Sermon Tone Analysis

Over the last several week, we have reflected on four Latin terms that grew out of the Reformation.

Sola Scriptura - that Scripture alone is our inspired and inerrant authority - not tradition, or people - Scripture

Solus Christus - Christ alone is our means of salvation.

Sola Fide - we experience the salvation from Jesus Christ by faith alone

Sola Gratia - salvation is a free gift of grace from God - it can’t be earned.

If Scripture is the foundation of these solas and Christ is truly the centerpiece of these four (Scripture tells us of Christ, Faith and Grace are the means by which we receive the salvation the Christ made available for us), then this final Sola becomes the capstone...

Soli Deo Gloria

Literally means “to the glory of God alone.”

God gets the glory for Scripture - He inspired it.

God gets the glory for our salvation through Christ - he ordained it and initiated faith and grace as means.

Truly in all of life - God should get the glory.

According to the Dictionary of Theological Terms - ...

Dictionary of Theological Terms (Soli Deo Gloria)

The significance of the phrase is twofold: first, that God’s supreme end in planning, purchasing, and applying salvation is His own glory (Psa.

106:8; Isa.

43:25; 48:11; Ezek.

36:22; Eph.

1:6); second, that therefore the chief end and intention of those who have received God’s saving grace in Christ is to bring glory to Him (1 Cor.

10:31; Rev. 4:11).

While the focus for the reformers was on the Glory of God in salvation, there is an element of “Soli Deo Gloria” which permeates far beyond the salvation of his people.

It is more, but not less than that.

Today, as we wrap up this series, we’re going to take a brief survey through the God’s Story in Scripture and what the narrative of Scripture reveals about God’s glory - especially through the lens of Psalms 95, 96.

Let’s begin by considering...

God’s Glory Intended

As with anything that someone creates, there is a sense in which that which is created gives glory to it’s creator.

In my office, I have a little bit of artwork.

One by the professional artist Thomas Kinkade - entitled “Placerville in the Snow.”

I think I picked this one up from my Grandparents because they used to live near Placerville.

This print is consistent with most of Kinkade’s work - the colors, the way he captures humanity, the motion - all bring some glory to him.

You can clearly differentiate between the Kinkade’s work and the work of the other artist that is prominently displayed in my office - Zoe’s.

The style is different, the colors are different, the media are different.

In fact Zoe’s painting is an interpretation of a photograph taken by Melody.

Both prints or paintings glorify their creators.

In much the same way, from the very beginning, God’s glory was intended to be displayed through his...

Creation

The Psalmists regularly return to this theme of God’s glory revealed in creation.

(Ps.

96:11-13 “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord...” )

We could talk all day to ponder the genius, wonder and beauty of God’s creation and still not exhaust all there is to consider about the glory of God.

Balance, precision, and variety in the galaxy - (Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

)

The topography of our planet - from the majestic mountains to the deepest oceans, fertile plains and desert regions.

The chill of the poles and the warmth of the equator.

- (Psalm 65:6-8)

Variety of seasons and weather patterns - (Psalm 135:7 “He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.”)

Peculiarities among created things that thrive on our planet - Plant life, Birds, Sea Creatures, Reptiles, Insects, Mammals

Creation compels us to respond with us a sense of awe and wonder toward the Creator, and hopefully humility.

(Psalm 8:1-4)

But among God’s creation - as magnificent as it is - there is one part of creation that is special to God - that is...

Humans

Of all of his creation, we are the only ones that bear his image.

John Piper has said.

“So God makes us in his image.

We could argue about whether it is our rationality, or our morality, or our volition that makes us in his image.

The point is, he makes humans in his image to image something, namely, himself.

So our existence is about showing God’s existence or, specifically, it’s about showing God’s glory.

Which I think means God’s manifold perfections—the radiance, the display, the streaming out of his many-colored, beautiful perfections.

We want to think and live and act and speak in such a way that we draw attention to the manifold perfections of God.

“ (New City Catechism, p. 30)

In the creation account, humans - namely Adam and Eve, were the only ones with whom God chose to fellowship - to commune, to reflect his image.

(Genesis 1:26-27)

God allowed humans to have dominion and stewardship over the rest of God’s creation.

In being given this role, humans were given a couple rules to follow:

Multiply - Gen. 1:28

Eat from everything except from one tree: Gen. 2:15.

We don’t get a lot of insight into those first years, but we do see tragically that God’s glory, his fellowship - was rejected...

God’s Glory Rejected

Near the very beginning, Adam and Eve rejected the good word and fellowship of God with the deception from Satan.

This resulted in...

The Fall

We see this in Genesis 3:1-7.

In this encounter, Eve was approached by a serpent who caused her to question the goodness and wisdom of God.

He caused her to long for the glory that should have been God’s alone - after all the serpent said that she would be “like God.”

So, in an act of hubris and rebellion, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.

She gave some to Adam who was with her - and he ate.

Immediately, they knew good and evil - they knew their shame and their nakedness.

As a result...

sin entered into the world.

Humanity and even all of creation was corrupted by the stain of sin.

Paul writes concerning all of those who have rebelled against God...

Adam and Eve, and, by extension, all of us - exchanged the glory of God for the temporary pleasures of His creation.

A secondary result of this rebellion...

exile

Adam and Eve were banished from the garden where they initially enjoyed perfect fellowship with God.

Now the work and multiplication that God had commissioned for them would be filled with pain and toil.

We see this in the rest of Scripture with...

His People Israel

In spite of the rebellion of humanity, God demonstrated grace and mercy - showing his loving kindness.

Scripture traces how God called Abraham from the stupor of his paganism and entered into a covenant with him.

They walked together and the story of God’s work and his promised blessing was passed along to subsequent generations.

As the people grew, God continued to show Himself faithful in spite of repeated rebellion.

God eventually initiated a system where by his fallen people could fellowship with him - in a way that gave them a bloody reminder of their sinfulness and His grace through the sacrificial system.

For centuries there was the constant tug - relationship, rebellion, repentance, return, repeat.

We see this in the Exodus as there is this nearness and distance of God in pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day.

His glory went with them - they followed him - and yet they still struggled.

In fact the Psalmist recognizes this tug -

Meribah and Massah was where the Israelites grumbled against God.

While God responded to their grumbling with water, the underlying damage was done - they did not trust God and wanted to replace his glory and presence for slavery in Egypt.

A few decades later, when the Israelites finally made it to the promised land, we learn that the pillar was no longer with them.

Instead, God called them to establish a Tabernacle at Shiloh as a means of representing his presence.