Galatians 6: The Wonderful Cross

Read Galtians 6:1-18

Outline
6:1-10 Christians living with One Another
6:11-17 Christians living centered on the cross of Christ
6:18 Closing of the letter

I wonder how often we survey the cross of Jesus Christ. We probably remember the cross during the Easter season the most with Good Friday. Or maybe the cross is just a symbol for necklaces, earrings, or a structure on the top or inside of buildings where Christians gather.  

A modern theologian and teacher, Dr. R. C. Sproul wrote this in his book, The Holiness of God:

The Cross was at once the most horrible and the most beautiful example of God’s wrath. It was the most just and the most gracious act in history.  God would have been more than unjust, He would have been diabolical to punish Jesus if Jesus had not first willing taken on Himself the sins of the world. Once Christ had done that, once He volunteered to be the Lamb of God, laden with our sin, then He became the most grotesque and vile thing on this planet. With the concentrated load of sin He carried, He became utterly repugnant to the Father. God poured out His wrath on this obscene thing.  God made Christ accursed for the sin He bore.  Herein was God’s holy justice perfectly manifest. Yet it was done for us. He took what justice demanded from us. (pg. 121)

That’s what the cross of Christ means. Don’t beautify the cross. Don’t second guess the cross. It was the way that God’s justice, graciousness, wrath, and His love would be all fulfilled and revealed at the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, as a new creation in Christ, it is commendable to boast only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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… From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. - Galatians 6:14, 17

The Wonderful Cross by Chris Tomlin

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Galatians 5: When I think about the Lord

Read Galatians 5:1-26

Outline
5:1-12 Freedom in Christ versus Yoke of Slavery in Circumcision 
5:13-15 Neighbor love for those who are called to freedom in Christ
5:16-26 Walking by the Holy Spirit, bearing His fruit versus the works of the flesh

Here in chapter 5, Paul once again emphasizes why a requirement of the law, namely circumcision is not basis for our justification. It is because our freedom in Christ comes through faith in Christ.  Such freedom does not oblige us to legal requirements or sanction a debauchery or hedonistic lifestyle, but it leads us to and produces love that is living and active toward God and neighbor.

Therefore, those who are in Christ should not take freedom in Christ as a permission to live according to the carnal and sinful desire, gratifying one’s self-absorbed satisfaction in sinful behaviors, but rather be vigilant in keeping one’s step with the Holy Spirit and be watchful whether or not His fruit is evident in one’s life by the Spirit.

Which one of the following lists do you identify your daily life with?

• The works of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and etc. (vv. 19-21)
   
• The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (vv. 22-23)

May we live in such ways, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit and bearing His fruit daily, as we think and remember the love of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, for us to be justified as the righteous ones and adopted forever as the children of God the Father and enabled us to enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Triune God who is our Saivour and our Lord.

When I Think About The Lord by Shane and Shane

It makes me want to shout
Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you’re worthy
Of all the glory, and all the honor
And all the praise!
Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you’re worthy
Of all the glory, and all the honor
And all the praise!

Galatians 4: Son of God

Read Galatians 4:1-31

Outline:
4:1-7 Sonship of heirs and children through adoption in God’s redemption
4:8-20 Paul’s discernment and pastoral heart for the Galatians Christians
4:21-31 Paul’s allegory for sonship from two sons (Hagar’s and Sarah’s)

Once we were enemies of God, now in Christ we are children and heirs of God by faith in Jesus Christ through adoption. Adoption in Christ is the whole premises of Paul’s instructions along with justification by faith alone in Galatians.  And, if our sonship in Christ through faith in Jesus Christ alone, why should we enslave ourselves with an additional requirement to our salvation?

Dr. J. I. Packer from Regent College penned it way better about our adoption in his book, Knowing God:

…Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father.  In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship - he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for God the Father is a greater. (pg. 207)

Now, read and reflect on following questions Dr. Packer raised relating to our sonship in Christ from Knowing God:

Do I understand my adoption? Do I value it? Do I daily remind myself of my privilege as a child of God?

