Post on 23-Feb-2016
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WELCOMEAdult II Couples Class
discoverjoy.com
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Adult II Couples Class
discoverjoy.com
When do you
traditionally begin
decorating your home
for Christmas?
Physical Spiritual Practical Church Misc
PRAYER REQUESTS-Savage Family
-Country Haven Church
-Heup Family
-Haraway Family
-Preaching at Country Haven
-Tony: Cancer treatments
-Cathy Laster: Cancer treatments
-Abraham Garcia: Cancer treatments
-Griffith Goodyear
-Global Missions Offering
-Mexico Missions Team
-Christmas program
CHURCH STUFFClass Events Church Events
Benevolence Fund R.E.A.P. (P-Team) Scripture Readers
Needed Monthly Fellowships
November?? December 15th –
Woffords January ??
Dinner out Friday (30 Nov)
5th Sunday Breakfast (30 Dec)
Quarterly Service Project Ends of the Earth
Project
Mexico Mission Team (Nov 17-24)
Olive Grove Terrace Visitation (25 Nov)
OB Christmas Parade (2 PM Dec 1)
Jesus’ Birthday Party (Dec 2) E-Sunday (Dec 9) IBC Christmas Dinner (5:45
Dec 12) Ladies Cookie Exchange (Dec
14) Youth Christmas Party (Dec 14) IBC Christmas Program (Dec
16)
QUESTION OF THE DAYAdult II Couples Class
discoverjoy.com
When do you
traditionally begin
decorating your home
for Christmas?
Chronological Bible
Discipleshipweek forty-seven
Galatians
Iva May and Dr. Stan May
Chronological Bible StudyOur Goals:To make a one year journey through the story of the Bible (His Story)
To be able to identify the 14 Bible eras and connect them to the other eras
To understand the spiritual formation of the individuals plugged into His StoryCreation
Patriarch
Exodus
Conquest
Judges
Kingdom
DividedKingdom
Captivity
Return
Silent
Gospel
Missions
End Times
ChurchToday
Church Era
Jesus responded to Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” by introducing His other sheep as the church, “And I say to you that you are Peter (petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
• Jesus foretold the creation of bodies of believers who would meet together regularly for worship, instruction, service, fellowship and mission.
• These churches are built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.
CONTEXT• The church at Antioch
commissions their first mission team; Paul and Barnabas• Their missions trips begin fulfilling Jesus’ com-
mand in Acts 1:8 “…and you shall be witness to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• As the Gospel spreads so does heresy born of confusion over faith and the role of the Law• Some Jews teach Gentiles to embrace the Law and
circumcision• These new believers are tempted to embrace this
false gospel that adds works to faith• Paul responds to this confusion
by writ-ing a letter to the Galatians to clarify the role of the Law and faith
OVERVIEW Old Testament Stories Lay
the Foundation for New Testament Truths, as Paul States: “For whatever things were written before
were written for our learning, so that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)
In His Epistles, Paul Exhorts, En-courages and Instructs Believers in their Walk with God• His letter to the Galatians addresses the
problem of legalism in the early church• He uses contemporary and OT examples to
teach the truth about the law, righteous-ness and sanctification
KEY TRUTHNeither salvation
nor spiritual growth are obtained by keeping the law, but by receiving
both the promise of salvation and the power of the Holy
Spirit by faith.
CHURCH ERA
KINGDOM LIBERTY• The Problem of Legalism• A Picture of Legalism• The Prevention of Legalism
Galatians 2, 4, & 5
THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM
Galatians 2:16-21
THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM
It Distorts the Gospel Message Peter and Barnabas acted as hypocrites out of fear of
the opinions of some of their Jewish brethren (vs 11-13)• Their behavior distorted the Gospel
message• This distortion combines law-keeping
with ‘grace through faith’ salvation
Paul corrects this distortion (vs 16)• “Knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM
Because the Law can’t Justify, Faith Becomes Necessary “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is
no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (20)
Paul teaches three basic truths about the need for faith• Because he is unable to please God (even thru
the law), he must die• Christ’s life is the only life that pleases God• Since the law of the flesh is insufficient before
God, a living faith in the perfect One (Christ) is the only way to acceptance before God
THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM
Legalism Weakens the Gospel Message (Galatians 3) Galatians 3:1 – “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched
you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as cru-cified?”• Those who follow legalism are “bewitched” (to bring evil
on one by feigning praise)
Galatians 3:2 – “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”• They did not receive the Spirit by works of the law, but by
hearing of faith
Galatians 3:5 – “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”• God does not do mighty works by legalism but by the Spirit
THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM Legalism Supplants the Work of the Spirit
Galatians 3:3 – “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”• Legalism seeks to replace the work of the Spirit who began the be-
liever’s salvation
Galatians 3:10-12 – “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justi-fied by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’”• Legalism demands every person fulfill the entire law to avoid being
un-der the curse of the law
Galatians 3:21 – “Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.”• Legalism fails because it cannot give people what they need most;
SPIRI-TUAL LIFE!
