WELCOMEAdult II Couples Class

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

Adult II Couples Class

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When do you

traditionally begin

decorating your home

for Christmas?

Physical Spiritual Practical Church Misc

PRAYER REQUESTS-Savage Family

-Country Haven Church

-Heup Family

-Haraway Family

-Preaching at Country Haven

-Tony: Cancer treatments

-Cathy Laster: Cancer treatments

-Abraham Garcia: Cancer treatments

-Griffith Goodyear

-Global Missions Offering

-Mexico Missions Team

-Christmas program

CHURCH STUFFClass Events Church Events

Benevolence Fund R.E.A.P. (P-Team) Scripture Readers

Needed Monthly Fellowships

November?? December 15th –

Woffords January ??

Dinner out Friday (30 Nov)

5th Sunday Breakfast (30 Dec)

Quarterly Service Project Ends of the Earth

Project

Mexico Mission Team (Nov 17-24)

Olive Grove Terrace Visitation (25 Nov)

OB Christmas Parade (2 PM Dec 1)

Jesus’ Birthday Party (Dec 2) E-Sunday (Dec 9) IBC Christmas Dinner (5:45

Dec 12) Ladies Cookie Exchange (Dec

14) Youth Christmas Party (Dec 14) IBC Christmas Program (Dec

16)

QUESTION OF THE DAYAdult II Couples Class

discoverjoy.com

When do you

traditionally begin

decorating your home

for Christmas?

Chronological Bible

Discipleshipweek forty-seven

Galatians

Iva May and Dr. Stan May

Chronological Bible StudyOur Goals:To make a one year journey through the story of the Bible (His Story)

To be able to identify the 14 Bible eras and connect them to the other eras

To understand the spiritual formation of the individuals plugged into His StoryCreation

Patriarch

Exodus

Conquest

Judges

Kingdom

DividedKingdom

Captivity

Return

Silent

Gospel

Missions

End Times

ChurchToday

Church Era

Jesus responded to Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” by introducing His other sheep as the church, “And I say to you that you are Peter (petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

• Jesus foretold the creation of bodies of believers who would meet together regularly for worship, instruction, service, fellowship and mission.

• These churches are built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.

CONTEXT• The church at Antioch

commissions their first mission team; Paul and Barnabas• Their missions trips begin fulfilling Jesus’ com-

mand in Acts 1:8 “…and you shall be witness to Me in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

• As the Gospel spreads so does heresy born of confusion over faith and the role of the Law• Some Jews teach Gentiles to embrace the Law and

circumcision• These new believers are tempted to embrace this

false gospel that adds works to faith• Paul responds to this confusion

by writ-ing a letter to the Galatians to clarify the role of the Law and faith

OVERVIEW Old Testament Stories Lay

the Foundation for New Testament Truths, as Paul States: “For whatever things were written before

were written for our learning, so that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)

In His Epistles, Paul Exhorts, En-courages and Instructs Believers in their Walk with God• His letter to the Galatians addresses the

problem of legalism in the early church• He uses contemporary and OT examples to

teach the truth about the law, righteous-ness and sanctification

KEY TRUTHNeither salvation

nor spiritual growth are obtained by keeping the law, but by receiving

both the promise of salvation and the power of the Holy

Spirit by faith.

CHURCH ERA

KINGDOM LIBERTY• The Problem of Legalism• A Picture of Legalism• The Prevention of Legalism

Galatians 2, 4, & 5

THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM

Galatians 2:16-21

THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM

It Distorts the Gospel Message Peter and Barnabas acted as hypocrites out of fear of

the opinions of some of their Jewish brethren (vs 11-13)• Their behavior distorted the Gospel

message• This distortion combines law-keeping

with ‘grace through faith’ salvation

Paul corrects this distortion (vs 16)• “Knowing that a man is not justified by

the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM

Because the Law can’t Justify, Faith Becomes Necessary “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is

no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (20)

Paul teaches three basic truths about the need for faith• Because he is unable to please God (even thru

the law), he must die• Christ’s life is the only life that pleases God• Since the law of the flesh is insufficient before

God, a living faith in the perfect One (Christ) is the only way to acceptance before God

THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM

Legalism Weakens the Gospel Message (Galatians 3) Galatians 3:1 – “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched

you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as cru-cified?”• Those who follow legalism are “bewitched” (to bring evil

on one by feigning praise)

Galatians 3:2 – “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”• They did not receive the Spirit by works of the law, but by

hearing of faith

Galatians 3:5 – “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”• God does not do mighty works by legalism but by the Spirit

THE PROBLEM OF LEGALISM Legalism Supplants the Work of the Spirit

Galatians 3:3 – “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”• Legalism seeks to replace the work of the Spirit who began the be-

liever’s salvation

Galatians 3:10-12 – “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justi-fied by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’”• Legalism demands every person fulfill the entire law to avoid being

un-der the curse of the law

Galatians 3:21 – “Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.”• Legalism fails because it cannot give people what they need most;

SPIRI-TUAL LIFE!

