Tabernacle Baptist Church

We need to see Christ as He is- not in a manger, not on the cross, not in the tomb but seated on high enthroned as King of heaven.

1- The One on the Throne (v. 1-6a) - Thrones always symbolize the power and rule of the sovereign who sits there. This Throne is over all other thrones, to show authority and reign of the One who is sitting on the Throne. This is the Christ we worship. This is the King. When you see Him as He is, you will have the same words as Hale. “My only regret is that I only have a life to give.”

2- The Worship of the Heavenly Beings to the One on the Throne (v. 6b-8) - Now there is a shift from the One seated on the Throne to the ones who are worshiping. We are introduced to four creatures. Their song is, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty! Who was and is and is to come.” Praise is offered by the creatures for God’s holiness, omnipotence, and eternality.

3- The Worship of the Heavenly Council to the One on the Throne (v. 9-11) - You don’t get the kingdom of God without making Christ the King. The idea of praying to receive Christ to not go to hell isn’t the promise of scripture. One of the byproducts of praying to receive Christ is forgiveness of sin and salvation of hell. But salvation only comes when you make Christ the King of your life. The reality is that Christ reigns and He will be coming back again. When you see Him if you are in Christ, you will only wish that you could have given more in your life to make His name great.

The King has Come to be our Example so emulate His attitude and let Him exhale you.

1- Follow the Example of Christ in Selflessness and Humility (Phil. 2:3-8) - A good understanding of vanity is emptiness. Empty is the opposite of full. If you only worry about getting your things done, you will only find emptiness. Yes, if you are only full of yourself, you might think you have everything but in reality, you will have nothing. So be like Christ. Have a selfless attitude all the time.

2- Like Christ, Have a Humble Attitude (v. 6-8) - Christmas is about God becoming a man in Christ. This process was a humble one. You must have the same attitude that Jesus had when He came to the earth.

1- The King has come for you to personally experience the manifest presence of God. (v. 14, 18) - The Word Became Flesh. In other words, God became Man. There are three reasons why this affects us personally: 1) So God could dwell with us; 2) So we could personally experience His glory; 3) So we could know Him more.

2- Come to Christ with a humble heart and receive and recount His blessings of grace (v. 15-17) - We need to live like John the Baptist who was satisfied with so little because in living under His call he had so much. We need to live pointing to Jesus in everything we might do.

At the end of a year like this, the Christmas story is so important because it reminds us that the King has come to rule over all. Because He reigns, we can live above such divisiveness as we know right now. Jesus is sovereign over all. Remembering who the King came to be and who He is, will help you turn to Him instead of being led away from Him. The King has come, so go to Him, worship Him, find peace with Him, and tell the world about Him.

1. Do you want to step into the calling and the life that God has for you? Do you want more out of life?

If not, 2. Are you willing to settle for a life that is less than what you could have?

Your life is too short to live for a vision that is too small. Don’t waste your life. Live for what is greater. Christ came for the purpose of building His kingdom here on earth and to last throughout all of eternity. Live for the sole purpose of building Christ's kingdom on earth now for your eternal rewards.

1. Accept the Call to Be a Burden Bearer (vs. 1-2) - This is the calling for every Christian. Paul says if we bear one another’s burden, we will fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is the law of love! To love your neighbor is to bear their burdens, and not to see their need and just keep walking by focused on your stuff.

2. If Ready, Help Restore The Straying Follower (vs. 1-4) - You may not be ready to do this. Don’t miss that all-important “you who are spiritual” phrase. It refers not just to a follower of Christ who has a heartbeat, but to one who is abiding in the Spirit. Paul is not saying that this person is better than the next one, but that they are in a surrendered relationship with Jesus Christ, and they are now able to help restore the straying follower. But remember, do it with love and gentleness!

3. Show Appreciation (v. 6) - Paul wants these believers to show their appreciation to those who have helped them. Gratitude is a simple but powerful gesture. If your hard heart cannot accept the help or instruction with thankfulness, you need more time maturing in Christ. Always show appreciation to all those who help you.

4. Do Not grow Weary in Sowing Good (vs. 7-10) - God is the one who brings the harvest for those who sow good into the world, and He brings forth judgment for those who sow evil as well. God always keeps His promises. Trust Him!

We have two main points for this message:

1. Circumcision, like any Act of Obedience, is not Necessary for Salvation (Gal. 5:2-12) - These believers were told that Jesus was good but they also needed to be circumcised to be saved along with following the letter of the law. Paul has no patience for those who corrupt the Gospel. Be careful to not believe in false teachings, like the Galatians here in this text.

2. Walk in the Spirit and Be Recognized by The Fruit of the Spirit and not by the Works of the Flesh (Gal. 5:13-26) - The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self Control. Against such things, there is no law. And just like the seed must die for the fruit of the cotton plant to burst forth, the follower must die to self if the new life of the Spirit is going to shine through.

Here are three points we can get from this text. My desire is that you can apply these points to your life and you will see how God will transform your life!

1. Living for Lesser Things Will Rob You of Joy in Service (Gal. 4:12-15)

2. Living for Lesser Things Will Turn Your Friends into Enemies and Your Enemies into Mentors (Gal. 4:16-20)

3. As Children of Promise our Call is to Freedom and Trust in LORD, Not to Take Matters into Our Own Hands (Gal. 4:21-5:1)

1. Grasp the Purpose of God’s Law (Gal. 3:19-25): What Paul does here in these six verses is explain to the Galatians that the law was never meant to save but to show our need for Jesus, the Messiah. Paul has been building this argument by saying “that instead of earning righteousness by obeying God, you are declared righteous by God’s grace through faith in Christ.” The law was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made” (v.19).

2. Live under the Benefits of being a Child of God (Gal. 3:26-4:11): In Christ, we see several benefits in these verses. First, being a blood-bought, born again child of the King brings unity among many variances within humanity, so as Christians we are one in Christ. Second, as children of God, we are not only one in Christ, but also through faith we are adopted as heirs to the kingdom. Lastly, as children of God, we have the Spirit of Christ in us that allows us to cry out Abba Father. Abba is a term of intimacy, not infancy. It’s a personal cry of the heart that only comes from the most intimate relationship shared between a child and their father. It's less about something that is said in prayer and more about your position with God that allows you to talk to Him.

God’s plan has never changed. We are saved by grace through faith. Trusting in the Gospel by faith alone overcomes anxiety and emptiness.

Understanding the covenants are signposts to seeing Christ throughout the Bible. The covenants are the keys to see how God’s eternal plan of salvation and seeing how all the prophets have been pointing to Christ.

If we fail to interpret the Bible as Christ and Paul did, we will fall into the same failure and heresy as the Galatian church and many heretical churches across the centuries; we add “you should-s” statements. “You should-s” looks like adding to the Gospel with ceremonies like the Galatians’ desire to point to Abraham and circumcision. “You should-s” look like the Galatians’ desire to point to Moses and the need to keep the law.

When we create “you should” statements and add them to the Gospel, really, it is a desire to be in control of your eternal destiny and prove to ourselves and the world around us that we are enough. But you are not enough! That is the point, Jesus is enough!