Have I sought full assurance of my adoption? Do I daily dwell on the love of God to me?
Do I treat God as my Father in heaven, loving, honoring and obeying him, seeking and welcoming his fellowship, and trying in everything to please him, as a human parent would want his child to do?

Do I think of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord, as my brother too, bearing to me not only a divine authority but also a divine-human sympathy? Do I think daily how close he is to me, how completely he understands me, and how much, as my kinsman-redeemer, he cares for me?
Have I learned to hate the things that displease my Father? Am I sensitive to the evil things to which he is sensitive? Do I make a point of avoiding them, lest I grieve him?

Do I look forward daily to that great family occasion when the children of God will finally gather in heaven before the throne of God, their Father, and of the Lamb, their brother and their Lord? Have I felt the thrill of this hope?

Do I love my Christian brothers and sisters with whom I live day by day, in a way that I shall not be ashamed of when in heaven I think back over it?

Am I proud of my Father, and of his family, to which by his grace I belong?
Does the family likeness appear in me? If not, why not?

God humble us; God instruct us; God make us his own true children. (pg. 229) 

Son of God by Starfield

Son of God, Shaper of the stars
You alone, The dweller of my heart
Mighty King, How beautiful You are 
How beautiful

Son of God, The Father’s gift to us
You alone were broken on the altar of love
Precious Lamb, Our freedom’s in Your blood 
It’s in your blood

Jesus, O Holy One, I sing to You, Forgiven
Savior, I’m overcome With Your great love for me

Son of God, Strength beyond compare
You alone, The darkness cannot bear
Lord of love, Your kindness draws me near 
It draws me

Son of God, Prophecy of old
You alone, Redeemer of my soul
Come again And lead your people home 
Come lead us home

You are worthy, You are worthy 
You are worthy of all my praise
You are beautiful, You are beautiful
I will lift up my hands and sing

Galatians 3: Embracing Accusation

Read Galatians 3:1-29

Galatians 2: In Christ Alone

Read Galatians 2:1-21

Outline
2:1-10  Defense of the gospel in the church
2:11-14 Defense of the gospel among co-laborers for the gospel
2:15-21  The heart of the gospel: justification by faith in Christ alone

The heart of the gospel is we are justified by faith in Christ alone.  Other than faith in Christ alone, we have no ground for our justification, meaning God declares us the righteous.  This was a reason why Paul went to Jerusalem to see other apostles at Jerusalem church, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved. And also, he rebuked one of the apostles, Peter for his hypocrisy, requiring Gentile Christians to observe Jewish table regulations if they wanted to eat with him, after some Jewish Christians came to Peter.

Paul was a strong advocate of the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially justification by faith in Christ alone, and endeavored for its preservation and propagation, even risking his life.  Such radical faith and lifestyle was possible for Paul because of this perspective on his life - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (v. 20)

Has your former ’self’ - self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulging - been crucified with Christ? Is your life now being directed and empowered by trusting Christ alone moment by moment? What are some obstacles for you to trust Christ alone in your daily life?

If you identify your former ’self’ features again - sinful behaviors, prideful and judgmental tendency, being prone to indulgence, and etc, immediately repent and ask the Holy Spirit to begin His wrought work in you. 

In Christ Alone by Newsboys

Verse 1:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

Verse 2: 
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift if love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on the cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ in I live

Verse 3: 
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then, bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me
For I am His and He us mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Verse 4:
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand 

Galatians 1: Something Heavenly

Read: Galatians 1:1-24

Background
Galatians is Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia.  Paul wrote the Galatians to instruct, defend, and exhort the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As false teachers infiltrated into the Galatians churches and taught the observances of the Law, especially circumcision for their basis of salvation, Paul wrote the Galatians to teach and defend the true gospel.

