Introduction
1. The most violent game I have ever played is musical chairs. Not football or hockey but musical chairs. We used to play it in youth group or a church socials. Here were God-loving, peaceful, church going individuals playing a game for fun. No prizes, no trophies, no titles were up for grabs. And yet the competition was fierce and people even got injured. Musical chairs is a simple game. Simply count out how many people are playing and make a circle of empty chairs. Make sure there is one chair less than there are participants. And then play or sing some music while the people walk around the chairs. They have to keep moving. When the music stops, everyone has to sit on an empty chair. The one who can’t sit down is out of the game. And then a chair is removed and the music begins again. This happens over and over again until there is just one chair and two people left. And when the music stops the one who sits before the other does is the winner. Sounds simple but people use strategies and even cheat at times. They will stand still at the chair when they should be moving. They will keep hold of the chair even though that is illegal. And often there will be arguments or fights when it is almost to close to call who sat first. All in all, the game is fun, even though it brings out our competitive nature..
2. In musical chairs there is one chair and only one person can sit in it. It is only a game. But it reminds me of a reality which we all deal with on a daily basis.
3. For in our lives there is a chair that is very important. It is not just a chair, but it is a throne. A throne and the one who sits in that throne is the one who controls or rules or directs our lives. And just as the game, there is often a fierce competition over who will actually sit in the throne. Usually that competition is between me and God, or between you and God. Do you know what I mean?
4. Do you want to be in charge of your life, to do what you want when you want to do it? You want to hold on to it as we want to hold on to the balloon (children’s message).
5. But God says that He wants to be Lord of your life. That our lives are lived for Him and not for ourselves.
6. This morning we continue to look at what it means to have genuine faith. What it really means to be a Christian or a disciple of Jesus Christ. And this morning we look at another sign of true faith.
7. That sign is that God is sitting in the throne of our lives. That He is Lord. And while we may struggle with this at times, we always come back to Him. We may sit on throne for while but we realize it belongs to Him.
8. Who is sitting in the throne of your life? One way to look at this is by asking another question. Do you seek glory for yourself or glory for God? To whom be the glory in your life?
9. Glory refers to honour, praise, reputation and value. Are you concerned more about your own honour or reputation, or that of God?
10. To examine ourselves, we look at the words and life of Jesus and Paul. Both of them sought glory for God. Both show how we are able to give Him glory.
Teaching
1. First, we consider how we give glory to God by acknowledging His grace.
2. In our passage from 2 Timothy, Paul tells us how. Paul is writing from a cold dungeon in Rome. He knows His life is nearly over. In 4:6 he says "the time has come for my departure."
3. And as people do at such times, they look back over their lives. Paul looks back at the first time He stood before the court making his defense. He was all alone. Except for the Lord Jesus Christ. He stood by him and gave him strength.
4. Here was Paul, about to be condemned. And yet he boldly stood before the court and proclaimed his faith. If he had not done so, if he had denied his faith, he might have been freed. But he proclaimed the word so that the Gentiles might hear it. What a strong witness!
5. But Paul does not want to glorify himself. He says to the Lord be glory for ever and ever. For it was the Lord who stood by Him and gave Him strength.
6. When one nears the end of one’s life, one often looks back over one’s accomplishments. Paul could have looked back and felt proud for all that he had done. He could have gloried in how he had been a missionary and writer and ambassador of Christ. About how the church grew under his work. But instead he gives glory to God for what God had done.
7. But this was nothing new for Paul. Throughout his ministry he always gave credit to God. Listen to his words. Can you say them with Paul?
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
Rom 15:18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me
Heb 13:20-1 May the God of peace,... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Phil 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
8. What are the things that you have accomplished in your life? Raising your family? Building a business? Teaching children at SS or singing or playing the piano or organ? Helping others?
9. When is the last time someone thanked you for something you had done or praised you? It felt good, but did you give glory to God or take the glory for yourself. When we acknowledge God, we give glory. When we acknowledge with Paul, "But by the grace of God I am what I am." When we even acknowledge that even our faith is from God, by His grace, we give Him glory.
Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
10. All we have is from God by His grace, glory be to His name?
11. And when we give the glory to God for what He has done, then it leads us to the next way we glorify Him. As we said, Paul was near death.
12. Paul glorified God for rescuing him from death. But he knew it would soon come. But he could face that death because he trusted that God would bring Him through it.
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
13. When we know that God has brought us this far, we also trust in Him. We are ready to face whatever lies ahead because we know that He is God. He sits on the throne and He is working all things out for our good.
14. Imagine that someone promises to do something for you. Come here tomorrow and I’ll give you $100. But you do not believe him so you don’t come. You know the person is not worthy of your trust. But if you did trust them, you are saying they are worthy of trust, they are honourable.
15. When we face the unknown and struggles of life by trusting God, we are bringing glory to God. We recognize His sovereignty and His goodness. To worry and to be distraught is to deny His sovereignty and goodness. It is to act as if you don’t believe His promises.
16. Let us turn to the words of Jesus in John 17 to see how Jesus brought glory to His Father.
17. Just as Paul, Jesus is facing death, also for proclaiming the truth. And as Paul, He talks about glorifying God.
John 17:1, Jesus says "glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you."
18. Jesus is talking about His death and resurrection when He says "glorify your Son." It would be in His death that God would be glorified. He had struggled with this in the garden but He ended His struggle by saying "Yet not as I will, but as you will."
19. We glorify God when we are willing to die for Him. When we place our lives in His hands. When we deny ourselves and take up our cross. When we do not demand control of our lives but place our lives in His hands. eg. - when I "jumped off cliff" and said "do whatever you want with me." When daily we are willing to suffer humiliation or to give of ourselves for God.
20. It shows again our trust in Him but it shows also that He is worth much more than our very lives. Closely tied in with this is verse 4. Jesus says
John 17:4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
21. We glorify God by being obedient to Him. By doing the work that He wants us to do. God sent Christ to proclaim the gospel and to give His life.
22. In a lesser sense He did that will Paul - called him to give his life. And that is why He has called us as well.Our lives are meant to communicate not accumulate, as we said a couple of weeks ago. We are called to extend His kingdom.
23. We glorify God as a church when we actively seek to evangelize and reach out in love. When we live holy lives so that others may see God in us.
1 Pet 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
24. That means each of us needs to examine ourselves and ask "what is the purpose of my life?" "Who decides that purpose?" "And am I living is a way that conforms to my purpose?" "Am I living and reaching out, am I caring for the poor and the sick and the hungry, as God wants me to?" "Or am I too busy chasing my own pursuits, chasing after the wind?"
25. Again it comes down to one thing. Are you living to bring glory to God? Are you allowing Him to rule?
26. There is one chair left? The music has stopped? Only you and God are left. He just stands there and looks at you. "You decide," He says. "If you wish to sit down, go ahead." "If you want me to, I will." "If you let me sit, you will not lose, but you will win".
27. What are you going to do?
