Radical Inclusion: Embracing God's Promise for All

In Galatians 3, Paul addresses a church wrestling with questions of identity, belonging, and the boundaries of God’s family. The heart of the passage is the radical promise God made to Abraham—a promise not just for one family or nation, but for all people, everywhere. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus, who is the true “seed” of Abraham, and through whom all are invited into God’s family, not by birthright, ethnicity, or adherence to the law, but by faith—by trusting Jesus at the center of our lives.

The law, Paul explains, was never meant to be the foundation of our relationship with God. It served as a guide, a fence, showing what a holy life looks like and revealing our inability to achieve holiness on our own. Ultimately, the law points us to our need for a Savior. Now, with Jesus as our well—the source of living water—we are no longer defined or divided by the fences of law, but drawn together by the life he offers.

This unity in Christ does not erase our differences. Paul’s famous words—“there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”—do not mean our stories, bodies, or histories are irrelevant. Rather, our primary identity is as redeemed image-bearers of God, united in Christ, even as we bring our full selves to the table. The church is most beautiful not when it is homogenous, but when it gathers people of every background, reconciled and made one in Christ.

Today, the church faces its own “Galatian” questions: Who is truly included? Can queer people, for example, be fully part of the church? After years of prayer, study, and conversation, our community is committed to being a bridge-building, radically inclusive church, following the example of Jesus who tore down dividing walls. This is not about capitulating to culture, but about loving real people and making space for all to encounter the transforming, sometimes dangerous, truth of the gospel.

As we come to the communion table, we remember our own desperate need for Jesus and celebrate the oneness he has made possible. We are heirs of the promise, invited to live as a reconciled, inclusive family, embodying the radical welcome of Christ to all who seek him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s Promise Is for Everyone, Not Just a Select Few God’s covenant with Abraham was always meant to extend beyond one family or nation. In Christ, the promise is fulfilled for all people, regardless of background, ethnicity, or status. The invitation to belong is not based on our ability to keep rules or fit into certain categories, but on God’s grace and our trust in Jesus. [02:32]
• 2. The Law Reveals Our Need for a Savior, Not a Checklist for Acceptance The law was given to show what a holy life looks like and to reveal that we cannot achieve holiness by our own effort. Its purpose was never to be the foundation of our relationship with God, but to point us to our need for Jesus. Now, with Christ, we are invited to drink from the well of living water, not to live fenced in by rules. [10:06]
• 3. Unity in Christ Honors, Not Erases, Our Differences Paul’s declaration that there is “neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female” is not a call to ignore our differences, but to reorder them. Our primary identity is as redeemed image-bearers, united in Christ, even as we bring our full selves—our stories, cultures, and bodies—to the table. The church’s beauty is found in its diversity reconciled by Christ, not in uniformity. [17:02]
• 4. Radical Inclusion Is Central to the Gospel, Not a Cultural Concession The call to include those who have been marginalized—whether Gentiles in the first century or queer people today—is not about giving in to cultural trends, but about embodying the radical welcome of Jesus. The church is called to be a bridge-building community, tearing down dividing walls and making space for all to encounter the gospel’s transforming power. [27:51]
• 5. The Table Is a Place of Both Need and Oneness As we come to communion, we are reminded of our own desperate need for Jesus and the unity he has accomplished for us. The table is where we celebrate both our dependence on Christ and the oneness we share as heirs of the promise. In a world of division, the church is called to be a safe space for all to encounter the dangerous, healing truth of the gospel.
  
  ** [36:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:10] - Context: Galatians and the Early Church
• [02:32] - The Radical Promise to Abraham
• [04:14] - The Law vs. The Promise
• [06:04] - The Purpose of the Law
• [10:06] - Our Need for a Savior
• [11:30] - From Fences to Wells: Life in Christ
• [14:10] - Faith, Trust, and Belonging
• [15:16] - Unity in Christ: Honoring Differences
• [17:02] - Redeemed Image-Bearers
• [18:17] - The Table: Reconciliation in Diversity
• [20:21] - The Question of Inclusion Today
• [23:50] - Wrestling with Scripture and Inclusion
• [27:51] - Radical Inclusion and the Mission of the Church
• [32:08] - Personal Reflections on Inclusion
• [36:32] - Communion: Need and Oneness
• [37:39] - Heirs of the Promise and Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Galatians 3:15-29 (ESV) —
> 15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
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> 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
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> 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
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> 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Observation Questions

1. According to Paul in Galatians 3, what was the original purpose of the law, and how does it relate to the promise given to Abraham? ([06:04])
2. What does Paul mean when he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”? ([15:16])
3. In the sermon, what modern question does the pastor say is similar to the Galatian church’s question about who is included in God’s family? ([18:17])
4. How does the pastor describe the difference between “fences” and “wells” when talking about life in Christ? ([11:30])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul emphasize that the promise to Abraham was not replaced or canceled by the law? What does this say about God’s intentions for all people? ([04:14])
2. The sermon says the law was like a “fence” and Jesus is now our “well.” What does it mean for the church to move from being defined by fences to being drawn to the well? ([11:30])
3. When Paul says our primary identity is as “redeemed image-bearers of God, united in Christ,” how should this affect the way we see our own differences and the differences of others? ([17:02])
4. The pastor mentions that radical inclusion is not about “capitulating to culture” but about following Jesus’ example. How does this challenge or affirm your understanding of the church’s mission? ([27:51])

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenges us to see God’s promise as for everyone, not just a select few. Are there people or groups you have unconsciously excluded from your idea of “God’s family”? What would it look like to change that? ([02:32])
2. The law was meant to show our need for a Savior, not to be a checklist for acceptance. Are there “fences” (rules, traditions, expectations) you have used to judge who belongs in the church? How can you shift your focus to the “well” of Jesus? ([11:30])
3. Paul says unity in Christ does not erase our differences but reorders them. How can you honor the stories, cultures, and identities of others in your church or small group, while still finding unity in Christ? ([17:02])
4. The pastor shared a personal story about his friend Ryan and the pain of exclusion from church. Do you know someone who has felt excluded from church or faith community? What is one step you could take to reach out or make space for them? ([35:01])
5. The sermon calls the church to be a “bridge-building, radically inclusive” community. What is one practical way you can help your church or small group become more welcoming to those who have been marginalized? ([27:51])
6. As you come to the communion table, the pastor invites you to remember both your need for Jesus and the oneness he brings. How does this change the way you approach communion or shared worship? ([36:32])
7. The pastor prays that the church would “err on the side of inclusivity so that people can know you and encounter you.” What fears or hesitations do you have about radical inclusion, and how might you bring those to God in prayer? ([37:39])