How to handle Revelation

Sunday Sermon
August 23rd 2009
Rhema Community Church

Sermonic Skeleton

Sermonic Pericope: ESV Galatians 2:1-10 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in- who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery- 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)- those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Sermonic Theme: Saved & Set Free (The Doctrine of Saving Grace/ Justification through Faith alone)

Sermonic Subject: Special Revelation (Allow no one the opportunity to devalue what God is doing in your life.)

Sermonic Tension: Christian ministry is not designed to do alone. (Although you are justified by God however, you still need people.)

Sermonic Sentence: Revelation that cannot be tested is revelation that ought not to be trusted.

Sermonic Question: The gospel you preach did it derive from human aspiration or holy revelation.

Sermonic Help: SPECIAL REVELATION: God’s divine self-revelation evidenced specifically in salvation history and culminating in the incarnation as understood through Scripture. Although the Bible seemingly affirms both general and special revelation, only special revelation can disclose completely our sinful predicament, as well as God’s promise of salvation and its fulfillment in Christ.

Sermonic Title: "HOW TO HANDLE REVELATION"

Sermonic Structure:

I. RUN IT BY SPIRITUALLY MATURE PEOPLE (…I was not running or had not run in vain. V 1-2)

II. RECRUIT A TRAINABLE PROTÉGÉ (…Titus V. 3-9)

III. REMEMBER THE POOR (…the very thing I was eager to do. V. 10)