Galatians 3:26-4:7
Becoming One Big Happy Family
Introduction
A. I am one of the luckiest people I have meant.
B. I have everything
C. One of the ways that I am lucky is that I have a family who I get to see often
D. Most of you know that most every week after Church that Heather and I go to my Parents and so Do Phil and Claire and Jeremy and whoever else might be around
E. That is really nice, I never dreamed that we would be able to do that, I never thought that we would all live close enough to do that
F. But we do, and I am taking full advantage of it
G. In our family we have a special bond, and it is a great think
H. As members of God’s family we also share a special bond
I. So what exactly is it that binds us together?
J. What do we have in common as sons and Daughters of God?
K. There are three important things that Paul notes about our common heritage
a. Our parent
b. Our Priority
c. Our Promise
I. Parent
A. Explanation
1. Question. What is the most obvious thing that brothers and sisters always share?
2. We have the same parents
3. Spiritually speaking we are all sons and daughters of God
4. (Read Vs. 26) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
5. Now it is a popular notion that everyone is that we are all brother and sisters universally
6. But look at the verse we do not become brother and sister until what? Until there is faith in Christ Jesus.
7. If you have put your faith in what Jesus Christ did for you on that cross, then you are my brother or sister, if you haven’t there still is hope!
8. Because of being adopted by our Loving Heavenly Father we love our “Daddy”
9. (Read 4:6) Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
10. Now I feel like I need to mention talk about this concept more
11. Loving our parents is a natural thing.
12. So natural that earthly parents who do not deserve the love that their child gives them receives that love because children are incapable of not loving them
13. Some of you probably did not have the worlds greatest father
14. Some of you were (and quite possibility still are) hurt by your father
15. So to think of God as “Daddy” Just does not work, the concept is not there
B. Illustration
1. The Author Gorge MacDonald says this “You must interpret the word by all that you have missed in life. All that human tenderness can give or desire in the nearness and readiness of love, all the infinitely more must be true of the perfect Father – of the maker of father hood”
2. Take all that pain all the let down that you experienced, and know that God – the Father of all – is infinitely more then that let down
3. Take a look at Verse 27 (Read 27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
4. The phrase that I want to key in on is “clothed yourself with Christ”
5. What that literally means is to become like Christ, to walk in Christ shoes
C. Application
1. Let’s Apply this to our lives
2. There is a phrase that sometimes bugs me. The Phrase is “You are a lot like your Father”
3. Argh. There are some areas I do not want to be like my father
a) I want to be more athletic, and I am, then my father
b) Another area is organization. My dad if he were here and you asked him about his origination skills he would say he doesn’t have them
(1) I have more organization skills then he does
4. However, There are certain areas that I do want to be like my dad
5. Areas like showing the fruit of the Spirit. I strive to be like my Dad. I know that if I show the fruit of the Spirit it will please my Dad
6. Rest assured however, I want to be like the person my dad strives to be like, God
7. More then I want please my Earthly Dad, I want to please my heavenly Dad
8. How do we please our Heavenly Daddy?
a) By Having a relationship with Him (Talking, listening, just being with him)
b) By Doing that the things that will make Him happy (Serving others, Telling others about Him, Living a life worthy of the calling we have received)
c) By Giving Him Gifts. (This is where worship comes in, worship is more then singing, worship is about giving to God)
d) By becoming more and more like your Father everyday!
II. Parity
A. Explanation
1. Take a look at verse 28 (Read 28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
2. Notice I did not say Equality
3. You probably noticed that all three points are nicely illustrative because they start with the letter “p” and you are thinking I did that just to make it sound good
4. Equality would have implied sameness. That is not what the Bible meant here
5. We all have the same status as children of God, but we are not all the same
6. We have different needs, different abilities, but none of us is more a son or more a daughter
7. Parity yes, equality not necessarily
8. Now this verse mentions three different distinction of people
9. 1. Jew or Greek
a) There are two application of this one, first is regardless of skin color or language or nationality if we have put our Faith in Christ we are God’s Children
b) Also you can look at this as the Jew’s were raised in the community of faith and the Greek (or Gentile) was not
(1) Meaning, that just because your great great great great grand father was Billy Graham, does not make you better then the great great great grand son of Billy the Kid
(2) 10th generation Christians don’t have a superior place in the kingdom then a brand new convert.