Outline
1:1-3 Paul’s greetings to Galatians
1:6-9 Paul’s rebuke on the false gospel
1:10-24 Paul’s defense of his calling for the true gospel

In chapter 1, I would like to turn our focus to how Paul makes case against distortion of the gospel unapologetically (vv. 6-9) and defends his calling for the gospel exhaustively (vv. 11-24).  All of these he does for the gospel in order to please God, seeking the approval of God, not of men (v. 10).

Does the gospel compels you to live a life, first and foremost pleasing to God?  When you try to please your parents and/or friends, I wonder, how often you have succeeded in meeting their expectations and satisfaction.  Often we find it difficult and even impossible to please everyone.  If so, wouldn’t it be more difficult and challenging to please God because His standard is the perfect holiness.

This is where faith in Jesus Christ make pleasing God possible. The writer of Hebrews says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6).  Hence, the gospel takes a crucial place in our lives as those who are in faith not only shall live, but shall live by faith (Rom. 1:16-17).  

Reflect on a song below, Whatever You’re Doing by Sanctus Real, let us examine the deepest desire of our hearts to see how much of it is ’something heavenly’.  Is there anything taking precedent over your life besides your desire, living a life pleasing to God?  Reevaluate, repent, and pray.

Whatever You’re Doing by Sanctus Real

It’s time for healing time to move on
It’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It’s time to find my way to where I belong
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there’s peace
Though It’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see
but I’m giving in to something Heavenly
(Something Heavenly) 

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender… To…

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You’re up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This *is* something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It’s time to face up
Clean this old house
Time breathe in and let everything out

Compassion Update

So far, our Youth Ministry has reached only 9% to our total pledge in helping four children from the Compassion International for the month of November. If each student in our Youth Ministry donates one dollar ($1) each month, it will be more than enough to support four children. 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Lost in a Crowd?

Hillsong Austrailia

Our church, Korean Emmanuel Presbyterian Church was recognized as one of the largest Korean churches in North America by L2 Foundation, a private Christian foundation that seeks to develop the leadership and legacy of Asian Americans by providing support and resources.

Our Sunday worship service attendance has grown to more than 1,500+, and our Youth Sunday worship service attendance has exceeded over 230+.  The number of attendance is not an indication of church’s health or success.  It means God has entrusted our church with more souls to lead to Christ, nurture with the Word, and disciple in faith.  

This is somewhat a scary thought to think about when God asks us, pastors, “What have you done with people I brought into your ministry?” because I wonder about how faithful and impacting have we been as ministers of the Gospel and ministry with 200+ teenagers and their families we have.  As this year ends, this has been in my contemplation lately.

Not only God entrusted this many teenagers to pastors and teachers, but also to you guys who are also part of God’s church.  How we conduct with “One Another”, as Pastor Evan has preached in the last month, must have its foundation on our love for and our relationship to God.  That’s why it is important that we constantly practice those biblical One Another’s, which Pastor Evan has put together and distributed to all of us, instead of just saying hi and bye on Sunday. 

Let us continue to foster a biblical, godly, and loving  community in our Youth Ministry, so that not only our church is known for its number of Sunday attendance, but for our love for God and one another in and out of our Youth Ministry.

Grace and peace

Pastor Joe

ACTS of WORSHIP

Heart of Worship

We will have a special Thanksgiving Service called “Acts of Worship” on Thanksgiving Sunday, November 23. You may share your expression of thanksgiving, praise, and worship in various art or non-art forms.  A sign-up sheet is available in the back of the chapel, please sign up by 11/16 (Sun).  Be creative, thankful, and first and foremost, worshipful.

Thanksgiving Worship Service, “Acts of Worship”
11/23 Sunday from 10-11:30 AM
Sign up by Sunday, 11/16. 

Calling all the Class of 2011

Sophomore class  gathers on the first Sunday each month for a group prayer meeting.  Come to church by 9:15 AM to pray for one another and for our Youth Ministry.  Any questions or suggestions, send an Email to David Choi at mahndoogi[at]gmail.com.

Sophomore Prayer Meeting
1st Sunday of Each Month
Time: 9:15 AM 

Class of 2011