Sermon Tone Analysis

Attention passengers!

Have you ever had someone sell you something, giving you the advantages of something only to find out they did not tell you some important details?

In our passage tonight we are taking a journey from the Law to the law of grace through faith.

(Attention passengers)

You have settled into your seat on a crowded flight from Des Moines to Hawaii.

Your vacation you had scrimped and saved for.

And you hear the following message.

“Welcome aboard American Airlines flight 123 for Honolulu.

Can I interest anyone in a parachute today?

It will make your flight more enjoyable, and in it you will discover a new measure of peace, joy and love.”

You consider it, many are not taking it, you take it, you are uncomfortable, you are sneered and eventually you take it off and you tell the flight attendant that they lied to you, you did not find it more enjoyable, did not find any measure peace, joy and love.

The flight attendant leans in and tells you this is what she wanted to say, but the people don’t want to hear it.

Attention passengers, stop what you are doing, pay attention, the plane is going to go down, who wants a parachute?

When you understand the severity of the situation than you are ready to do anything for the safety of yourself are you not?

You are willing to be uncomfortable, to be sneered at, are you not?

The Parachute offers safety, as does the Gospel message.

The Gospel message is Good News, it offers safety to those who hear, believe and obey it.

But isn’t the Law good too?

Did it not offer heaven to those who adhered to it?

The Law was needed so we can understand sin and receive true grace.

We need to know the Law to know the grace of God and to be justified by God through faith.

Paul continues his defense of the gospel, the true gospel and justification by faith by looking back to Abraham and then coming forward.

In the passage we will see:

Purpose of the Law

Justification needed

Teacher of justification

Where, when and how we are justified

Results of justification and then

Rewards of justification

Let me tell you at this point, this is not a six point sermon, so don’t worry, for I don’t want anyone to fall out a window or even off a pew.

In our passage tonight Paul is going to paint a picture of the purpose of the Law and justification by faith.

What we don’t cover tonight we will next week so be sure to come back and thank you for flying heavenly airlines, please put away your trays and sit in an upright position.

For here we are about to take off on today’s journey in God’s Word.

Faith before the Law

Faith of Abraham justified him and declared him righteousness (Gal3:6).

Faith today makes us son’s of Abraham (Gal3:7) so today we are going to continue to look at faith and the law, and justification by faith.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Paul’s aim for this entire passage tonight is about showing the superiority of God’s grace (justification by faith) over the Law.

And that grace is older or predated the Law.

Paul is addressing the claim of the Judiazers and is going to speak back to them using their own logic He is using a form of debate, this was very common at the time, this made perfect sense to a Jew, though we may have a hard time comprehending it today, so let me give you a little background.

(Covenant)

When a covenant was entered there were terms to the covenant, acceptance of the covenant, then the covenant was ratified.

It was ratified by the death of an animal, the shedding of blood.

Oftentimes, like seen with David and Jonathan there would be walking between the halves of the animal that was sacrifice whose blood was shed for the covenant.

Once the covenant has been ratified there is no changing it, nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken away from it.

When it comes to a covenant both parties agree to the terms and conditions of the covenant and both have a part to play.

What does a covenant look like today, a contract that is ratified when both parties sign it.

Paul is speaking to them in terms they would understand (Gal3:15)

Using the covenant of Abraham Paul is showing that it is a covenant of faith.

God offered the covenant, He gave the terms, He gave the direction And Abraham had to accept the terms of the covenant (which in this case is worded as a promise).

May we understand that the covenant that was entered was a promise, a covenant for Abraham and his seed, not seeds.

It was not for a nation but for a person (Jesus Christ).

Though Abraham did not see the fulfillment of the promise, he acted on it in faith.

The promise of all nations would be blessed did not come from a Jewish nation, but a Jewish person.

Paul gives argument of faith before law (Gal3:16-17)

Abram received the promise, the terms of the covenant.

He was told it would result in his seed, Jesus Christ.

Paul makes a point to say seed, not seeds, it is not the people (Isreal; descendants of Abraham) but seed, the person being Jesus Christ.

Salvation came from the Jews, the Jew, Abraham, to Jesus Christ.

Salvation (blessings) for Abraham was by faith, obedient faith, covenant faith and it is the same for us, obedient faith.

Faith came before the law

Abrahams covenant w/God (Gen12:1-3; Heb11:8; Gal3:6; Gen15:17-18)

I just mentioned Abraham’s obedient faith, here is the promise (the covenant) God offered.

You can see the fulfillment here in Heb11

The covenant, the promise was made to Abraham, he believed and was reckoned as righteousness (Gal3:6)

We receive Christ Jesus by faith, obedient faith, just like Abraham.

Abraham heard the terms of the promise (the covenant) and he accepted them.

He got up and he went, we too accept the terms of the covenant, the promise of eternal life by faith too, just like Abraham.

In Gal3:17 we see that the Law came in 430 years after the covenant that cannot be changed cannot be altered with Abraham.

Jon Courson says:

“The Law does not legally or logically have the power to negate the blessings God gave to Abraham through Jesus Christ.”

( Abram and God)

I want to you imagine a possible conversation between Abram and God

Hey Abram your descendants will be more than the stares in the heavens (Gen15:5); OK God, I believe You.

But God I don’t have any children now, but I believe you (Gen15:2, Gen16:6).

Abram I am a shield to you, and great will be your reward (Gen15:1).

God told Abram to go get these things and bring them back (Gen15:9); Abram did because he believed God.

Abram cut them all in two, except the birds (Gen15:10); Abram did, then came trouble, birds of prey (Gen15:11).

Abram had to be wondering what is going on, God told him get these things, what is taking so long, God caused a great sleep to come upon Abram (Gen15:12).

See Abram was used to covenants where you meet in the middle and he wondered what was going on with God.

God does not meet in the middle, He does not go half way, He comes all the way, all the way through Jesus Christ.

It was during the sleep a terror shown, then God told him the promises to come and finally it was time to ratify the covenant

Then came the rewards of the covenant

A great land was to be given as well as the seed.

God had given a seed promise and a land promise and Abram believe and God reckoned him righteousness.

And since the sacrifice was already made, there was no altering the covenant.

God goes all the say for us.

Abram heard the terms, accepted the terms and walked in the promise without even seeing it.

It was for the future, the promise had a view of Jesus and the cross.

Abram just did not know it.

When God said it, it was done, seal, ratified and there was no changing it.

We may, like Abram, have birds of prey that want to peck away, or try to carry away our promise in Christ Jesus.

The vultures of doubt, shew them away with the truth of the Word.

Buzzards of cynicism trying to tell you that you have not done enough good works, tell them God already did the work on the Cross of Christ.

Some reminders of the rewards of the covenant with Christ:

He supplies all of our needs in Christ Jesus (Php4:19)

He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb13:5; Deu31:6)

He has prepared a place for you (Jn14:2)

He forgave your sins and gave you His Spirit (Act2:38)

Our inheritance is based on a promise not on the Law (Gal3:18).