• If the Law could not justify us, what purpose did it serve? Galatians 3:19 – “Why the Law then? It was

added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.”

The Law was intended to address transgressions Served as a restrainer of sins by showing them to be in violation of

God’s standards for creation and thereby incurring His wrath It was always meant to be temporary, until the seed (Jesus) came,

after which it was not longer needed to please God

A PICTURE OF LEGALISM

Galatians 4:1-7

A PICTURE OF LEGALISMThe Heir under the Tutelage of a Slave

Paul uses the example of the temporary oversight of an heir Special slaves were given oversight to their master’s heirs to prepare them to take

on the responsibilities of sonship Usually from the age of 6-18

In the Same Way, the Law Provides Oversight to the Jewish People Gives them a means of living under God’s mercy Prepares them for the coming of Christ

Believers who Return to Law-keeping Limit Themselves Prefer the continual directives of the appointed slave over the freedom of sonship Paul implies the question, “Why would any heir return to the former days of

oversight by slavery?”

A PICTURE OF LEGALISM“Paul is saying that before Christ came into the world, Jews were under the guardianship of the written law. Gentiles were also under the guardianship of the law of conscience. So all men were like children. There was a potential inheritance; there was a coming salvation; there was also an available promise; but they were not yet mature sons who could inherit it. This is true also of any person today who is living without Jesus Christ. He is living subject to God’s laws. He is an infant subject to that law and the only thing that will make him a mature son able to receive the promised inheritance is to come in faith to Christ.”

-John MacArthur

• Why is it so tempting to base our righteousness on rules rather than the relationship?

• How to become a legalist Make your own rules outside the Bible Push yourself to try and keep your rules Castigate yourself when you don’t keep your rules Become proud when you do keep your rules Appoint yourself as judge over other people Get angry with people who break you rules or have different

rules “Beat” the losers

THE PREVENTION OF LEGALISM

Galatians 5:16-25

PREVENTION OF LEGALISM

The Flesh and its Sin Cannot be Overcome by Keeping the Law “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the

flesh.” (vs 16) Depends on the indwelling Spirit who overcomes sin and the flesh,

producing righteousness which God loves and requires

Mature Believers Live by these Truths of their Faith When Christ died, they died

• Deciding to repent of a life dictated by the desires of the flesh

When Christ was buried, they were buried• Accepting Christ’s death on the cross as payment for sin

When Christ rose from the dead, they rose from the dead• Being made alive in spirit to live eternally

PREVENTION OF LEGALISM

Resting in the Truth of Faith produces Peace, not Striving A peace replaces the anxiety associated with law-keeping That peace becomes the pathway for the Spirit to bear fruit in the life of

the believer• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

When the Spirit controls us, we will (super)naturally produce fruit in every situation The fruits of the flesh are manifested the we grieve the Spirit, denying

His power in our lives The fruits of the Spirit flow from choosing (daily) to walk by His leading

and not under the influence of our senses (flesh)

• What spiritual conditions might result in people demonstrating the ‘desires of the flesh in their lives? Not saved (unregenerate state) Backslidden Christian Saved but struggling with some sin of the old flesh (carnal

Christian)

• What can we do to ensure that we don’t fall into a pattern of living by “the rules” that govern the flesh, rather than by the Spirit of Christ?

The Law was given to prevent man from total self-destruction and prepare him for salvation The Law cannot deliver him from sin or mature him once saved

The Law cannot save, nor can it keep those who have trusted in Christ from sinning The Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer to prevent him

from sinning

Living under the Law after trusting Christ is like being treated as a minor still under guardian-ship, rather than as a mature son

The Spirit fulfills the righteous demand of the law by saving and maturing those who trust in Christ

CONCLUSIONS

BIBLE TRIVIA QUIZThe Books of Acts & Galatians(1pts)

Who was the source of such a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, that they went their separate way? “Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them

also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.” (Acts 15:37-38)

The man who appeared in Paul’s dream, begging him to “come help us”, was from what region? “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man..was standing

and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”(Acts 16:9)

What was the ethnicity of Timothy’s parents? “And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish

woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:1)

BONUS ROUNDBonus Questions (2pts)

How many years lapsed between the covenant made with Abraham and the giving of the Law thru Moses? “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham…the

Law, which came 430 years later, does not invali-date a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.” (Galatians 3:16-17)

What was the value of the scrolls burned in Ephesus after those practicing sorcery believed in the Lord? “And many of those who practiced magic brought

their books together and began burning them...they counted up the price of them and found it 50,000 pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:19)

NEXT WEEK…..Adult II Couples Class

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1 Corinthians 1, 3, 5, & 6

Kingdom Problems