Welcome to the Blessed life
Under the Hood • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 28 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
We are in our series Under the Hood, in the book of Romans and we are looking at the Gospel of God…
This time of the year many college students are getting acceptance letters to various colleges… You may remember the feeling of getting one of those letters.. you go to the mail box… and you slowly open the letter and there are the words “we are pleased to INFORM YOU that you have been accepted into our academic program for 2017.” That is a joyful moment.... What the College is saying is that you have been accepted and will access to all the privileges, benefits, expertise that they have to offer... as an institution.
This morning message is entitled Welcome to the Blessed life… Salvation is that invitation to live an abundant life… The invite is to experience all the benefits and blessing that offers us through salvation…
I was thinking about Blessing in my own life and when you begin to take inventory of all the blessings they really add up.
The blessings of Marriage, companionship, the blessing of Children… Do you remember the day that your children were born The blessing of seeing them grow up and their unique temperaments and personalities.
The blessing of friendships .. unexpected blessing when someone gives you a gift.… blessing of those who have prayed for you and invested in you.... the blessing of prayers… the blessing of a church family… Our of all the blessing that life offers
Our Salvation is really the ultimate blessing in life..
One of the major themes in the book of Genesis is the Blessing… God created Adam and Eve in the Garden in the book of Genesis and he Blesses them and says to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. For a period of time Adam and Eve enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God and they were given dominion over His creation.
When Adam and Eve gave into temptation, the consequences of the fall came into effect.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
The fall brought with it sin, toil, pain, sickness and death...
An from Genesis 3 onwards we see God’s REDEMPTION STORY The great reversal of the effects of the curse.
The Salvation story is the restoration of the blessing..
God makes a covenant with Abraham that the blessing would extend to all the families of the earth… and the coming Kingdom would be characterized will be one of everlasting blessing a peace.
What does this word Blessing mean… The concept of blessing God’s grace, God’s kindness, and His generosity towards us. The Hebrew word Barak means “to Bless” — It is God (pronoun) pronouncing blessing (verb) on person (object).... We become the object of his blessing.
The English equivalent of the word bless is the word EMPOWER… In salvation is God is the one who empowers us an abundant life.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In Genesis the word blessing is focused on producing Children and producing wealth… The purpose of blessing is not only to propagate and populate the earth, but to become a blessing through the extension of the Abrahamic covenant..
God says to Abraham I will bless you, I will make your name great… and you will be a blessing…
As God blesses us… so we in turn become a blessing to those who God places in our path. The Blessing is God empowering us to live grace filled lives…
In the book of Romans Paul is careful to build upon the foundation of the Old Testament Scriptures .. the NT is not another Gospel… it is the coming together of the Old and the NT.. What is promised in the Old is now fulfilled in the New Testament.
In fact the last verse of Chapter 3 say that the
Romans Chapter 4 is a powerful Chapter… Paul has basically put a nail in the coffin when it comes to earning salvation through the law or any system outside of Christ alone… There is no place for boasting in the Christian faith…
Our boast is nothing more than we have received this free gift of Salvation… simply on the merit of faith.... The idea of righteousness that comes by faith is not a new idea.’
Paul gives examples of those from the OT who lived by Faith. Abraham would have been one of the most respected and prominent characters in the O.T. If there is anyone who could have earned merit with God it would have been Abraham....
1. God has chosen you as a Candidate for Blessing
1. God has chosen you as a Candidate for Blessing
The question of righteousness is really am I good enough? We all struggle with insecurities.
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.
Abraham was a blessed man - He was wealthy and respected in his own right.. Some say that Abraham was one wealthiest men in the Bible outside of Noah and Job. Gen 13:2 tells us that Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver and gold..
Paul is saying in light of what Abraham had achieved by the world’s standards --- Abraham had much he could boast about.... but he is quick to qualify his statement...”But Not before God”…
Possessions whether its our money, gifts, our talent’s and abilities don’t impress God. God did not chose Abraham because he was successful business person … In fact Abraham in many respects was a weak candidate, especially when it came to his age and his ability to have Children…
Yet despite weakness, God chose Abraham to be the father of the Nation of Israel.. and descendants and seed forever. There is a pattern we find in God’s calling and election in scripture… and that God often chooses the weaker candidate.
When Samuel was choosing a King to anoint for Israel… God reminded Samuel.. that mans looks on the outward appearance, but the God looks at the heart.... Paul tells the Corinthian church to consider their own election in salvation.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
God Chose Abraham simply because Abraham had faith… He took God’s word at face value.
