Text: Galatians 3:26-4:7 Title: Christmas Gifts- The Right to Worship God
“But when the time had fully come God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”(Gal. :v5)
On that first Christmas God sent his Son for two purposes
1. God sent his Son to redeem us
2. God sent his Son that we might receive the full rights of sons
The 2 Christmas gifts God wants the entire world to receive…
1.redemption
2.the full rights of sons
We hear a lot more about redemption than we do about the full rights of sons so I want to address one of those rights today; the right to worship God.
1. I have the right to worship God through FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS (3:26)
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, “
The moment I put my faith in Christ Jesus I receive the right to worship God.
•Jesus said to the man born blind, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? Who is he, Sir? The man asked. “tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “you have now seen him: in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, ”Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” (John 9:35-37)
•Application: When a person really sees Jesus or really hears Jesus it’s natural to want to respond with worship.
•Romans 12:1…therefore I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual or reasonable act of worship.
•If I don’t care to worship then I have to ask myself “Do I really have faith in Jesus?”
•If I don’t care to worship it’s because my faith is in something else!
2. Though having faith in Christ Jesus I have a lot to WORSHIP GOD FOR
•I am a son or daughter of God (3:26, 4:6,7)
•I am baptized into Christ (3:27)
•I am clothed with Christ (3:27)
•I belong to Christ (3:29)
•I am Abraham’s seed (3:29)
•I am Abraham’s heir according to the promise (3:29)
•I am no longer a slave to the basic principles of the world (4:3,7)
•I have been redeemed (4:4)
•I have the Holy Spirit living in my heart (4:4)
Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits…(Psalm 103:2)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. “ (Eph. 1:3)
3. The Holy Spirit is given to help us to WORSHIP (4:6)
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out “Abba, Father.”
Look where God sends the Spirit of his Son? He sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts?
God sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts so that we can worship Him properly.
“Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
•The Holy Spirit helps us to be free from those things that hinder worship (4:3)
Because we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world we need the Holy Spirit to free us to worship God
The basic principles of the world were the ceremonial ordinances of the Mosaic law. While these ceremonial ordinances did contain the rudiments of the knowledge of Christ they were weak and lacking when contrasted with the great realities to which they were designed to lead people.
There were things the believers were holding on to that were good and even scriptural but God had better things and these better things were also scriptural.
Illustration: going from using an overhead projector to using powerpoint
The Holy Spirit wants to free us to doing worship in new ways that are just as meaningful and biblical.
God also sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts so He can affect what comes out of our mouths. God wants everything that comes out of our mouth to be an expression of worship.
4. The focus of our worship is not us but GOD
“the Spirit who calls out “Abba, Father.” (4:6)
Who does the Holy Spirit call out to in worship? He calls out to God the Father. The focus of our worship is not us but God. The Holy Spirit wants us to grow in our worship so that we reach the place where we know God as intimately as He does. This can only happen if God is our focus.
Conclusion
•Am I taking the opportunity to worship
•Am I cooperating with the Holy Spirit in worship
•Am I focusing on God in worship
