holy and righteous by faith. So he says believe God. He doesn't say he was holding righteous by faith. He was holding right wrist. He says he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. That's right in the Old Testament belief in God. If we were to define the word faith in God would probably be that the basically what we see here is Paul saying Abraham's faith in God made him, right and this is before the law. GoPro trying to talk about it any time you think about something that's in today's world. Maybe I pass world is very valuable. But tradition that says God bless it's only more than a tradition. That was just something they came up with this was from God, but Paul saying that's not what Justified Abraham we all agree. He was right. There was no law for him after he was a righteous it again following the end of the very first circumcision do it and he did it. So then let's move up to Moses. He was holding righteous by faith during the law Moses was not righteous because he held the law. I didn't do it. I know we see is it in the third part of this Chunk? We see the Christ fulfills the Holiness righteousness and the law itself all of this. All the righteousness was granted to them is because of Christ as I stand here before you one of the elect my righteousness is Christ. That's it. There's no righteousness that I manufactured beside christ-like. My good deed. The nearest price is going to save me and then I'm going to check the rest of my work. That's not it anything that's righteous hear. The righteous is credited to Abraham and Moses is the same righteousness of Christ credited us that this would have kind of been a little bit mind-bending to them. Also mind-bending to us, right we say that like Christ Alone In Christ Alone, right Christ in Me by the way, just saying about those exact lyrics But we lose sight of that because there's a crisis in there along with a lot of me and I do some things of Christ does some things and all that adds up to Salvation and that's bunk. That is no different when he's targeting here, but there's a little bit more external right? It's a new believer welcome. Hey, we got to do a little snooping and then you'll be safe. Like it was a big deal. We agreed that that's important. We think that's as important as you saying that Christ as your savior and this clearly frustrated Paul, I told you go back and talk a little bit about Abraham because Paul dust. Grace came first, so it's really really of it with Abraham. There was no notion of like, oh, there's some law and I could prescribe and I was convinced by God just like boom. Going to be holy and righteous believe in and he says I'll do it. Right we know all the stories of Abraham, but it started there. This is so important in a reason that he spends. I didn't even mention Moses by name here. I'm talking about Moses because the law is often referred to as the Mosaic law and I think it's a little bit easier to step from Abraham to Moses to Christ. But he spends a lot of time talking about Abraham the reason he does that is because God reached out to Abraham Abraham did not prepare himself or God. He didn't have to perform any Works to ready. Gaga just said, it's go time. All the things that Abraham did all the stories that we share about Abraham's faith and his belief come after God got a hold of him. By faith those works of Abraham that we hold in such high esteem were results of his belief not cause of his salvation and there wasn't even a lot of here to yet and it's important cuz he's people can't let the law go they can't let it go and he say here's somebody that was righteous that didn't have law. It didn't even have Christ incarnate. We have both right but why was Abraham Hood was it the law? No, I'd have been Christ. It has to be that's the only thing it could be.

They talked a little bit about the nature of law so much effort for Moses. We see grace came first yet. Again. Reach out to Moses as well. Write his story is not one of some near christ-like figure that had no sin in his life and everything came together for now. That's not the case. Said. I'll use you. Here's a bush that's on fire. It doesn't seem to ever burn the bush. I can't believe it's happening. And in the rest of this is history, right when we go back and read this Moses held in high esteem, but it's law was given to him. But prior to the law coming to Moses, what would Moses have upheld? faith faith alone

