At the English service of Shanghai Community Fellowship on July 13, 2025, Senior Pastor Dale Cuckow delivered a sermon titled "All That Matters is New Creation," drawing inspirations from the final passage of Paul's letter to the Galatians.
In his message on Galatians 6:12-18, Pastor Cuckow emphasized Paul's bold conclusion: "What counts is the new creation." After addressing a multitude of conflicts, controversies, and emotional tensions among the Galatian believers, Paul directs his readers to what truly matters—a life transformed by the cross of Christ and the power of his resurrection.
The pastor explained that the resurrection of Jesus didn't just launch a new religion called Christianity. Rather, it marked the beginning of God's cosmic work of renewal—the new creation. Quoting 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Cuckow described how believers will be transformed and resurrected with glorified bodies: "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Jesus' resurrection is both the foundation and the first fruits of this new reality, offering a promise of healing, resurrection, and restoration not only for individuals but for all creation.
He also shared how this new creation becomes a personal experience when individuals find themselves transformed by the gospel, developing a desire for worship, and a love for the Christian community. "You're reading your Bible, you're growing, and you can't get enough of coming together to worship... all is starting to make sense to you now, because new creation is happening," he said.
Drawing from Colossians 1 and Revelation 21, Pastor Cuckow emphasized that the new creation is not just a future promise, but a present reality reflected in the church—the body of Christ, the home of God, and the family of Jesus' friends. As members of the church, he said, we are living expressions of God's new creation—much like an engagement ring that delights the eye and the heart. It symbolizes a greater promise yet to come: the wedding feast of the Lamb and the full coming of God's kingdom.
However, the pastor also issued a warning: the new creation faces threats. Just as the Galatians were pressured to adopt religious laws like circumcision, modern believers may also face external forces, fears, or confusion that challenge their faith identity. "Start with your identity in Christ," he urged, "then you can look at something new and different." He encouraged the congregation to stand firm in their identity in Christ, rooted in the Holy Spirit, and to reject anything that limits their surrender or freedom in the gospel.
Concluding with a call to "Full Send" faith, Pastor Cuckow borrowed a phrase popular among Gen Z to challenge believers to live a limitless Christian life—fully surrendered to Jesus and fully led by the Spirit. "I want to live a full send Christianity," he said. "No limits to my love for Jesus, no limits to where his Spirit can take me."