• If the Law could not justify us, what purpose did it serve? Galatians 3:19 – “Why the Law then? It was
added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.”
The Law was intended to address transgressions Served as a restrainer of sins by showing them to be in violation of
God’s standards for creation and thereby incurring His wrath It was always meant to be temporary, until the seed (Jesus) came,
after which it was not longer needed to please God
A PICTURE OF LEGALISM
Galatians 4:1-7
A PICTURE OF LEGALISMThe Heir under the Tutelage of a Slave
Paul uses the example of the temporary oversight of an heir Special slaves were given oversight to their master’s heirs to prepare them to take
on the responsibilities of sonship Usually from the age of 6-18
In the Same Way, the Law Provides Oversight to the Jewish People Gives them a means of living under God’s mercy Prepares them for the coming of Christ
Believers who Return to Law-keeping Limit Themselves Prefer the continual directives of the appointed slave over the freedom of sonship Paul implies the question, “Why would any heir return to the former days of
oversight by slavery?”
A PICTURE OF LEGALISM“Paul is saying that before Christ came into the world, Jews were under the guardianship of the written law. Gentiles were also under the guardianship of the law of conscience. So all men were like children. There was a potential inheritance; there was a coming salvation; there was also an available promise; but they were not yet mature sons who could inherit it. This is true also of any person today who is living without Jesus Christ. He is living subject to God’s laws. He is an infant subject to that law and the only thing that will make him a mature son able to receive the promised inheritance is to come in faith to Christ.”
-John MacArthur
• Why is it so tempting to base our righteousness on rules rather than the relationship?
• How to become a legalist Make your own rules outside the Bible Push yourself to try and keep your rules Castigate yourself when you don’t keep your rules Become proud when you do keep your rules Appoint yourself as judge over other people Get angry with people who break you rules or have different
rules “Beat” the losers
THE PREVENTION OF LEGALISM
Galatians 5:16-25
PREVENTION OF LEGALISM
The Flesh and its Sin Cannot be Overcome by Keeping the Law “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the
flesh.” (vs 16) Depends on the indwelling Spirit who overcomes sin and the flesh,
producing righteousness which God loves and requires
Mature Believers Live by these Truths of their Faith When Christ died, they died
• Deciding to repent of a life dictated by the desires of the flesh
When Christ was buried, they were buried• Accepting Christ’s death on the cross as payment for sin
When Christ rose from the dead, they rose from the dead• Being made alive in spirit to live eternally
PREVENTION OF LEGALISM
Resting in the Truth of Faith produces Peace, not Striving A peace replaces the anxiety associated with law-keeping That peace becomes the pathway for the Spirit to bear fruit in the life of
the believer• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
When the Spirit controls us, we will (super)naturally produce fruit in every situation The fruits of the flesh are manifested the we grieve the Spirit, denying
His power in our lives The fruits of the Spirit flow from choosing (daily) to walk by His leading
and not under the influence of our senses (flesh)
• What spiritual conditions might result in people demonstrating the ‘desires of the flesh in their lives? Not saved (unregenerate state) Backslidden Christian Saved but struggling with some sin of the old flesh (carnal
Christian)
• What can we do to ensure that we don’t fall into a pattern of living by “the rules” that govern the flesh, rather than by the Spirit of Christ?
The Law was given to prevent man from total self-destruction and prepare him for salvation The Law cannot deliver him from sin or mature him once saved
The Law cannot save, nor can it keep those who have trusted in Christ from sinning The Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer to prevent him
from sinning
Living under the Law after trusting Christ is like being treated as a minor still under guardian-ship, rather than as a mature son
The Spirit fulfills the righteous demand of the law by saving and maturing those who trust in Christ
CONCLUSIONS
BIBLE TRIVIA QUIZThe Books of Acts & Galatians(1pts)
Who was the source of such a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, that they went their separate way? “Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them
also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.” (Acts 15:37-38)
The man who appeared in Paul’s dream, begging him to “come help us”, was from what region? “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man..was standing
and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”(Acts 16:9)
What was the ethnicity of Timothy’s parents? “And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish
woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:1)
BONUS ROUNDBonus Questions (2pts)
How many years lapsed between the covenant made with Abraham and the giving of the Law thru Moses? “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham…the
Law, which came 430 years later, does not invali-date a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.” (Galatians 3:16-17)
What was the value of the scrolls burned in Ephesus after those practicing sorcery believed in the Lord? “And many of those who practiced magic brought
their books together and began burning them...they counted up the price of them and found it 50,000 pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:19)
NEXT WEEK…..Adult II Couples Class
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1 Corinthians 1, 3, 5, & 6
Kingdom Problems