The Message To The Galatians...., good sermon..... Options

[Clay]

1 Corinthian 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

This is another verse along the lines of what Pastor Bryan is voicing. When I ran across the verse shortly after I reconnected with the Lord two years ago, I read it and understood it to be referring to those like my husband who see religion as a silly crutch, a fairly tail. As I read the portions of the study that Clay has posted above, I now realize it also applies to those trapped in the practice of legalism who, by their very actions, show that they don't trust in the true power of salvation that the cross respresents.

based on what you are saying there may be many who sit in the pews on sabbath who feel that the cross is foolishness, that its not enough..... and maybe that's why some become so bent when a person chooses not to confirm to "the list" any longer.....

[Clay]

Some snippets from The Message bible that really is eyeopening... IMO of course.....

Gal 3:2-4

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

and this....

11-12

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life." Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them."

and lastly this....

18-20

What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.

21-22

If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God's will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.

some things to ponder when you get the time.... please note that at Sinai, God wanted to meet with the people, but the people wanted Moses to talk to God for them.... in essence Moses became the middle man.... God wants to know us personally, without a middleman..... additionally let this part sink in.... "the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can ONLY get by waiting in faith for God......."

In light of that, what makes The 10 commandment weekends such a great thing? oops did I type that?

[YogusBearus]

some things to ponder when you get the time.... please note that at Sinai, God wanted to meet with the people, but the people wanted Moses to talk to God for them.... in essence Moses became the middle man.... God wants to know us personally, without a middleman..... additionally let this part sink in.... "the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can ONLY get by waiting in faith for God......."

In light of that, what makes The 10 commandment weekends such a great thing? oops did I type that?

Good stuff Clay. Thanks for bringing in the Message version for additional amplification.

My suspicions as to the reason for the heavy emphasis of the 10 commandment weekend by 3abn, is that it is a easy sell (attracts contributions) and that it reaffirms the legitimacy of the legalistic view of how we are to relate to God. I hope I am wrong.



-bear

[foofighter]

based on what you are saying there may be many who sit in the pews on sabbath who feel that the cross is foolishness, that its not enough..... and maybe that's why some become so bent when a person chooses not to confirm to "the list" any longer.....

I believe there are many who think that Jesus and the Cross are not enough. Hopefully there are fewer than in the past. I don't think that "Jesus and Him crucified" was preached very often, nor really much about Paul and his letters. Only verses here and there. I heard that Jesus kept the Sabbath, Jesus rested over the Sabbath in the grave, Jesus kept the law, so we can too and He was our example. Not so much about Him being the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

Gal 3:10-14 "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is writen: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law" Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith. The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Thank you Jesus for REDEEMING me, a Gentile. I love that word REDEEMED!!!!!!

Off to work

[Clay]

I believe there are many who think that Jesus and the Cross are not enough. Hopefully there are fewer than in the past. I don't think that "Jesus and Him crucified" was preached very often, nor really much about Paul and his letters. Only verses here and there. I heard that Jesus kept the Sabbath, Jesus rested over the Sabbath in the grave, Jesus kept the law, so we can too and He was our example. Not so much about Him being the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

Gal 3:10-14 "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is writen: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law" Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith. The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Thank you Jesus for REDEEMING me, a Gentile. I love that word REDEEMED!!!!!!

Off to work

ever wonder why the Galatians message isn't preached more often? I have some ideas....

[PeacefulBe]

Some snippets from The Message bible that really is eyeopening... IMO of course.....

Gal 3:2-4

and this....

11-12

and lastly this....

18-20

21-22

some things to ponder when you get the time.... please note that at Sinai, God wanted to meet with the people, but the people wanted Moses to talk to God for them.... in essence Moses became the middle man.... God wants to know us personally, without a middleman..... additionally let this part sink in.... "the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can ONLY get by waiting in faith for God......."

In light of that, what makes The 10 commandment weekends such a great thing? oops did I type that?

All I can say about the verses you quoted is, pardon me, "Yummy!" I am so grateful that God doesn't expect for us to do any magic ritual in order to be saved.

Now, about you TCW comment: I have been trying to watch the 3abn campmeeting programs. Danny said the purpose of the weekend was to show that the 10 commandments show us God's character. This is one of the things I can agree with him on. But isn't that the character we are supposed to be reflecting in our daily lives anyway? Hmmmm.

