Those Who Have Faith Are Blessed

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you have faith? Are you blessed?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that those who have faith are blessed together with Abraham.

IV. TEXT:

Galatians 3:9 (Amplified Bible)

So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham.

V. THESIS:

Those who have faith are blessed together with Abraham.

VI. TITLE:

Those who have faith are blessed

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Apostle Paul

B. Date written: 55 A.D. to 60 A.D.

C. Purpose: To defend doctrine of justification by faith, warn against reversion to Judaism, and vindicate Paul's own apostolic authority

D. To whom written: Galatia church

E. Main theme: Magna charta of the church

F. Keywords: faith, grace, liberty, the cross

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. We are blessed along with Abraham

"So then, those who are people of faith are blessed"

Exodus 23:25 (Amplified Bible)

You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

Matthew 6:33 (Amplified Bible)

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Psalms 81:16 (Amplified Bible)

[God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.

Isaiah 30:23 (Amplified Bible)

Then will He give you rain for the seed with which you sow the soil, and bread grain from the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.

Isaiah 55:10 (Amplified Bible)

For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

B. We are the man of faith

"and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham."

Abraham - father of the faithful.

WE are also (together with father Abraham) are described as:

OBEDIENT

Genesis 12:4 (Amplified Bible)

So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

UNSELFISH

Genesis 13:9 (Amplified Bible)

Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, I beg of you, from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right hand, then I will go to the left.

COURAGEOUS

Genesis 14:14 (Amplified Bible)

When Abram heard that [his nephew] had been captured, he armed (led forth) the 318 trained servants born in his own house and pursued the enemy as far as Dan.

BENEVOLENT

Genesis 14:20 (Amplified Bible)

And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all [he had taken].

INCORRUPTIBLE

Genesis 14:23 (Amplified Bible)

That I would not take a thread or a shoelace or anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich.

MIGHTY IN PRAYER

Genesis 18:23-33 (Amplified Bible)

And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) together with the wicked?

Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous; will You destroy the place and not spare it for [the sake of] the fifty righteous in it?

Far be it from You to do such a thing—to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment and do righteously?

And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous (upright and in right standing with God), I will spare the whole place for their sake.

Abraham answered, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord.

If five of the fifty righteous should be lacking—will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, If I find forty-five, I will not destroy it.

And [Abraham] spoke to Him yet again, and said, Suppose [only] forty shall be found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

Then [Abraham] said to Him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak [again]. Suppose [only] thirty shall be found there. And He answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

And [Abraham] said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak [again] to the Lord. Suppose [only] twenty shall be found there. And [the Lord] replied, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.