EXPLORE IT - Galatians 3:1-4

Galatians 3:1-4  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  ² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?  ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?  ⁴ Have you suffered so much for nothing-- if it really was for nothing?

In our culture today, many people believe they have to earn their way into heaven by being a good person.  If you do so many acts of kindness and never bring harm to anyone, you will have earned your salvation.  Some religions even teach the need to share their religious beliefs with so many people in order to earn your way to heaven.  Our passage this week speaks to this misunderstanding.

The book of Galatians is actually a letter written by Paul to the churches in Galatia sometime around A.D. 48-53.  This letter is considered one of the Pauline Epistles or letters written by Paul.  In four short verses, Paul addresses the foolishness of the Galatians because they began to believe in the necessity of earning one’s salvation.  Instead of doing acts of kindness, the Galatians believed they needed to revert back to following The Law of the Old Testament. 

The ESV translates verse two a little different than the NIV and is a little truer to the original Greek, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?”  Paul is attempting to remind the Galatians how they originally came to know Jesus as Lord, through “hearing with faith” and not “by works of the law.”  The Greek word for hearing is avkoh, (akoe) and is often used in the context of “having an attentiveness to the word being spoken” or “receiving faithfully.”  So this kind of hearing is not just a random hearing what someone has to say, but a true understanding and an acceptance of what one had heard.  Paul is calling the Galatians back to a belief in what they had heard, accepting that believing is all that is required for salvation.

Many of us have listened to messages in the past that include an invitation to know Jesus as Lord.  We have heard of Jesus and maybe even glanced at the Bible and read about who Jesus is; but have you truly heard and understood your need for Jesus and accepted Him as Lord of your life?  Paul is not only calling the Galatians back to a correct understanding of salvation, a salvation of belief and not works, he is also calling us to recommit or possible make a first time commitment to believe what we have heard and accept Jesus as Lord.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

READ IT! - Up Now Son - Galatians 3: 1-4

Here is the scripture passage we are studying this week to prepare for the second lesson from the Up Now Son sermon series.

Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? - Galatians 3:1-4 (NIV)

PREPARE FOR IT! - Up Now Son - Romans 10:1-17

Let's review the scripture passage to prepare for the first lesson sermon the Up Now Son sermon series tomorrow.

"Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Living on Mission with Beautiful Feet

Living on Mission with Beautiful Feet

Have we made the Good News into bad news? Hugh Halter asks this question at one point in his book, Flesh. He jokes a bit about explaining to people in the Old Testament that there’s Good News and then telling them about circumcision and the ban on bacon. (LOL!)

Could it be that we have our own modern day version of bad news/Good News? Check out what Paul says, “For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.” (Romans 10:3) I do this sometimes. I revert back to trying to keep the law. This is bad… it makes me grumpy and/or judgmental.

Here’s the really Good News in a nutshell: “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:10) Whew! No difficult, exhausting, and impossible law to try to live up to. Nope. We are saved because of what Jesus did, not because of anything we have done or will ever do. Period.

NOW, does this mean that we are free to do anything and everything we want with no responsibilities? Nope. We have something to do. We need to make our feet beautiful. (What? Huh?) “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14, 15)

Let’s practice Living on Mission and spread the really Good News to everyone around us with our beautiful feet!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! UP NOW SON - Romans 10:1-17

Confession:  It takes me a good week to adjust to the time change.  Despite my best efforts, attempts to get extra sleep, prayers to be delightful and lovely, and starting my morning with my Folgers Lively Colombian and God, I walk around a bit more tired, a bit more zombie-like, and a bit more cranky the whole week, wishing everyone I encountered were a venti non-fat white mocha from Starbucks instead of a person (and trying to refrain from disappointment when they're not... ha.)

I don't want to get up.  I don't want to get out of bed.  I don't want to start my day knowing that it'll be go-go-go at work until bedtime, whenever that is.  I'm tired before my foot hits the floor.  Waaaaah. 

Alas, not getting up is just not an option.  I have to get up. 

Jesus did it.  Lazarus did it.  I suppose we can do it too!

We're kicking off a four week sermon series this Sunday called "Up Now Son".  And, looking to Jesus, we will see why, as Christians, we have to "get up," just as He did.

This week's passage is Romans 10:1-17. 

Simply:  Salvation is for all. 

If that's not a message worth rising up for, well, I don't know what is...

When our motivations align with God's (verse 1) and we walk in the confidence of His promise that salvation is for everyone (verse 13) then how can we not "get up" and do as described in verses 14-17:  be the beautiful hands and feet who were sent, to preach, so that everyone hears about Jesus, so that they can believe, and call upon Him?! 

As Christians... we can't just stay in bed... and be cranky... because we've experienced something so phenomenal... we MUST get up.  Just as my coffee is "beckoning me," so too is the life-changing love of Christ.

So... in light of this passage, how do we "pray it?"  Over the next four weeks, in the "PRAY IT" blog, we're going to spend some time savoring Ephesians 6:10-18, which, in my opinion, illustrates another fine example of how we, as praying Christians, are to get up.  If you've got time, and managed to read this far, well, I've included the passage for your viewing pleasure:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Now, that's a hefty several sentences.  But picture this:  we need to put on our whole armor of God to stand... withstand... stand firm... so that we can pray.  We don't equip ourselves from head to toe with all that wonderful stuff (including the helmet of salvation) to then sit back down again, on the couch, lazily, as though we've had enough.  No no!  That would be dumb!  We're equipped to stand firm against something... and equipped to stand firmly for something!  To sit back down would be like dribbling a basketball almost all the way down the court only to stop just short of making a basket.  And then deciding to curl up in a fetal position and nap right there on the court.  (How do you think that would go over with the coach?  Well... how do you think it will go over with God?) 

You don't go through most of the effort and then just fall asleep.  You see it all the way through!  It's the same in this passage - we dress ourselves in all our Father gave us - from truth to righteousness, from faith to salvation - and then we pray.  At all times.  For everybody. 

That is how we should pray in light of this passage!

Victoriously!

Don't pray without your armor.  Don't don your armor and then forget to pray.

Salvation is for everyone. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving me (and everyone) so much that you died on the cross for me (and everyone).  Thank you that you offer a love for everyone rather than just a few.  Thank you for the people in my life who were obediently and lovingly standing with you, being your hands and feet, so that I would hear about you and experience you.  Thank you for that moment in time in which I said "yes" to you and you drew me close to you.  Thank you for how you've been drawing me close to you since.  Please help me put on the whole armor of God everyday, praying for more opportunities to be Jesus to others, and to tell them about you.  Please continue to provide more of those moments in my day-to-day life.  Show me.  I will obey! 
Amen.

Continue to Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today we are praying for single people (thank you!) and for God to grant repentance from our violent ways, as well as for the following African countries:  Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Reunion. 

See you tonight at GetWarmer 6-8pm!!!

Pastor Celia