The law was not a new way to be saved. It was an indicator of how impossible it would be to live as God demand. We brought those Commandments down when the law was being written and created. I doubt there are a lot of people say Melissa be easy hanging fruit, like take deep breaths. We can do that. This was not the case the Ten Commandments everybody in this room has broken The Ten Commandments one of them at least I guarantee it to kill anybody but darn near every other one has been broken by me. I bet on it, right because there's no way I'm going to make it there. The reason that we have it is to show that Gap. Tell the law the law the law the law in Christian Circle Christian Church circles today that we aren't underneath the law that the new a New Covenant with Christ and because it's brand new but this is something distant separated from us. I will start that has false. We are not beholden to the law any more than the Jews were beholden to the law for salvation. But we see when we look at the law is it was not intended to save us its intent is to show us the need for a savior when you read the law. You're not supposed to say all well I got this covered this a piece of cake has been like who in the world could pull this off. Exactly has been won so far. Jesus Christ the Galatians know this this is not new remember, they're not. I'm sure she's not telling her about the law. Like I we've heard rumors about the other Jewish law. They know the law and they know Christ the church was formed. This isn't a Jewish synagogue that he's trying to witness to this is a church and an act of worship in church Pauls ticked because despite knowing that Christ came and that he took care of everything they're running back into their old ways. right now I can I can not not to this degree, but I can relate to this a little bit when you talk to somebody. I'm sure everybody can like this you talk to somebody you you you tell them some truth. They say oh my gosh, that's I've never thought of it that way. My life is changed forever and it's really changed like two weeks and then like it doesn't happen. Again. You're sitting there frustrated. Like did you really believe what I said or do you not believe that if you didn't believe that's fine. Don't tell me you believed it to say I don't believe it. I think the problem here is post frustrating that same manner he shows up and I'll gather up all in a couple Rascals show up and take me to bring some of that old stuff back in that we did. That was good. Right. Broke that that in addition to your belief. I'm frustrated that what you're doing is putting that as an impediment between other people. Is Jesus and circumcision and not eating this and stand people that have no need for that? It's an impediment to that. You're putting a barrier between them and Jesus that's not cool. Because you know better. That is a difficult thing for us because I think we oftentimes much like these Jews understand how we've done these things. Whatever it is for so long that when it comes time to say, hey, here's a just something new and different. There's a new song Here's a new ministry. Here's a here's a new person from the city of came in and we don't know and they don't look like the rest of us are act like the rest of us and then I condition to the way we do Church in this room that we say. I have a rather you wear nicer clothes and sit quietly and do the things that we've always done now, that's not God's law but it is treated like that in a church setting Things become. Holy because they've been happening for a while. Nothing bad came of it. And will Paul saying here is careful with that stuff. Don't abandon its every time you coming to church like what do chairs all day? Cuz I'm not saying that right, but if somebody said if you don't sit during the service we stand Has there ever been in a church where you your baby visiting and you sat somewhere and someone came up to where you're sitting and kind of look at you and then I'll good morning and I walked on and you send me think I'm sitting in there have anybody it's out of me a handful times and you just know like oh, oh, oh sit over here. And there went the wrong doesn't match my butt. Right and whatever that kind of stuff is really dangerous cuz people come in from the outside of typos. I didn't know I couldn't sit here and then answer is a spoken. You may sit wherever you like. I don't know if they are because that's where I sit I sit there every time I can't worship over here that I don't like that side of the pasture space doesn't matter write the sum total is those sorts of things. That's right. These people know the truth, but they're consumed with the good old days. We've always been circumcised. We've always done this and we've always done that when the Gentiles come in and they don't have any history in this space. Best rated we talked a little bit. Malachi today. It's not a perfect alignment with this right but it's it's similar in regards like what we've done all this with nothing. There's no cutting with no skipping meals. That's not cool. I want them sliced and diced and I got to take a day off like the rest of it cuz that's what we're going to say. The rules are impulse a knock that off knock it off people aren't going to stop coming to Christ cuz they think what you're saying is true and it's not if somebody comes into this church and leaves thinking if I don't see him, I'm not save we blew it. None of those songs. We sang today save people not a beautiful music with great messages the message see Jesus Christ. We sing about Jesus Jesus saves people. That's it. That's that's in this up, which is why I think he's so irritated.

