'I Will' not 'You Will'
Notes
Transcript
When i was at school, History was not always the most interesting subject, but our History Teacher - Mr Smith - a gentleman who enjoyed his beer and had the appropriate figured to prove it, and a long thick black beard - tried to make it as intersting as possible. But when the inevitable happened and someone fell asleep - he’d sneak up on them, and give them a big hairy kiss on the cheek!
You’d probably get arrested for that these days - but let that be a wanring to you during this sermon - were a History lesson is on the agenda.
Pray
The History of God’s People
The History of God’s People
There is of course nothing boring about the History in the OT.
It’ is full of intruige, betrayal, murder, rebelion, love, mercy, rescue and we could go on.
And Paul here in Galtioans wants to focus in on the most important Historical figure to the Jewish religion - Abraham - the Father of all Israel. He was the one given the promises of blessing that would be inherited by the descendants of Abraham.
If you remember Paul is in mid flow in trying to convince the Christians in Galatia that both Jew and Gentile (non-Jews) are all now able to be part of God’s chosen people (Abrahams Children even) - by faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.
And he wants to show them now - that any attempt to save themselevs
by seeking justification by works of the law.
is by their own logic - a disastrous idea!
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
Many today are in the same trouble - and our own logic will be also shown to be useless if we think we can save ourselevs.
The law you hold onto will condemn you itself.
The life view and identity we hold onto today will condemn you itself.
pause
And so the History lesson begins..
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
2000 years before the times of the NT, Abraham and his wife Sarah were getting on in age - infact we’re told Sarah was beyond the age of child bearing Gen 18v11 and had been unable to conceive her whole life.
An understandable anguish for her as it is today for those who are unable to conceive. A problem she can do nothing about.
It has not just emotional pain, but back then had economic impact, future security, and heritage issues.
No heir for Abraham.
And that’s a particular problem becasue God has promised Abrham not only an heir, but decendansts numbering the stars in the sky and a promised land - which was to be Israel and the great city of Jerusalem where His decendants would dwell.
Genesis 12:7 (NIV 2011)
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
NO child comes along, so by chapter 16 of Genesis.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
Hagar did get pregnat and gave birth to a son - Ishmael.
There is unsurprisingly some tension that arises between Sarah and Hagar, and God is not happy they have done this according to their human ways and thinking - their own flesh - rather than trusting in his promise.
And so later on, despite her old age, God opens Sarah’s womb and she gets pregnant with Issac.
What’s Paul’s point...
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
It’s was Abraham and Sarah’s ‘own efforts’ to fulfil the ‘promise of God’ - to save themselevs if you like - that led to the human, fleshly, decision to produce Ishmael.
Issac however, is literally only born becasue of the divine will and action of God to make good on his promises!
There can be no mistake with Issac who is to receive the glory.
Ishmael on the other hand - can only be a result of human and sinful work.
So what’s the application to the Galatians and us..
2 Covenants - Slavary and Freedom
2 Covenants - Slavary and Freedom
These things are being taken figuratively: the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: this is Hagar.
SO here is a picture says Paul.
These 2 women represent 2 covenants. 2 agreements between man and God..
1st - is Hagar the slave.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
In other words - Hagar represents the Old covenant. The covenant between God and the people of Israel through the later leader Moses.
Who would bring the law of God to His people, receiving the 10 commandments on a mountain - which mountiain - you’ve guessed it - Mount Sinai.
And Why is this a covenant of slavery - becasue when you read the 10 commandments, the owness to get things right in order to please God is on...
Us.
‘You’ shall not commit adultary
‘You’ shall love the lord your God.
‘You will not covet... and so on.
And so Hagar represents the physical city of Jerusalem - in other words the place where the temple of God is, full of Jews still trying to obey the law and finding they fall short!
They are in slavery to sin under the law. Just as we would be if we thought our salvation relied on getting the law right And -Just as Hagar was literally enslaved to Sarah. They are children of the line of Hagar - figuratively.
And so in a sense all the Jews trusting in obedience to the law to save them are enslaved by the very thing they hope will save them!
And worse - they have missed the new covenant that has come - that the old covenant was supposed to point them towards- in fact they put the new covenant to death on a cross!
The true descendant - or seed - as we saw in chapter 3 - of Sarah and Abraham.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: ‘Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; break forth and cry aloud, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.’
We no longer anticipate a renewal of the literal city of Jerusalem as a fulfilment of Abrahams promise from God - the new Jerusalem is above - it is where the seed of Abraham truly is - Jesus, the child of Sarah.
And there is to be no mistake who’s work this is in the new covenant. The barren woman rejoices! in other words - there is no credit to the women or the man, but credit to God alone!
Sarah represents the fulfimnet of this new covenant in Jesus -
And why does Sarah represent his new city - becasue her salvation did not rely on her work - you shall not, you shall do, you shall have a child by your own efforts..
But relied on the promise of God - I will give you, I will give you a child.
emphaisis the ‘I will’
God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’
Do you see the difference
1st Cov - human effort - you shall do - which leads to failure - which is slavery - just like Hagar and Ishmael.
2nd Cov - God’s promise - I will - which leads to sucess in Jesus - which is freedom for us - Just as Sarah bearing Issac was the free gift and product of God alone.
You missed the whole point of the old covenant says Paul if you try and earn salavtion!
You will fail by your own logic - for the 1st covenant was unachievable by your own efforts, by the flesh - and so you were supposed to recognise that and therefore hold instead to the promises of God given to Abraham for his mercy and deliverance.
How our current culture also fails by it’s own logic. Trusting in personal identity, or the rights of the one who shouts loudest - none will save because they all look interanlly for hope.
When actually internally has been and always will be where the problem on sin and death and injustice has always been.
OUr only hope cannot be the flesh that we are - if only our world did this and that.
Do this, do that…
It can only be an intervention from a higher power that promises - I will one day pit all things right.
And that arrived in the the Lord Jesus who fulfills the old covenant perfectly (unlike us) and so fulfils the promises as well - freely by the work of God alone.
Jesus - He’s a one stop package!
And so now Paul applies this all by making 2 points.
1 - that they, and we still today should expect there to be tension and persecution towards New Covenant believers and those who hold (often unknowingly) to the old covenant.
2 - Son’s of Issac are treated like heirs!
1 - Expect Opposition to the New Covenant.
1 - Expect Opposition to the New Covenant.
We still see this and will see this in our world and churches until Christ returns.
At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.
Ishmael - the son of Hagar - persecuted Issac - the son of Sarah. presumably out of jealously and a desire to bring Issac down from his inheritance as the true heir of Abraham.
let’s pick up the original story in Genesis again
The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, ‘Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.’
Perhaps it sounds harsh to us, but the reality is that Ishmael mocked (Paul uses the word persecuted) Issac.
The boy born out of fleshly attempts to save - hated the boy born out of divine grace and mercy.
Ishmael is deserving of his impeding exile for he chooses to reject the grace of God.
And so it is today say Paul
But what does Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.’
Quoting the exact verse we just read - he draws the picture or illustration and applies it to the Christian church.
Of course those who deny God’s promises of salvation are going to be jealous and or angry at those who claim and believe in Jesus as the only way to salvation.
We shouldn’t be suproised by the cultures rebelion and anger that develops year on year in our country against the truth of the gospel.
No-one wants to hear we’re all sinners.
No-one wants to hear we need saving from ourselves.
No-one wants to hear we’re unworthy
No-one wants to hear that salavtion is ONLY through faith in Jesus.
You can’t say that! What about the Muslims, or the Hindus, or those who are just ;good people’.
No, keep your views to yourself.
Much of the so call church in our country even fight against such statements - exchange the truth of the gospel of Jesus for moralist teachings about just being loving and social care as being the right way to God!
No - that is to take salvation into your own hands - to be a child of Hagar - enslaved to a logic that will condemn them!
It is the ‘you shall do’ message that when held righty before God will be shot to pieces!
It is to reject a trust in the promise of God that ‘I will’ save you through the Lord Jesus alone - by faith alone in Christ alone.
The one heir of humanity who perfectly fulfilled God’s good law. who looked into the mirror of the law and instead of seeing failure and slavery to sin saw his own face reflected - the image of the invisible God!
Who despite his righteousness and freedom - gave it all up to become a slave for us - he died on the cross - took the slavery and sin of ours upon himself and in rising to new life after 3 days offers us his right inheritance.
His freedom.
We should expect all the children of Hagar today, at work, in our families, amongst our colleagues to persecute, reject, mock us - when we say - We’re all sinners - and our only hope is the free grace of Jesus.
When we tell them
As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’
and
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’
or
Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
Sons of Hagar - who reject that message will naturally hate the messengers - the Issacs!
And God will rightly send them away from himself, as Ishmael was sent away from Issac. The choices they have made will be rightly judged by God and they will be sentenced for their mockery of Jesus’ grace and persecution of his people, to an eternity of punishment in hell.
OR,
Son’s of Hagar - of whom we all once were - can become sons of Sarah - simply by believing the promise of God of salvation in Christ alone.
2 - Son’s of Issac are Treated like Heirs
2 - Son’s of Issac are Treated like Heirs
Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
The world needs to hear that Jesus holds out a promise of ‘
‘I will save you’
And believing in his promises is enough!
And how much better - God no longer rightly judges us - but now treats us like beloved sons, heirs of his eternal love and relationship.
Faceing trials and persecution now, but when the saviour Jesus returns - enjoying what we already know to be true - we are loved - freed - sons!
How those who have not heard, or so far have rejected need this gospel -need to hear this again.
How we need to cast off any allusions to grandure of self-righteousness.
How we need to share this glorious news with those still enslaved to sin.
Janet is going to do that in Mitchels’ plain,
Who are we going to tell.
Who are we going to call out of slavery - a slavery we too once belonged to,
but have accepted the promise of Jesus.
And we must be careful not to be drawn into false logic today from our world and culture - that says ‘you must conform to the world’s values’ to be saved - God is not as you say.
YOu must accept this, and do that!
No.
Jesus is the one stop package - I will save you from the burden and exhaustion of slavery he say.
I will - not you will..
Trust my promises - and follow me.
Pray
‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.