The Promised Blessing

Introduction

Welcome:

Purpose of Series:

We started a new series called: The Discovery. It is based on Romans 4:1, “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?”

In these next few weeks, we are going to focus on Abraham’s life and what he discovered about being made right with God.

Main Bible Passage:

Romans 4:13–17 “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”

Prayer:

In Jesus name, be glorified.

Body

Story:

Our birth-day or the day we are all born into our families will always speak into the reality of how all of us became christians and have the blessings that we do in Christ. We didn’t earn our last names, we didn’t work our way into families, and we certainly didn’t buy all that we have access to when we were born. Instead, we simply received or accepted it from our parents.

Application:

In a similar way, we are part of Gods family and have all the blessings he has given us because we accepted and received it through trusting in Jesus Christ.

Context:

This is the whole point of Paul’s letter to the christians in Rome: We are part of Gods family, we received the blessings of Christ, and live a christ centered life through trust in Christ.

Romans 1 Paul describes how humanity is under the bondage of sin and deserve the wrath of God.

Romans 2 Paul focuses on Jews who received God’s law through Moses but are still guilty because they to are under the bondage of sin.

Romans 3 Paul says that we are all without excuse and are guilty before God, all have fallen short of the Glory of God. But now there is a way to be accepted by God apart from following rules: through faith in Jesus work on the cross.

Romans 4 Paul then uses Abraham in the Old testament as an example to show us that he received the promised blessings through his faith as we do.

What is the promised blessing (Romans 4:13):

(Show a powerpoint) When we talk about the promised blessing, what do we mean. It’s:

Righteousness or Justification (Romans 4:5)

Forgiveness from sin (Romans 4:7-8)

Eternal Life — now and then (Romans 4:13; Matthew 5:5; Matthew 19:28)

All of these blessings are received through faith and not by earning or works.

Transitional Sentence:

Three reasons for the promised blessings being through faith and not the law.

Points

First Reason: The Law leads to punishment, not blessing (Romans 4:14-15)

Explanation:

Receiving and living in the promised blessing comes through trust, not by trying to earn it through following rules or commandments. Following rules or commandments to earn the blessing only leads to God’s judgment and punishment.

Illustration:

Romans 4:13–15 NLT

Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

Think of a video game with a really difficult level that no one has ever beaten. The game promises an amazing reward for finishing this level, but it’s so hard that everyone who tries ends up losing. The level represents following the law perfectly—it’s nearly impossible, and failing means starting over or losing.

Application:

When we try to follow rules to earn the promises and blessings of God, we will ultimately fail and face judgment, because we cannot follow those rules perfectly.

Second Reason: The promised blessing is received by faith (Romans 4:16)

Explanation:

In other words, we receive these promises or blessings by trusting that Jesus has done the work for us and accepting that gift.

Illustration:

Romans 4:16 NLT

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

How foolish would it be for children to earn their family's last name or pay off the home they live in? It’s not something they even think about. They have their parents last name and live in their homes because they inherited it or their parents did the work for them, and all they had to do was believe and receive it..

Application:

Similarly, we don’t earn God’s promised blessing through our efforts. Instead, we receive it through faith, trusting in what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ.

Third Reason: God wants the promised blessing to be available for everyone who has faith like Abraham (Romans 4:17)

Explanation:

Everyone who has faith are children of Abraham, not because they share the same ethnicity or family lineage as Abraham but because they share the same faith Abraham had.

Illustration:

Romans 4:17 NLT

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Abraham believed God in his old age to bring a child out of a barren womb. To create a new thing out of nothing. Abraham, as the author of Hebrews reveals in Hebrews 11:17, believed that if he killed his son Issac, God would be able to bring him back from the dead. Abraham had faith in God.

Application:

In the same way, we have faith that Jesus Christ died and resurrected from the dead. We believe in God’s word that says he can make us a new creation out of nothing. We are the children of Abraham because we share the same faith he does.

Conclusion

Call to Action:

Prayer: