Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, August 03, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
JESUS, THE SOURCE OF EVERY BLESSING
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-3
Text: Genesis 12:3
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Introduction: Our text contains what we call the Abrahamic blessing. The main teaching is that if you bless the JEW, God will bless YOU. If you CURSE the Jew, God will curse YOU! However, there is more to the verse than that. This verse is actually a prophecy that God would save people of all nations through faith in Jesus Christ! That may not seem obvious at first, but remember that Jesus said:
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Remember also that after His resurrection Jesus met with two of His gloomy, discouraged disciples:
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Now look again at our text:
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Concerning our text, the New Testament makes this comment:
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Genesis 12:2 is the first verse in the Bible containing the word “blessing.”
JESUS is the source of EVERY blessing!
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
“Come, thou fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy praise!”
I. JESUS BLESSES THE HEATHEN
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
A. He declares us to be just
B. He delivers us from darkness
C. He designates us as children of Abraham
II. JESUS BLESSES THE HOUSE OF GOD
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
A. He blesses by His presence
B. He blesses by His providence
C. He blesses by His power
D. He blesses by His precepts
E. He blesses by His provision
F. He blesses by His protection
G. He blesses by His peace
III. JESUS BLESSES THE HOME
Acts 16:29-34 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
A. With pardon
B. With purity
C. With purpose
D. With praise
IV. JESUS BLESSES THE HEART
Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Romans 4:5-8 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Jesus saves us and blesses our hearts
A. With forgiveness
B. With freedom
C. With fullness of joy