His Glory- Our Peace

Opening prayer, dedication

Music ministry

82 O Come, Let Us Adore Him

A King Like This

I Will Boast in Christ

Word of God - Galatians 6:14-18

Sermon "His Glory - Our Peace"

Pastor Rich is famous for saying we should “Keep the main thing the main thing”

To be fair, Rich is known for much more than that

Today, on this fourth Sunday of Advent as we focus on “peace”

and have already lit the “peace” candle

We should all be asking ourselves , “What is the main thing today?”

Hopefully when you are in a worship service, the main thing is worshiping God

And hopefully while we are in a worship service titled “His Glory - Our Peace” we are focusing on giving glory to God

We remain committed to giving honor and Glory to God by studying His Holy Word

What a blessing it is to be living in a time when God’s Word is so available

We find ourselves at the final few verses of the letter Paul wrote to the church of Galatia

Last week we looked at how our love for Jesus should result in loving all of God’s people

and how the level of our love for Jesus is always on display for others to see

That we should be sincere in our love and demonstration of love toward others

and never put on a show or be fake

What a great reminder for us this week before Christmas

There is nothing fake about the true Christmas story

The meaning of Christmas comes from the true story of Jesus being gifted to us as an eternal blessing

The reminder for each of us is that we MUST be just as real and eternal

Let us approach Christmas with the sacrificial and limitless love for others that God has demonstrated for us

Today, we start with this beautiful statement about boasting

Galatians 6:14

Galatians 6:14 ESV

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul is not boasting about how great he is as a Christian

Paul is not drawing attention to himself at all

Paul would not be boasting about the best wrapped present under the tree today

Whether it was something he wrapped or something someone else gave to him

Paul is not even boasting just about this person named Jesus

No, Paul is boasting in “the cross of Jesus Christ”

The cross and the work Jesus accomplished on the cross, that’s where we see the proof of the power of Jesus

It is the cross of Jesus that confirms what was prophesied or foretold in the Old Testament

Further, this is Paul proclaiming the crucified Christ, Jesus

This is the call for each of us

We should present ourselves to our Christmas gatherings this way

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

So many people will miss the whole meaning and significance of Christmas

We are not celebrating Santa Claus

We are not celebrating turkey or ham dinners

We are not celebrating who got the best deal on stuff

We aren’t really even celebrating the fact that family is getting together

We are celebrating the Son of God who was sent by God the father to save us from our sins

We are celebrating the fact that Jesus’ work on the cross makes it possible for us to be made holy and righteous

We are celebrating that we gentiles have access to eternal life through our faith in Jesus, by the grace of God

The best part is, that all this is true, not because Pastor Adam said so

Don’t have faith in me for this

Remember 1 Corinthians 2:5

1 Corinthians 2:5 ESV

5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

We proclaim it because it is true and from God!

And that should be the heart we carry into Christmas

The true gift of Christmas IS Jesus Christ

The Crucified Christ

Watch the chance at the end of verse 14

First Paul says that Jesus was crucified, then that Paul was “crucified to the world”

It’s more clear in Romans 6:6

Romans 6:6 ESV

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

It is absolutely true that Jesus was crucified on the cross

It’s true that Jesus died for our sins

Is it true that we have died to the world and been crucified along with Jesus?

Yes, to the extent that we have given ourselves to the Lord

If you are holding part of your heart back

Then you are partially enslaved to sin

Then you are not fully a new creation

If we hang on the legalism, doing the “activities” of a believer, but lacking the complete heart of a believer

Then the activities don’t really count for much

But, if we have died to the values of the world

selfishness, personal ambition and pride

Then, we join Paul and can truly celebrate the gift of Jesus

I need to take a moment here to talk about ambition, especially to our kids

I need to see that I criticized “Personal ambition” a moment ago

It is sinful to be full of pride and even to work hard as a matter of what I call “personal ambition”

Person ambition is when you are trying to do something big to show off

If the purpose is to make others see just how talented YOU are, that is pride and sin

We are supposed to do things differently because we love Jesus

We are supposed to work hard and do great things to give GOD the glory, not focus on us personally

So, work hard

Use the talents God gave you, but always give the glory to God, not yourself

People who brag about themselves are usually just trying to hide their faults

So, don’t be like that

Let your actions speak for you instead

To God what matters is that we show our love for one another

All praise and glory to God, Amen!?

Here we are in what many consider the busiest and even most stressful time of the year

Not even a week before Christmas

Just who does pastor Adam think he is talking about peace?

Doesn’t Adam know what all you have to do?

This is a truth straight from the core text today, Galatians 6:15. Verse 15 tells us that the “main thing” is for us to truly be a “new creation”

Galatians 6:15 ESV

15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

Trying to live up to all the self-imposed Christmas expectations is not biblical and does not honor nor give glory to God

Focusing on the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus

That is what gives glory to God and there is a reward for us

Galatians 6:16

Galatians 6:16 ESV

16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

When we have Jesus at the center of what we do, not just at Christmas, but always

That is when we will have peace

We should stand out in a good way this Christmas

Compared to the non-Believers around us, we should have and show peace

Peace because the giver of peace is pleased knowing our true heart of love and appreciation for the gift of Jesus to save us

We should all be like Paul as he described himself in Galatians 6:17

Galatians 6:17 ESV

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Jesus and the fact that true believers have already bee crucified with Him, figuratively, of course

We have eternal immunity to the pressures of trying to please the world with the “perfect” Christmas, or anything else

It’s like having an “all access” pass on your wrist

We get to be back stage

We get to look OUT at the chaos

And we get to let others be envious of what we enjoy

Because deep inside, they want the peace we have

The final verse to this great letter to the church of Galatia is a reminder of what we all in the church and really our country need

Grace. We need to be the people of grace

It seems so many people are just on a razor’s edge

It seems they are just waiting for one tiny thing to send them over the edge

We could blame politics

We could blame the economy

We could blame the pandemic

We could blame whoever is in front of us at any given time

Blaming any of the above would be like getting angry over a flat tire

Then attacking all nails or screws on the shelf of the hardware store

If we focus on fixing the flat, then we can go do things

We should be thankful that God loves us

That God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us

That we have family and friends

That most of us can afford to give gifts of some kind

That most of us have an abundance of food for our families

So, as we do our Christmas activities, let us always bear the gift of grace

The same unmerited favor God give each of us

Let us carry that grace into our gatherings

For that matter, let us drive to our destinations extending that grace to all we encounter

Above all, give all the glory to God

Let all around you know that you are able to give because God has blessed you

And you want to share the blessings

Let all round you experience grace as you don’t look for the perfection in the meal or gifts under the tree

Instead let your big contribution to the gathering be the grace and peace you exude

Here’s what I mean Philippians 4:7

Philippians 4:7 ESV

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In the midst of the chaos, let the peace that surpasses all understanding be your calling card

Give God the glory and His peace will fill you

AMEN-KCIC!

Closing Hymn/Invitation: “Make Room”

Pastoral prayer/Benediction