We Must PREPARE for God's Glory

Introduction: Do you remember what our working definition is for God’s Glory?

“The glory of God is the invisible qualities, character, or attributes of God displayed in a visible (or knowable) way.” (Mark Ballenger).

“The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.” (John Piper)

How do we PREPARE for God’s Glory to show up in our lives? I want to suggest three ways to be PREPARED for God’s Glory. What are they?

I. Have an Expectation.

Most people wake up with expectations. Did you know that? We expect to shower. We expect to put on clean clothes. We expect to have a cup of coffee or eat breakfast We expect to go off and work a full day. We expect to go to the grocery store. We expect to make a few phone calls or search social media. We expect to hear from our kids, parents, or friends. We expect to enjoy dinner with the family. We expect to go to bed. Yes, we all know what expectations are.

Question: Do we live with an expectation that God will display His Glory in our lives, today? Do we live believing that God is active in our every day lives?

Where do we see God’s Glory in and around the Christmas accounts as found in the Bible? Let’s begins with…

A. Zachariah and Elizabeth – Luke 1:1-25

Is it God’s Glory showing up when he allows a man’s prayer to be heard, and a woman's womb to go from being barren to conceiving a child? Today we would call this a miracle, and we would be correct in saying so.

I would remind us that every child born is a miracle. It is a God thing, right? Life is a gift from God. It’s His Glory showing up in the life of a husband and wife, now, mother and father.

A biblical worldview always chooses LIFE!

The son born to Zachariah and Elizabeth was John the Baptist. John made an eternal difference on planet earth. God’s glory showed up, but it didn’t stop there.

What about…

B. Mary and the angel of the LORD – Luke 1:26-38

Mary was a virgin who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God. God’s Glory showed up! This event was a supernatural display of God’s Glory. I have no doubt that Mary also had an expectation for the Lord’s Christ to come, but I don’t believe that she necessarily expected to be the young girl that God would pick to be the mother of His Son, the Messiah.

And what about other things surrounding the Christmas account, such as…

C. A decree from Caesar Augustus – Luke 2:1-7

I would submit to you that there is nothing we read in the Bible that was placed there by accident, or error. Every jot and tittle is in the Bible for a specific purpose. Even the decree from Caesar Augustus!

How many people in Israel do you think lived with the expectation of the coming Messiah? Many no doubt. But who knew that God would use a decree to get people to the physical location where the Messiah was to be born? (See Micah 5:2). God’s Glory is everywhere in the Christmas account.

In 1994 Debbie and I were in Israel. Facing west from the Wailing wall was a large sign in Hebrew. I asked what the sign said. I was told that it read, “Prepare for the coming Messiah.” Today the Jews do not believe that the Messiah has come. Jesus was rejected by the Jews. They are still waiting for a messiah to come.

I asked a Jew we were having dinner with if he were a Christian. He said, “Allow me to put it this way. If Jesus were sitting at our table tonight and I asked him if this were his first visit or his second visit to Israel, and he said second, I would be in trouble.”

The point that I am driving home today is that the Jews still have an expectation. And if we want to experience God’s Glory this Christmas season, we too must have an expectation (synonyms are hope, expectancy, or anticipation).

Prayer, surrender, and obedience are great steps in PREPARING to experience God’s Glory.

There is a second way we can prepare for God’s Glory…

II. Expect a Realization

We need to be PREPARED for a realization of God’s Glory to be displayed. If there are any people on planet earth that should live expecting God to reveal His Glory, it should be the people of God. And when He does, we should recognize it.

Let me give you a few examples of people that had God’s Glory revealed to them. Once again, we start with…

A. The Shepherds – Luke 2:8-20

The Shepherds were busy taking care of their sheep.

Hear this: It is when we are carrying out our daily responsibilities that we often will experience God’s Glory firsthand.

Don’t miss the words used in Luke 2,

· The glory of the LORD shone around them – 2:9

· Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men – 2:14

What was revealed to the Shepherds was also fully REALIZED by the shepherds! They were told about the birth of Jesus, and when they arrived in Bethlehem they saw the baby, Jesus. God’s Glory was fully realized.

