Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit

And Pastor Andrew T. Okai

New Year’s Day

January 1, 2017

 

Sermon text: Galatians 3:23–29

Sermon theme: Faith for the Journey 2017

 

Introduction

Grace, mercy, and peace...

 

A few hours ago we crossed over into this brand New Year... and what a place to begin it—right in church...

 

One of the things to remember every time we enter a new year is that our world is aging out... and as it is aging out, it is crying out for faith... (The systems and cultures of our world are fighting against our faith). It can almost be compared to a car that is running on low fuel and in search of a filling station...

 

Jesus asked a very startling question Luke 18:8b: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

 

Well, for us people of the Christian faith, what I would to say is this: 2017 needs us (2017 is crying out for us because in the absence of the Christian faith, evil prevails)...

 

This is also important because many of us have decided to make the best of 2017 by becoming more intentional about life... (But this is something we can never achieve apart from having faith in God...), for life is surely a struggle without God...

 

Look how Paul addresses this in our second reading this morning in his letter to the Galatian Christians...

 

He talks about the struggle Israel faced before Jesus came and cancelled the old order of things...

 

Our detention

Galatians 3:23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

 

 

Our redemption

Galatians 3:24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

 

 

Our freedom

Galatians 3:25–29 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.