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
Paul is giving us an example of someone who received the Righteousness of God by Faith prior to the law…
What does the Scripture say? (this is a good approach when it comes to hearing any teaching - back to the bible)
Paul is bridging the OT and NT here — What does Genesis have to say about God choosing Abraham?
In Genesis 15.. God Appears in a vision to Abraham (the weak candidate) and tells him that he is going to be the father of many children…
Abraham BEGINS WITH SOME DOUBT… He reminds the Lord that he might not be the best candidate HE IS OLD and childless.
Abraham makes a suggestion how about his servant Eliezer… Abraham is making a referral.... Lord there is a stronger candidate out there… Eliezer is young and obviously has good genes… he is the guy..
Eliezer being Abrams servant was next in line to inherit his possessions, because his servant would be his sole survivor.
Need to make the point here is that faith is not necessary the absence of Doubt… if we could do the things that God put in front of us… We wouldn’t necessary to have faith… the whole premise of needing Faith… is that we can’t do it on our own.
The Lord appears to Abraham and says this man will not be your heir.. look up toward heaven.. and number the stars. so shall your offspring be… It must of been quite a moment… to take in the vast amount of heavenly bodies… then having that moment where this thing is much bigger than I could have conceived or imagined… Abraham believed God..
The Hebrew word translated believed means “to say amen.” God gave a promise, and Abraham responded with “Amen!” It was this faith that was counted for righteousness.
This is what Paul is saying in Romans 4 … The promise that God gave Abraham was so overwhelming… so huge… that all he could say,
There comes a point where we need to quit negative thinking about ourselves that we are not good enough and that we don’t match up… to this standard.... the truth is that you are not okay and I am not okay… But God says that we are the perfect candidates to be fully excepted by him
Remember John Newton the Ex Slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace...
“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am””
― John Newton
2. God’s wants you to experience His Blessings.
2. God’s wants you to experience His Blessings.
What is the blessed life?
Do remember the days when you would buy milk and your would get the cream on the top.. we often think of blessing as the cream… on the top.. blessing is the whole bottle of milk…
last week we talked about Righteousness that comes to us apart from the Law. In Chapter 4 Paul talks about righteousness apart from works…
Abraham did not work for his salvation; he simply trusted God’s Word. It was Jesus Christ who did the work on the cross, and His righteousness was put on Abraham’s account.
b. Paul makes the comparison between Wages vs Faith..
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
Blessing is a huge theme in the Bible… Jacob discovered his father in order to gain the Blessing...
Paul explains what happened to Abraham everyday market place language..
If you go to work put in a 10 hour work day and your receive wages for that work… You have earned that wage… payment is due… Works = payment.. but Faith works at a different level… Believing has nothing to with earning… Abraham couldn’t have earned the honor of being the Father of many nations even if he tried… Just like you and I have no way of earning favor with God… I can’t get in God’s good books through good behavior… Simply Believing = God’s Blessings.
c. David an example of the blessed life.
just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
If you asked the average person..
Do you want God’s blessing on your life??? Do your want a blessed life?? most will say yes!
Paul says consider the life of David… if you took a general overview of his life. You will find that God blesses David in many ways apart from Davids works.. If David got what he deserved he would have a big problem.
If you and I got what we deserved we would be in big trouble. We have received his tender kindness (Romans 4)
But Davids life doesn’t speak of God’s judgment rather it speaks of Blessing.
Biblical Definition of Blessing:
a. Blessed when we fell short that
the law was not applied to your life…and you were forgiven… Blessing = forgiveness of yours sins and covered.
Believers are the most fortunate people imaginable because the question of their sin has been settled forever. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps 103:12)
b. Blessed that the ledger does not count sin.
c. What would David’s life look like if God made a list of all his wrongs.
3. God wants you to live daily in the arena of Blessing.
3. God wants you to live daily in the arena of Blessing.
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Who is the Blessing (of forgiveness for/) those under the law only.. all also the gentiles?
According to Jewish reckoning, in fact, there was an interval of some twenty-nine years between the time when Abraham was accepted by God (Gen 15:6) and his actual circumcision (Gen 17:23–27).
Circumision was the badge of being part of the nations of Israel… was it before or after the badge of circumsision.