[Denny]

ever wonder why the Galatians message isn't preached more often? I have some ideas....

C.O.N.T.R.O.L

[Clay]

All I can say about the verses you quoted is, pardon me, "Yummy!" I am so grateful that God doesn't expect for us to do any magic ritual in order to be saved.

Now, about you TCW comment: I have been trying to watch the 3abn campmeeting programs. Danny said the purpose of the weekend was to show that the 10 commandments show us God's character. This is one of the things I can agree with him on. But isn't that the character we are supposed to be reflecting in our daily lives anyway? Hmmmm.

I would respectfully disagree..... the 10 commandments do no such thing... they do not show us God's character....and I tend to be offended when people suggest it.... The 10 commandments may give us a glimpse of the mind of the Creator, but it does not show us his character.... It is clear to me that the life of Christ, His death on the cross shows us God's character.... in essence it is his love that reflects his character.....as Paul points out to the people in Galatia, the law could do nothing for us except show us that we needed a Savior.....

[Denny]

Do man made laws show us the character of governing bodies?

The law is like a mirror. Mirrors show us we have dirty faces and need to go to the washroom or get cleaned up, it does not show us what the washroom is like does it?
If the 10C showed us God's character then Jesus did not need to come to show mankind the Father.

[PeacefulBe]

I would respectfully disagree..... the 10 commandments do no such thing... they do not show us God's character....and I tend to be offended when people suggest it.... The 10 commandments may give us a glimpse of the mind of the Creator, but it does not show us his character.... It is clear to me that the life of Christ, His death on the cross shows us God's character.... in essence it is his love that reflects his character.....as Paul points out to the people in Galatia, the law could do nothing for us except show us that we needed a Savior.....

Hmmmm.

Okay, Clay. I see you points. I think I agree with them. I'll study it a little more and see if I can truly switch gears on that one.

[PeacefulBe]

Do man made laws show us the character of governing bodies?

The law is like a mirror. Mirrors show us we have dirty faces and need to go to the washroom or get cleaned up, it does not show us what the washroom is like does it?
If the 10C showed us God's character then Jesus did not need to come to show mankind the Father.

Denny,

Yes, I do believe that man made laws show us the character of the governing bodies. Just look at slavery. That was a man-made law that truly did show us the character of the leadership in Africa, where they willingly traded human beings for goods brought to them by Englishmen, whose laws allowed the trade and, therefore showed the character of the leadership in England, who shipped the enslaved human beings from Africa to America, where there was no doubt that the laws showed the character of those governing bodies, where they sold those human beings for the raw materials from the very plantations where those human beings were going to be laboring, and took those raw materials back to England to refine and start the triangle all over again.

However, I also agree that the Law is a mirror that shows us our need of salvation through Jesus.

[Denny]

Denny,

Yes, I do believe that man made laws show us the character of the governing bodies. Just look at slavery. That was a man-made law that truly did show us the character of the leadership in Africa, where they willingly traded human beings for goods brought to them by Englishmen, whose laws allowed the trade and, therefore showed the character of the leadership in England, who shipped the enslaved human beings from Africa to America, where there was no doubt that the laws showed the character of those governing bodies, where they sold those human beings for the raw materials from the very plantations where those human beings were going to be laboring, and took those raw materials back to England to refine and start the triangle all over again.

However, I also agree that the Law is a mirror that shows us our need of salvation through Jesus.

Well PB its not that simple, the abolition of slavery showed what about the state character, that they suddenly saw dark skinned, and not so dark skinned humans as their equals and decided to walk hand in hand with them? I think not as history and the present has borne out....
Man made laws shows sometimes humans get it wrong and sometimes right and when its right it does not mean the motives are honorable

[Clay]

we don't consistently keep man made law... and we do it so that we don't get punished.....

Let's face it someone has placed in our brains the erroneous idea that we can "keep" God's law. The message to the Galatians shows us how wrong that idea is....

[HUGGINS130]

we don't consistently keep man made law... and we do it so that we don't get punished.....

Let's face it someone has placed in our brains the erroneous idea that we can "keep" God's law. The message to the Galatians shows us how wrong that idea is....

blasphemy!

[Clay]

blasphemy!

not even... Paul had to deal with it in his time... he probably would be stunned into silence if he saw what is happening here and now....