Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Theme Verse

Why is faith so important?

Stop elevating the Law.

It’s important, but it was given to restrain sin and not give life.

Abraham’s response was more significant than the giving of the Law (which was given 430 years after)

Faith is Foundational

Point: Covenant was about Faith originally.

Law wasn’t part of the original covenant.

It was always about faith.

Introduction: Theme Verse

Theme of our Passage:

v.14: In Jesus, blessing of Abraham might come to everybody so that everybody might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Paul is going to argue how, in Jesus, belief or faith was always part of God’s plan for salvation!

Doing the Law of Moses, that was a plan built on God’s original intent that we are saved by faith.

So Paul is going to do some more compare and contrast between faith and the Law of Moses.

Does so by comparing the Covenant God gave to Abraham with the Covenant given to Moses

Two Parts in Understanding the Dynamic Between Abraham and Moses

Paul is going to argue how and why this is true

Two Parts in Understanding the Dynamic Between Abraham and Moses

vv.15-18: God’s Promises to Abraham were Always Eternal

vv.19-29:

The Law Given to Moses were Always Temporary

Today: God’s Promises to Abraham were always Eternal!

v. 15: No One Can Annul a ‘Last Will and Testament’

No One Can Annul a ‘Last Will and Testament’

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.

Paul is using a common analogy to help us understand how the Abraham Covenant worked.

Man-Made Covenant: Reference to a Will

A will contains all the things you want to happen if you were to die.

Who takes the kids

How will our assets be divided up?

My parents joke about who will inherit my dad’s stamp collection, apparently worth some money.

‘Man-made covenant’= Will ‘Last will and testament’

‘Man-made covenant’= Will ‘Last will and testament’

Paul’s Point:

Can’t change the Will once they are written in stone.

Can’t change the agreement once they are written in stone.

Can’t change the covenant and the promises associated with it.

Why is this important?

v.16 clarifies

Can’t change the covenant and the promises associated with it.

Can’t change the covenant and the promises associated with it.

v.16: Promises of Abraham Don’t Change

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.

It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

v.16: Offspring

Just as a will can’t be modified or ignored, the Promises given to Abraham can’t be changed by anything that comes later.

Promises are written in stone.

But what are these Promises?

Getting to know

: Call of Abraham.

God Promises to be

2“I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

Not a covenant, but promises are made:

I will make you great.

I will bless.

I will make your name great.

I will bless others who bless you and curse those who curse you.

All peoples on earth will be bless through you.

2. : Royal Land-Grant Covenant

Unconditional Promise to Inherit the Land

18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Sign: Sacrificing a Heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon

Sun went down

Abraham: Deep in sleep.

Smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

UNCONDITIONAL: IF I don’t live up to my side of this agreement, I will take on the path that these animals took.

UNCONDITIONAL: Israel will get this land

3. : Suzerain-Vassal Covenant

Suzerain: a land-lord, feudal Lord

Vassal: Dictionary: “A person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage.”

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision

CONDITIONAL: I will be your God and you will have the Promised Land forever!

SIDE BAR: Baptism isn’t a ticket to heaven.

Fulfillment of circumcision but is conditional based on response to grace.

But now let’s see what Paul does with and Galatians 3:16

“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring (seed)”

Now the promises were made to Abraham (we’ve focused on them…)

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.

It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

and to his offspring (seed).

(not only to Abraham, BUT ALSO TO ABRAHAM’S FAMILY)

(BUT HOW DOES PAUL INTERPRET ABRAHAM’S FAMILY?)

It does not say, “And to offsprings, (seeds)” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring (seed),” who is Christ.

Paul completely bipasses Mosus and the Law and all the stipulations of the Covenant given to Moses and makes a direct link between the promises given to Abraham to Christ.

‘Seed’ of Abraham was Israel (thereby making it difficult for anyone to make the cut into this new Jewish religion).