Christ was not a new idea to God. I got 15 minutes to God, right? So so this isn't that we talked about and saw a bunch of ideas to save mankind like that one didn't work either. You know, I got the very bottom of this. I guess. We'll throw Christ out of maybe he'll do it that's nonsense is evident throughout history that first Covenant with Abraham. You don't even want it a bit further back to a priest wandering in the wilderness that are hinted at a price was a total. He was playing a the only plan from the get-go everything that was happening here feelings tradition, even the law itself must point to Christ. If it doesn't lead somebody to Christ we have no use for it and that's why we see vs. Where Paul says well if you don't want to eat meat If it draws you away from Price don't but if you see someone else eating meatloaf, slap it out of their hand. It's their what it's their relationship with Jesus Christ. You be faithful to Christ in a Chrysler calling you to uphold certain tenets of the law that you better do it you better do it, but just because you're doing it doesn't mean everybody else has to Jesus comes first. So we're not beholden to the law. We're not a slave to the law Paul that makes a big deal of this notion Steve preach about what are we slaves to that? We're slave to Christ. And if I'm a slave to Christ because Christ chose me to be a slave and I willingly submit to him the works that I do the parts of the law and I have hold will look like while he's really becoming a good person. I'm becoming christ-like. What did Christ do on Earth above? All things of Ciara founded are our Salvation be upheld the law perfectly. If you want to be like Christ uphold the law perfectly. I thought you said we can't do that course not this is why we need the justification of Christ. Nobody can pull this off.

overwhelmed I am and so were the Galatians. This would have been super difficult for them. And I hope it's a little bit difficult here. Right? It is difficult. The gospel is not a picnic. It's simple enough in practice. Jesus saves you going to live forever in heaven, but while we're here while we're in during this we have to clean the cuts were we have to go to work on God's word not cling to what makes us comfortable. Comfortable sleeping in every day for me and work watching movies eat whenever I want doesn't matter. I'll get the guy when I get to God God's good and I health and wealth gospel. You're the one that's on fire by those churches humongous with thousands a thousand members because it makes everybody comfortable healthy healthy, but you must be safe. Must Love You That Somebody I want to hang around with keep telling me how good I am because of what the world is. It looks like for me and both saying hey the circumcision part you have that same problem. You're gospels not Health and Welfare gospels works. Get circumcised do this do that do that then maybe they'll be time for Christ. But that stuff every bit as a private person that Jesus. I can't even talk to you until you do these other things. That makes us comfortable. It's comfortable for them to know this is right here. It's comfortable for us to be in a room. That's not lighting and air conditioning El Valle Vista conditioning today. I guess heat today, but generally speaking climate control Jose that if that was broken. Would we be unable to Worship in this place by turn off all the lights and shut down all the stuff. Will be incapable of worshipping Jesus without it. If so, we have a big problem mister. We are able to gather up in a in a Walmart parking lot with cars running around whatever else and and worship and extol the name of Christ. Just as good as we could do that in this room. This is a gift and a blessing don't get me wrong. I'm not saying what's get rid of the church, but we need to understand what it is and it is not Christ. The church is us here and we are filled with Christ. And that's the power that we get out of this Paul rebuking man in order to charge them to clean the waters eternal. He's seen this happen, right? He's seen these bad things taking place and things changing and bad decisions being made of people that he knows are where the truth.

So let's sum up Paul's reminder. I miss the part where I said it was simple.

And interesting enough the song that we sang it be opened up with covers all of this perfectly. If you're not if you didn't catch all the words from the Reformation song definitely everything we should go back and take a look at it straight, but we are saved by grace through faith. in Jesus or God glory as the scripture teaches

That's it. That's a big nail Apple trying to hammer into these galatian. Well and through faith in Jesus and circumcision wrong, if there's no Anne's here. You can't throw up another one. You can't toss and just also for God's glory in hours for God's glory in Calvary Heights. No. We're saved by grace and works by faith by grace and pity no migration. Some people are entitled to it. No. None of us are saved. If God didn't say grace of God said that is no great. You guys got to earn it. We're all done. It's over. God's grace, he gives us Grace. He gives us Faith. He gives us Christ. He gives himself Lord. He gives us his word which of these come from us. I'll certainly none of it. Some people argue with me on that. My faith is my own. I hope not what I read here in the Bible is if it starts with you that's not the kind of faith that get you to have that kind of Faith to get you stand up for something. I called you lord lord depart from me. I never knew you that gives me chills to say it. That's the scariest thing I can think of and that's what makes all set for these folks. They may know who Jesus Christ is that might be a little confusing turn around but their salvation is secure, but what they're telling other people the work that they're doing a fruit that they're bearing is bad fruit. And that's what that's what takes them off. The same people and he's trying to get this through their head. You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus for God's glory as a scripture teaches. It's just that when he's walking back to Abraham and he's walking back through the law all this is to help them understand that none of these things come from The Works of anybody only the work of Christ. That's it. That's it. Abraham break guy without the grace of God without faith in God about faith in in the Jesus was right by his offspring The Offspring is Jesus. He believed that God said I'm going to go to The Offspring from you is going to save the world. He said I believe that I believe that my Offspring is the Son of God and is going to save us saved by grace through faith in Jesus Jesus. Pause try to get this through their heads you guys overthinking it don't matter at the water's too much and that's what we're called to do here. But anyway call to action if you're here today in your life never thought of it. That way I've heard of Jesus. I never believed in Jesus certainly never believed in that notion about Grace and Faith all that coming together. We want to talk to you about Jesus Christ. Please don't leave this place with doubts or we'll hang around as long as it takes to get to the bottom of whatever we can.