Paul point is that… the sign of being a Child of God and Blessing and favor was circumsision.... the law of Faith was in exisitence before the BADGE.. In fact circumcision was the Receipt… proof of purchase… the transaction was Righteousness received by Faith… that is the actual purchase.... Righteousness apart from law based on Faith… that is Blessings…
God had a purposes of making Abraham the father of all those who would follow… (in all generations). All of us who follow come to Christ on the basis of faith not based on any human mechanism like circumsions...
The receipt…that was represented in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we come to Christ God spirit comes to reside in our hearts,.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
It is cirucumsision of the heart it is not just a minor physical operation, but the putting off of the old nature through the death and resurrection of Christ.
Circumcision did not add to Abraham’s salvation; it merely attested to it.
But Abraham was also justified before the Law was given, and this fact Paul discusses inThe Promised is realized… Implications of living by faith.
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Blessing for every Believer...
For (therefore) this now applies to the church and Rome and every Christian that follows. The fact that Abraham was justified by grace and not Law proves that salvation is for all men. Abraham is the father of all believers, both Jews and Gentiles The real inheritance of the Abrahamic Promise of Blessing to us and our offspring is for those who simply have faith in God.
We do not earn a promise; we receive it. What we receive rests completely on what God has done
2. No longer the condemnation of the law
vrs 14 Blessing comes through faith… but if you live under a legalistic system… You are no longer under the blessing of covenant..
3. Blessing depends on Faith..
Dr. Harry Ironside, for eighteen years pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, told of visiting a Sunday School class while on vacation. The teacher asked, “How were people saved in Old Testament times?”
After a pause, one man replied, “By keeping the Law.”
“That’s right,” said the teacher.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted: “My Bible says that by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”
The teacher was a bit embarrassed, so he said, “Well, does somebody else have an idea?”
Another student replied, “They were saved by bringing sacrifices to God.”
“Yes, that’s right!” the teacher said, and tried to go on with the lesson.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted, “My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin.”
By this time the unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, “Well, you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!”
And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith—the same way people are saved today!
Twenty-one times in Hebrews 11 you find the same words “by faith.”The blessing depends on faith and it rests (rely) grace of God… and belongs to all of us who believe..]
Who are the true sons of Abraham
vrs17 all of come to Christ through faith and continue to live by Faith.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
What faith does?
What faith does?
Abraham did not walk by sight; he walked by faith. Abram believe that what God promises God also performs.
If the blessings of God flow into our lives through the pipeline of Faith..We need to know what it looks like to live a life of faith
Faith of Abraham.. When Abraham believed that God would make him the father of many nations… what was he believing?
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
Abraham Believed these Key things about God. Biblical Faith is not just believing it placing our confideince on the person of Christ… Paul illustrates using Abraham who Prior to the law… shows us the life of Faith… Abraham believed that..
Acknowledges God is the giver of life
Who gives life to the dead… Abraham believed in Ressurrection thousands of years before Christ… God is able to make dead things live. This is a Core NT principle found in the OT… These are all part of the scarllet thread of redemption that flows through the pages of scripture.
God created out of nothing Exo Nilo in creation… there was no periodic table when God created… he spoke and elements in our universe formed.
3. Faith believes against Hope.
Hope in the sense of the sentiment… hope I will win the lottery.... Against sentimental hope.. Abraham believed God’s word that he would become the father of many nations.
When it comes to praying and trusting God.. The question is not Can God?
the question that drives us in prayer ever closer to his heart Will God?
3. Faith Imitates those who Persevere
He persevered in Faith vrs 19 not weakening in faith.
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
He persevered in Faith vrs 19 not weakening in faith… How did he perservere in faith? HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN HIS FAITH.
He Considered - He did a little reproduction inventory…(a reality assessment)
He looked at his 100 year old body.. and came to a few conclusion… (when it came to having children - his body might be just as good as dead… a corpse has just as much chance of having children). The he looked over at Sarah and considered her bareness of Sarah’s womb.. (baroness literally means death.)
Despite what Abraham saw in the natural world… He did not waver in his faith.. In fact he grew stronger in his faith.. by giving Glory to God…
“being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
This is Biblical Faith… Faith that rest fully on the promises of God…
Conclusion
Here is the good news that these words are not just for Abraham but for all of those who follow… The promises is for the Believer that puts their hope and faith in him today..
You inherit the blessings and the Favor of God. All those who are justified are those who believe in the gospel… we have a risen savior..
Paul summarizes the Gospel.
but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Faith that the resurrection for Christ was on our behalf.
It was for trespasses (overstep the boundries) For our justification