Notes for Sunday, August 27
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: MyWords::RE::God'sWords

Romans 4:1-5

> It was through Abraham that God called Israel to be his special possession. [Nomad with a wandering in his soul: "My father was a wandering Aramean": GOD RENOVATED ABRAHAM'S LIFE] 

Genesis 12:1-3

> [Retell story.]

JUST AS REASON FOR OUR RENOVATION ... REASON FOR ABRAHAM'S RENOVATION > Repetition [Five times, barakh]: Look closer at "blessing": ["Bless you": Middle Ages: Soul left ... "blessings"=better health, better job, better situation]: REAL MEANING: Knee, to give part of oneself

> Why does God bless Abraham? Enjoy life more? Go to heaven when he dies? Go to Promised Land? No!

> Both times he speaks of blessing Abraham, something else immediately follows: "All peoples of the earth ... blessed through you."

> Has God blessed you?

> Romans 4:6-8: If you're a believer God has blessed you; God has placed his Spirit within you. In fact, Spirit and blessing go together: Isaiah 44:3; Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:3

> Why has God blessed [given something of himself to] you?

> WRONG IDEA: God has saved me so that I can go to heaven; God has blessed me so that my life can be easier. [RESULT OF CONSUMER-DRIVEN SOCIETY: Dish-soap/Hemorrhoid medication/Magic Bullet ... "buy this product and people will think you're sexy" ... God becomes a product to get me what I want ... What if God isn't a product? What if what you want isn't what it's all about? What if God gives himself to us precisely so that we can give ourselves to others?]

> Are we known for blessing others in the Name of Jesus Christ?

> God did not save me so that I can go to heaven someday; God saved me so that I can be the evidence of heaven here and now. [Revelation 21:2]

> Ephesians 2:6-7: Wherever you are, there is a heavenly place, if you are a Christian.

> How heavenly are you? Your home? Your work?

> RANDOM ACTS OF GRACE [Someone you don't know, give something of yourself that they will perceive as a blessing {swift kick} Tip,pay for someone's gas, let someone in front of you, wash windshield ... this is nothing but a reminder for you to do what God calls us to do all the time ... email]

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STRUCTURE OF TEXT

Romans 1: Torah of Nature [all people, focus on Gentiles]

    Romans 2: Written Torah [Jews alone]

        Romans 3: All people are equally under power of sin

    Romans 4: Abraham shows that it is faith alone that can save [Jews alone]

Romans 5: Adam shows that it is faith alone that can save [all people, focus on Gentiles]

> Abraham: It was through him that God chose the Hebrew people as his special possession.

[[[MAY MOVE THIS SECTION TO NEXT WEEK > Sign of covenant: Circumcision: Jewish believers ... to show you're God's people, you must be circumcised [Torah]/Gentile believers ... Can't we just do a secret handshake?  God called Abraham when Abraham was 75 and made covenant with him about ten years later; he wasn't circumcised until he was 99. Yet Scripture says he was declared righteous when he believed God's covenant--Paul: "Aha! This shows it is faith alone!" More specifically, Jews claimed special privilege because Abraham was their father; Paul says Abraham is father of all believers.]]]