Adopted
(15 downloads)Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
Galatians 4:1-11
Adopted: out of poverty and into good fortune. But it is more than just a heartwarming story. It is an illustration of what has happened to every child of God. We have been set free from the poverty of sin, death and hell and have been adopted into the house of our Lord, the Sovereign ruler of the entire universe. We have all the riches of the kingdom at our disposal. Let’s trace our story from the orphanage of slavery into the house of the king, and then let us see how we should respond to such generosity.
We Were Once Slaves 1-3
We Are Now Adopted 4-7
We need to live like it! 8-11
We are heirs. You are a child of the King. You are a co-owner of the universe! You will spend eternity with God in heaven. How foolish of us to turn back to the beggarly elements of slavery. If you want to, you go ahead and live like slaves, but as for me, I think I’ll sit at my father’s feet and enjoy the riches of his estate. Set me Free! I want to experience liberty as never before. So I choose to live like a son.
Out From Under The Thumb
(12 downloads)Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
Galatians 3:22-29
Freedom is counted in Scripture as one of the greatest privileges of the child of God. Throughout history, there is nothing for which nations have made great sacrifices except freedom. Slavery is the lowest condition into which man can sink, for in it he can no longer govern himself. Freedom is the deepest need of his nature. Experience Liberty as Never Before! Set me free! That is the theme of the book of Galatians, and today we will trace the path of the captivity, from the clanking of the chains forged under the law, to the cruel snap of the whip from our harsh task master. Until we find our way by faith to freedom as the sons of God. Our message today will focus on three men: A vigilant Jailor, A harsh Task Master, and a wealthy freedman. These three men illustrate the superiority of the freedom offered by the Gospel.
The Jailer – 22-23
We were confined
We were guarded for our own safety
The Task Master – 24-25
We were supervised
We are “under bondage"
The Heir – 26-29
We are Sons of Promise
Here is the way to freedom! We receive the Promise - through faith. We are now heirs because we are Christ’s. We are not only free, we are rich! Wealthy. We get to inherit all of creation. All of heaven. All of hope and joy and promise. Right now, if you have Jesus, you have the power of freedom. You are no longer under the thumb of the law, because you don’t need anyone to tell you to obey it. You want to obey it because you love Jesus. You have the power. You just need to utilize it.
Bewitched!
(10 downloads)Sunday, Oct 07, 2007
Galatians 3:1-5
Illusion—that’s what magic is all about. A magician makes it look like he’s sawing a beautiful girl in half, when you know that this is not happening. On the other hand, those who practice witchcraft are knowingly or unwittingly calling on supernatural beings to do something, like casting a spell.
The Galatians had been bewitched. Someone had exerted power over them, to deceive them and make them think that something is one way when it is just the opposite. This is more than an illusion or a misconception. Wrong teaching is so powerful that it is like the spell of the demonic itself.
They were foolish…
About how they received Eternal Life 1-2
You once clearly understood the purpose of the death of Christ
They were foolish…
About how they retain Eternal Life 3-5
If you began in the Spirit, can the flesh make you perfect?
Set me free to live a life of faith! We are saved by faith, and we live by faith. We gain eternal life by faith, and we become more like Jesus Christ by faith. Faith is the beginning, and faith is the process, and faith is the end. Choose faith and it will carry you through life, but choose against it, and you will end up eating sawdust and spiritually dead.
The Great Exchage
(12 downloads)Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
Galatians 2:16-21
I Hate My Life – Ever felt like that? Wouldn’t it be great if I could trade places with an intelligent, good looking or athletic person. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just start over? Is there another way to live? Can you find relief even at the height of life’s many demands? Is there a way to start over with a new life? The answer is the great exchange: New lives for old, warm hearts for cold. Have I got a deal for you today? Come on step this way, and get your new lives for old.
Explaining the Exchange 16
The basis of the exchange is Justification by Faith
We are free from the Penalty of sin & restored to favor w/God
Legal term: A legitimate reason for something normally illegal
Our defense is that Christ paid the penalty for us
It is not by Works
It is by Faith in Jesus Christ
Exchanging away our former life 17-18
Argument against Justification by faith
Justification by faith is an invitation for loose living
If justified, why bother to live a good life?
The answer to the argument
Justification by faith does not remove all sin from our lives
Justification is not the cause of the sin in our lives!
If you insist on the way of works it will make you a sinner
The way of works is a slap in God’s face
The way of Works is a way of saying you don’t need God
To please God, you must “die” to the way of works
Exchanging in our new life 20
This is a statement of fact... I have been crucified
The Penalty has been paid
When Christ died, I died with him
This is a statement essential to life… I live by Faith!
I was saved by faith
The life that you now live must also become a life of faith
You must live by faith.
It is the only way you can find hope and victory over sin
Life without the exchange 21
The way of Works means no grace – no grace, no hope!
The way of Works means we must obey the law perfectly
The end of the matter is this – we are saved by faith and we live by faith. And that makes all the difference. This is the great exchange. This is what hope is all about. . John 8:36 says "If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Do you hate your life? Do you desire to have freedom from guilt, rejection, and remorse? God is offering you forgiveness through the great exchange. Will you accept it?
A time for Confrontation
(11 downloads)Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007
Galatians 2:11-21
The Important Things
(14 downloads)Saturday, Sep 08, 2007
The Lord's Supper
1 Corinthians 11
Over, Under, Through, but never Around
(10 downloads)Thursday, Sep 06, 2007
Acts 20:17-35