January 1, 2012
Morning Worship
Text: Galatians 3:1-14
Subject: Commitment
Title: Faith and Commitment – Moving Forward With God
I think this is my favorite Sunday of the year. And no, it’s not because there are so many football games on TV. But the first Sunday in every new year provides us all with an opportunity to stop and look at our lives and make those New Year’s Resolutions that most of us make but never keep. But there’s something about it that keeps us making those resolutions. I think that is the hope that somehow we will find the willpower to make it happen.
Do you ever make the same resolutions over and over every year?
I will lose weight.
I will exercise more.
I will watch less TV.
I will spend more time with my wife.
I’ll spend less time on the computer.
I will back up my hard drive on my computer.
Come on now! Why don’t we make resolutions that we know we can keep?
I’ll gain as much weight as I can.
I will watch an exercised video.
I will watch more TV so I can know what is going on in the world.
I don’t even know what a hard drive is!
There, isn’t that much easier?
Most of my resolutions come from the spiritual standpoint. I want to become some spiritual giant and want to do all the right things and be everything to everyone at all times – to have all the answers… You all know that will never happen.
But here is one that is the truth.
I resolve to grow closer to the Lord this year.
How about this one?
I resolve to pray for revival every day.
I resolve to preach revival into the hearts of this congregation until it comes.
These spiritual resolutions that we make may be the hardest to keep, because above all else they require commitment. And we who have grown accustomed to our comfort zones often do not have that kind of commitment to change.
I want to share with you today Paul’s words to the churches in Galatia from Chapter 3:1-14.
Read:
Lord, I believe this is your word…
I believe all of it…
I accept it as mine…
I appropriate it to my life today…
In Jesus’ name!
If you want to be faithful to your spiritual resolutions you must…
I. BE COMITTED TO THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH… Paul is writing this letter to a church that has turned away from the message of faith that was preached to them by the great apostle. How disheartening it must have been for Paul to pour out his life in ministry to them and then have them act like they forgot everything they were ever taught. Look at how Paul confronts them in verse 1. 1 You foolish Galatians… The word “foolish” in the original Greek means “unintelligent”. I suppose that would have got their attention. Especially since their efforts in “good works” must have been based on their knowledge of scripture. The word can also be translated as “sensual” or being understood by the effect something has on our senses or what is coming from our “psuche” (natural man) as opposed to coming from the “pneuma” (spirit.) Who has bewitched you? Listen to the way the Amplified Bible reads – it really gives a clear representation of the Greek… 1O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you… Many in the church there were turning away from the gospel of grace and were beginning to rely on works. Here is the clear message Paul had preached to them, Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. The reason Paul called them fools is because what they were proposing made absolutely no sense. This is the same point he dealt with in the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 4:7, For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Do we ever do that? Have we ever tried to accomplish what we want to do in our own power instead of relying on the One who has empowered us? 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? The key word in verse 2 is “believing”. It means, “being fully persuaded about someone or something”. Here Paul is referring to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that you receive when you are born again. But he takes it a step further, 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Folks, listen to me. Paul is addressing the very fabric of our Pentecostal belief – the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. We all start with salvation by the Spirit and we will all end up in eternity by the work of the Spirit through God’s saving grace. But Paul isn’t addressing eternity here. He is addressing the right now. And that is where that second act of grace in the Holy Spirit comes. The baptism in the Spirit is for power while you walk this earth. 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? The word “suffered” means to experience a sensation or impression (usually but not always painful) It could be that Paul is asking, “Have you had all these great spiritual experiences for nothing?” 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. Who is the source of your strength? On whom have you placed your faith? Hebrews 11:6, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And we know that faith comes by hearing the word of God. So what God has begun “in the Spirit” shouldn’t we continue “in the Spirit”? If you want to be faithful to your spiritual resolutions you must…
