Welcome

1. Adult II Couples Class Welcome discoverjoy.com

2. When do you traditionally begin decorating your home for Christmas? Adult II Couples Class Question of the day discoverjoy.com

3. Prayer Requests -Tony: Cancer treatments -Cathy Laster: Cancer treatments -Abraham Garcia: Cancer treatments -Griffith Goodyear -Savage Family -Country Haven Church -Heup Family -Haraway Family -Preaching at Country Haven -Global Missions Offering -Mexico Missions Team -Christmas program

4. Church Stuff Class 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)

5. When do you traditionally begin decorating your home for Christmas? Adult II Couples Class Question of the day discoverjoy.com

6. Chronological Bible Discipleship Iva May and Dr. Stan May week forty-seven Galatians

7. End Times Chronological Bible Study Our 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 Story Missions Church Today Gospel Silent Return Captivity DividedKingdom Kingdom Judges Conquest Exodus Patriarch Creation

8. Church Era • 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. 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)

9. Context • The church at Antioch commissions their first mission team; Paul and Barnabas • Their missions trips begin fulfilling Jesus’ com-mandin 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-inga letter to the Galatians to clarify the role of the Law and faith

10. 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

11. Neither 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. Key Truth

12. Church Era Galatians 2, 4, & 5 KINGDOM LIBERTY The Problem of Legalism A Picture of Legalism The Prevention of Legalism

13. The Problem of Legalism Galatians 2:16-21

14. 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.”

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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-fiedby 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!

18. Discussion 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

19. A Picture of Legalism Galatians 4:1-7

20. A Picture of Legalism • The 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?”

21. 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

22. Discussion 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

23. The Prevention of Legalism Galatians 5:16-25

24. 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

25. 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)

26. Discussion 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?

27. Conclusions • 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

28. Bible Trivia QUIZ The 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..wasstanding 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)

29. BONUS ROUND Bonus 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 yearslater, 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)

30. 1 Corinthians 1, 3, 5, & 6 Kingdom Problems Adult II Couples Class Next week….. discoverjoy.com