To Whom Be The Glory?

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.