II. BE COMMITTED TO WALK ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH… 6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Have you ever noticed how some people equate “mental ascent or agreement” with “faith”? They think that believing that Jesus was a real person is faith. The bible never says that Abraham believed “in” God – just that he believed God. Whatever God said he did. Wherever God led him he went. Whenever he was put in a situation where he needed God, he believed Him. He let Lot have the best of the grazing land but God blessed Abraham. He was willing to believe God for a son (even though there was a slight misunderstanding on Sarah’s part) even when he was old and Romans 4 says, 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. WE have to take a real close look at verse 7, Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. Those who what?… do good works? No it doesn’t say that. Those who pay their tithes and attend church regularly… No that’s going back to works. Those who believe!!! Those who believe what? God! Believe God for what? Whatever He says!!! 1 John 2:3-6, 3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. The question that we have to ask in order to tie these passages together is this, “How did Jesus walk”? 1) He walked in the power of God…2) He walked in the authority of God… 3) He walked in communion with God… 4) He walked in agreement with God… 5) He walked in faith in God… 6) He walked without sin… But some will say, “Yes, He did all those things, but only because He is God.” No, He did all those things because He had the anointing of God by the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:16-19, 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” It is the same Holy Spirit that is at work in all believers today. God has given us everything that we need to walk like Jesus did. So how are you supposed to walk? … the same way Jesus walked. Verse 8, The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you. Who? ALL NATIONS… Now obviously this is talking about the saving work of Jesus on the cross and His subsequent resurrection, but it does not have to stop with that. You see, once you enter into the kingdom under the blood of Christ, why don’t you go ahead and receive everything that the blood offers? Because so many don’t know what is available to them. Verse9, So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. It’s not enough to just know what is your but you must have the faith to believe God for it. Hallelujah! Back in 1 John 2, when it talks about obeying God’s commands, it means believing His word and acting on it. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: If you want to be faithful to your spiritual resolutions you must…
III. BE COMMITTED TO PUTTING THE OLD MAN TO DEATH… there are too many people who live life with this mindset, “I’m going to go to heaven but I’m going to live like the devil till I do.” You know what I’m talking about. Carnal Christians… I don’t know how we can really put those two words together – it’s an oxymoron. Thank God for grace, Amen? On the other hand, too many Christians want to help God out with their salvation. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” How were you saved? Were you saved because you were baptized as an infant or even as an adult? Were you saved because you joined a church? NO, if you are saved you were saved by God’s grace… through faith. 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” I had a great discussion once with a former pastor of another Pentecostal denomination about grace. He told me that we lived in the dispensation of grace. Therefore, everyone is under grace. I told him that is not true. Boy I could see the gears turning and the sparks flying. The fact is, that though we are living in the age of grace, we are not under grace until we trust Jesus. For those who believe in God and hope to attain heaven outside of grace, they are still under the law. So, in God’s eyes, who is considered as righteous… those who live or walk by faith! Verse 12, The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” There are those who demand that you live according to the law after you are saved or else you aren’t saved. That’s not grace. On the other hand, there are those who think that after you are saved that you can live any way you want and grace will cover it. That’s not biblical grace either. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! If anyone is in Christ, you not only put away your old habits of the sinful flesh, but you let go of your old religious habits also. The old man wants to help God. The truth is that if you are saved you should want to live a life that is pleasing to God. I’ll leave that up to God and you. He can deal with you in any area that He wants you to change. Look at Galatians 5:16-18, 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The sinful nature wants to save itself. The spirit man allows the Holy Spirit to complete his work in you. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The number 1 factor in being able to see your resolutions complete is Commitment…
BE COMITTED TO THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…
BE COMMITTED TO WALK ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH… we walk by faith and not by sight. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…
BE COMMITTED TO PUTTING THE OLD MAN TO DEATH… you are in a spiritual battle and it is up to you to draw on all of God’s resources to win the battle.
Be committed to Christ. If you have never made a commitment to follow Jesus make it today…
Be committed to living in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have never been baptized in the Holy Ghost seek it today… it is the power you need to walk like Jesus walked.
Be committed to a church home… It is the family you need to help you grow in the Lord.
Be committed to serving God… in serving growth comes.
Finally, be committed to trusting God’s word and that He whatever He has promised, He is still able to do.