First, we have common people who REALIZED God’s Glory! Will you expect to see the realization of God’s Glory?

B. Simeon the Priest – Luke 2:25-34

Simeon got to see his salvation! The realization of God’s Glory! This priest was a faithful servant of God. Listen to the following words used to describe him – just, devout, Spirit-filled. And this godly priest waited patiently for God to allow him to not only see his salvation but to hold salvation in his arms. You don’t get more REALIZED than that!

Simeon lived with an expectation. Look at Luke 2:26,

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Do you think that just maybe a promise like this would put a spring in your step? It did for Simeon. He lived with an expectation and received a full revelation of the Lord’s Christ, Jesus, the Son of God, Israel’s Savior.

This passage is dealing with Jesus’ circumcision. We know that Jesus is eight days old and that it was the duty of the priest to circumcise newborn boys (2:27). When Jesus’ parents brought Jesus into the temple Simeon took Jesus up in his arms. Do you think just maybe holding the Messiah made him excited? After all, he was holding God’s fulfillment to him in his arms.

Look at how Simeon responds to seeing the Lord’s Christ. Look at verses 29-32,

29“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

If we, like Simeon, would live with an expectation, we will experience God’s Glory! Full REALIZATION.

Second, we have a religious priest who REALIZED God’s Glory!

C. Anna the Prophetess – Luke 2:36-38

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna saw God’s Glory! What she had waited for, was now fully REALIZED! She was of great age. She had been a widow for 84 years. She faithfully served God in the temple her whole life. Anna lived with expectancy and saw God’s Glory.

Thirdly, we have a woman who realized God’s Glory!

What is the third step in preparing for God’s Glory to show up this Christmas?

III. Share the Proclamation.

We must not keep God’s Glory to ourselves when you and I experience it. Everyone that we read about was quick to PROCLAIM what they saw with their eyes. We can do no less. We must be ready to share God’s Glory with everyone within our sphere of influence. These people that God brings into our lives deserve to hear about the Lord’s Christ. Amen!

Listen to the PROCLAMATIONS of all the people we have looked at in this sermon. Consider how they PROCLAIMEDGod’s Glory when God showed up.

· Elizabeth – Luke 1:25

25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to ztake away my reproach among people.”

What was saying in those words? She was testifying of God’s Glory! He did far more than what she could have ever expected.

Also take a look at Luke 1:41-44,

41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Here Elizabeth was not focusing on what God has revealed to her through the presence of Mary. Elizabeth was testifying of God’s Glory! She knew that the mother of the Lord was standing before her. Her words are Holy Spirit inspired!

· Mary – Luke 1:38

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary was PROCLAIMING of God’s Glory! She was willing to be the human instrument to bring into the world the Messiah.

Mary also PROCLAIMS God’s Glory through a song. Look at Luke 1:46-55,

46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

These words here are called “Mary’s Magnificent”. They are said to be a song. In this song, Mary is testifying of God’s Glory! She recognized God’s Glory, and she can’t keep her mouth shut. She had to proclaim it through song.

When God shows up you share it with others.

· Zachariah – Luke 1:64-65

64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.

Zachariah was PROCLAIMING God’s Glory!

· Shepherds – Luke 2:20

20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

The shepherds returned PROCLAIMING God’s Glory!

· Simeon – Luke 2:25-35

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Simeon the priest was PROCLAIMING God’s Glory!

· Anna – Luke 2:36-38

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna the Prophetess was PROCLAIMING God’s Glory!

None of these people kept God’s Glory to themselves. No, they shared what they experienced, and we must do the same thing. There is a world of people waiting to hear about how God’s Glory has showed up in your life.

Conclusion: In closing I want to remind us of the three ways we can be PREPARED for God’s Glory.

1. Have an EXPECTATION. We should just expect God’s Glory to show up in our lives.

2. Expect a REALIZATION. Expect to see God’s Glory in your daily life.

3. Share the PROCLAMATION. Tell others of God’s Glory. People need us to share the Gospel with them.