(3) Nor should we in the church give 10th generation Christian a special place of honor just because their 10th generation
(4) Now of course new believers need time to mature in their faith to be useful in places of leadership. However I have seen many a new believer take the fast track to spiritual maturity while the longtime pew sitter is still stewing in pride and trying to get everyone to be impressed with how spiritual they are
10. Slave or Free
a) Obviously we are dealing with social classes.
b) Paul is telling us that there is no difference in God’s family between white collar blue collar, rich or poor, doctor or ditch digger
c) Places of leadership, positions of authority in the church should never depend on social status. But only on maturity in Christ
11. Male or Female
a) This statement would have been a lot more shocking 2000 years ago.
b) Today we live in a much better society were we treat females better
c) Now I did not say equality, but I did say parity
d) Men and women are not the same and we are suited for different roles
e) God views us as Son’s and Daughter’s.
B. Illustration
1. So I have been watching the Olympics. And of course you know who I am ruiting for right? USA!
2. I have realized that I honestly think we are better then any other country, I have pride in our country
C. Application
1. That might be fine when it comes to the Olympics
2. But when it comes to God’s Family
3. WE have to realize there is parity
4. We are not the favorites
5. We are not the one God’s likes the most
6. We are also not the least favorites
7. We are also not the one God’s likes the least
8. Parity
9. God treats His Children the same
10. Some of you fall into the “I am better then everyone else camp”
a) Guess what? You not! There is Parity
11. Some of you fall into the “I am not a good as everyone else camp”
a) Guess what? You are! There is parity
12. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, you are never more of a brother or less of a brother
III. Promise
A. Explanation
1. Look at verse 3:29 (Read 29) If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
2. Here we are back to the promise to Abraham again,
3. Now last week I got done preaching and realized I forgot to explain the promise to Abraham. Let me not do that twice in a row so here we go
4. The promise of Abraham is the whole ball of wax
a) It is the consummation of God’s plan for mankind’s redemption from the curse
b) God’s ultimate bless, the promise of restoration to God’s ultimate plan
c) That the curse of sin had upended
d) The promise is simply salvation from sin and it’s penalty, the eternal reward of life with God forever in Heaven
5. Now this promise was not based on circumcision of obedience it was based on Abraham faith
6. Therefore, this inheritance belongs not to the children of circumcision, not merely the genetic children of Abraham, but to those who resemble Abraham on the inside, the people of Faith
7. Now Paul goes to great length here to show that this promise that had been pending from the time that God spoke to Abraham until Christ came to fulfill both the plan and the promise
8. Look at verse 4:1-3(Read them)
9. Israel as Heirs apart to the promise were like children who knew the whole kit and caboodle belong to them, but Paul says that they couldn’t get their hand on it until the time came
B. Illustration
1. Edward VI, son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, was born in 1537. He ascended the throne at the age of 9, upon the death of his father. “Council of Regency” would govern until the child came of age. Unfortunately Edward didn’t’ live beyond the age of 16 so he never fully came into his inheritance
2. Paul says Israel was like the Boy King Edward. They were like children under a guardian not to be able to fully access the inheritance.
3. Their guardian was the law. It was there to keep them out of trouble until the time came fro them to receive the promise
4. That happened when the promise was fulfilled in Christ
5. (Read 4:4-7)
6. As we have studied in our various Christmas series the timing for Christ was right based on everything that was going on,
a) Common language, Good roads, Relative peace.
b) Everything was right and that is why the promise was fulfilled when it was
7. Christ fulfilled the Promise
C. Application
1. We can be sure that the promise that God made to Abraham has been fulfilled
2. I imagine if you lived back then waiting for the promise to be fulfilled you would have got anxious
3. But it is not fulfilled
4. What is even more surprising is how much the promise covers
5. The Jewish community thought that it would only save the Jews, they were wrong
6. God had always and still intends that Salvation be available to all
7. Not just the Jews, not just the males, not just the high class but to all
8. God wanted everyone to be able to call him Daddy
Conclusion
A. What about you?
B. First of all can God call you his Child
a. Have you put your Faith in the What Jesus did on that Cross
b. If you have not done that, and would like to, come talk to me
C. If you have done it, you are his Child!
a. Do not let anyone tell you other wise
b. Do not let anyone tell you that you have to do this or do that If confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and Believe in your heart you will be saved
D. Have you been mistreating other?
a. Do you think that because your (Fill in the blank) that you are better
b. Or do you think that because you’re not (Fill in the blank) that someone else is more special?
c. God loves us, all of us, Parity
E. Have you pleased your Daddy Today?
a. Maybe because of your earthly dad you have not allowed yourself to have that daddy relationship
b. Maybe you been too afraid to get close to anyone yet alone God
c. Let God be you Daddy
d. Let Him Father You
e. Do what Please your Daddy
f. Do what makes him Proud
F. God our Daddy, Loves us all, and Keeps His promise by offering Salvation
G. If you need to work on any of these areas, the alter is open. Feel free to talk to me
H. (Let’s Pray)