If you're a Believer and you desire church family, we don't talk about church membership. Three times it to every Sunday's great time to join a church membership. Not going to get a card with discounts around town what you did as a family a relationship. We can come together and pray and and spend time interceding for one another sharing each other's burdens and most importantly studying the word together. Only if you believe in Jesus and you remember this church family, I'd like you to prayerfully consider what things in our lives are between us in Jesus and I might not seen as clear-cut maybe like now is nothing between me and Jesus. Do I get a prayerfully consider playing right now in the same thing. The Holy Spirit to open some things up and say what what stuff am I putting Alongside Jesus. It's may be eating out in the lives of other people when I share the gospel. Maybe I say oh it's good. If you want to do that, you got to come to church with me. That's a big one, right? I just want to spend time in church. They need to church family important. We going to talk to somebody and I'll come back here. That's not a failure. We might feel it is right. These doors aren't swelling out with people may be at the failure. That's something else right? That's something Jesus plus attendance. Other things that you're going to start to do because of Jesus, but it's always Jesus that doesn't good works in Christ attendance at church serving and Ministries from Christ. Not from trying to earn favor.

We'll go ahead and have a then come up. Play some I believe it was a term use reflective not sing-along E. I heard anyway.

Reflecting reflecting reflecting music not sing along any music cuz I understand so take this time to reflect reflect in. What where you are if you are and if you're here and you don't know Christ, come on, I'll be staying up here happy to play with you you like to join the church coming up happy to help you do that. But if you are a member and you were believe her take this time and figure out what's going on here that I could move some things away, but I'm not part of a party. It is trying to make something as important as Jesus Christ, please.

Heavenly father. I feel like we just kind of Whirlwind thru what could be a very difficult chapter Lord and I'm thankful for your Holy Spirit. That's much much more powerful than I am with regards to to dividing this word righteous sweetheart. I pray that everybody who has ears to hear. This word this morning. Lord will take into their hearts the notion that you are so gracious that you've bestowed us with the ability to believe you've given us Faith. You've given us Christ. You've given us everything we need at all from you Lord all for you not about us and it's not about our desires are things that we might hold dear Stephen about fulfilling the law as best we can or it's about understanding that we cannot fulfill the law we can't ever do enough. There's no amount of work. They'll ever get us into your presence. You've done everything that needs to be done. Everything is finished even set it on the cross. It is finished. Go to pray for somebody who doesn't know you that they will be unable to sit in that seat. They'll come up here and that we cannot. Pray with them Lord. I want them to I'd love to introduce them to you today. I love answer questions or concerns. They have or maybe some misconceptions. They've heard people told him in the past about Jesus and this and you got to believe but you got to stop that or you won't be none of that matters to deal or there's somebody here knows who went to church home. I love to play with them to everybody else that the member here at this church that that's here regularly and spending time Lord. I pray that for those of us that are in that position that our hearts are broken and that you will be doing a work even this very morning to take something that we've held it as an idol a part of the really important to our walk with Christ in addition to Christ. Then we'll put it in its proper place or we need to abandon everything in our lives, but we need to be sure that it's well underneath your son. Well underneath thank you Lord for everything you've done for us. Thank you for this time together. I think sometime I pray and then