1 St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church The Sufficiency of Christ Are we still trying to earn our own merit? Scripture: Galatians 1:13-17 and 2:11-21 Rev. Steve Filyk May 9, 2020 Sixth Sunday after Easter Opening Hymn: All hail the power of Jesus’ name 363 (1,3,5) Closing Hymn: My hope is built on nothing less 349 Choruses: Untitled hymn/Come to Jesus & In Christ Alone Take a moment to think about this past week. Think about the things that you did out of a sense of personal ownership or responsibility. Maybe you pulled some weeds. Maybe you washed your car. Hopefully you brushed your teeth. Now, think about those things You did out of a sense of gratitude and joy. Maybe you called an old friend. Maybe you treated your child/grandchild to ice cream. Maybe you whispered a prayer of thanks as you feel asleep in bed. Finally, think about those things You did this week to prove yourself or be accepted. Maybe you kept quiet when people were telling lies. Maybe you volunteered for a job that you hate. Maybe you signed up for a class When your schedule is already too full. How did you spend most of your time this past week? Did you spend most of your time you sharing joy or acting responsible, Or were you trying to prove yourself? It seems that most of us spend a lot of energy Trying to prove ourselves, To fit in, to reach some external standard. We feel that if we do this or do that, That we will feel better about ourselves And be accepted by others. The reality is that we live in a world where certain actions and achievements are celebrated. Most of us like to be given shiny stars and rewarded with happy faces. 2 In the United Kingdom people are granted knighthoods for social contributions. Here is Canada we have our own system of orders, decorations, and medals. When I was working in Montreal I noticed That some people in my church had a little lapel pin that looked like a flower. I was surprised to learn that they were members of a group of musicians, politicians, artists, entertainers, benefactors who were recognised to have exhibited: “The highest degree of merit, an outstanding level of talent and service, or an exceptional contribution to Canada and humanity.” They were all members of the ‘Order of Canada.’ When I learned about this, I looked at these people differently. Sometimes I day-dreamed about what I might do to join this ‘elite’ group. We live in a world where certain actions and achievements are celebrated Most of us like to be given shiny stars and rewarded with happy faces. But here’s an important question: If we can earn status with our peers, Can we earn status with God? PAUSE Last week our Bible lesson told us about the Jerusalem council. The Jerusalem Council was a meeting between Paul and Barnabas And the Apostles and elders at Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas had been sharing the good news with the Gentiles But were concerned when some people came up from Jerusalem And started telling the Gentile converts That they needed to act more Jewish To be saved. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to seek help from the Apostles and elders. And there the council wisely determined That salvation wasn’t connected to ethnicity Or keeping the Jewish law. It was clear to church leadership that what the Apostle Peter asserted was true: “it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus 3 that [people] are saved…”i Things seemed resolved at this council. But at some point, the Apostle Peter himself backslid from his own theological claim. For a time, he wholeheartedly embraced his Gentile brothers and sisters. He lived like them and ate with them. But when some people from the circumcision party showed up He stopped attending the intercultural potlucks And began eating with only the Jewish Christians. Under pressure from these Judaisers, Peter broke fellowship with the Gentiles Christians. This implied that they were something less than equals, that the Gentile Christians needed more than Jesus to be saved. When Paul sees this, he calls Peter out. Paul knows that Peter knows better. Paul argues that Peter is not just caving to political pressure but is betraying the very essence Gospel. For while Peter knows That “a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ”ii Peter’s new behavior is asserting that this faith is insufficient. Peter’s new behavior is saying that people can approve themselves before God With ethnic badges or acts of public morality. Paul knows this is rubbish. Before Jesus called him, he was excelling In his own practise of Judaism. And yet he knows that we no-one can justify themselves before God By any work or accomplishment. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory.iii But what we couldn’t do, Jesus has done perfectly. He lived the perfect life of obedience before God. He’s not just got the order of Canada, He’s got the Victorian Cross, He’s been Knighted and has achieved Order of Merit. 4 There is nothing we can add to what Jesus has done. To claim anything, is to assert that Jesus was deficient, Or in Paul’s words: “if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”iv This is maybe a hard message. While we may not be ready to submit our application to the Order of Canada, Most of us spend our lives trying to prove ourselves, To fit in, to reach some external standard. We like badges and medals Because we want to believe that we are good people Or at least better than most. But if we spend any time looking at the mirror We can see that even while we accomplish some good That all of our work is tainted. Our motives are mixed, our efforts are mediocre, And the good we accomplish Is often overshadowed by the bad. The good news is that while we keep tripping over our shoes And falling flat on our faces, Jesus has run the race for us. He has lived a perfect life of obedience to God And by God’s grace he shares HIS merit, HIS status with us. PAUSE I once heard a story I can’t recall it completely. If you have heard it before or know where to find it Please let me know. It was a story of the funeral of a European monarch. The casket was brought to the church in a carriage But set down outside the main doors Where a cleric called out the monarch’s name with all their regal titles, decorations, and appointments. Just consider the full style of Prince Philip: “His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, 5 Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight of the Order of Australia, Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand, Extra Companion of the Queen’s Service Order, Royal Chief of the Order of Logohu, Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada, Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Lord of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, Privy Councillor of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty, Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom”v That’s the full style of Prince Philip. Well in the case of that story I heard all the titles were read once, And then again and again Each time with one more title being removed Until finally that monarch was simply addressed by their Christian name. At that point called by their Christian name and their Christian name only, (The name that they were given at their baptism) The casket was lifted was carried into the church. I can’t confirm this story actually happened, Or is the product of someone’s imagination. But in either case it is a clear illustration of how we enter God’s kingdom. We enter God’s kingdom not by the virtue of any of our achievements But by the virtue of the merit Jesus shares with us, The virtue of being name a child of God, Through Jesus Christ. May we embrace Christ’s merit, And live lives not of striving, But of gratitude and joy. Amen. i Acts 15:11 NIV ii Galatians 2:16 NIV iii See Romans 3:23 iv Galatians 2:21 NIV v “List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh” Wikipedia .