Show Us Your Glory

This morning we looked at Moses and his request to God that he see God’s glory.

Through Jesus, WE have access to God’s Presence and Glory.

Because as great as Moses was, Jesus is infinitely better than Moses.

Hebrews 3:1–6 (LSB) Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession—Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now MOSES WAS FAITHFUL IN ALL HIS HOUSE AS A SERVANT, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope.

Moses asked for God’s glory, just for himself.

Jesus asked it for everyone.

I read it this morning, but let me do it again:

He prayed in John 17:20–24 (LSB) “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

We have access to God’s glory right now and anytime in the future that we need it.

I have a framed picture in my office (display picture).

Full image

Obviously it depicts a static image of the artist’s interpretation of Revelation 4

Revelation 4:1–11 (LSB) After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. 5 And out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

But Revelation 4 is anything BUT a static image.

There are no videos of heaven.

Only what we play in our mind as we read the static printed words of the Bible.

So we read words on a page (or screen), or we look at an image like this one AND WE FAIL TO SEE REALITY.

This was really brought home to me in the book I mentioned this morning called: In Jesus’ Name: 5 Altars of Prayer That Move Heaven and Earth.

In the first chapter Assistant General Superintendent Rick Dubose tells about a revelation God gave to him in a time of “routine prayer.”

First of all, even tonight, let’s be careful to NEVER relegate prayer to the routine.

We just never know what God may decide to do — all because we took time to “be still and know He is God.”

DuBose describes how God gave him a vision. He says:

All of these images [that God gave me] combined into a clear sense of the enormous movement and energy of heaven. I stood gazing at the spectacular energy of the heavens and the earth below. It was alive with the activity of prayer: intercession, worship, declarations, heartfelt petitions, and the movement of saints and angels. Heaven was constantly in motion, responding and moving in coordination with the prayers of earth. There were no missing pieces, no thrones still empty. Everything was active and responsive to prayer. Everything was coordinated—never chaotic—but orchestrated in constant motion. All of it was a culmination of prayer.

By the power of the name of Jesus, we had access to it all. Our prayers rose into this throne room and moved it, stirred it. Heaven and earth moved by the prayers we prayed in Jesus’ name.

Let me reemphasize a sentence from that paragraph:

Heaven is constantly in motion, responding and moving in coordination with the prayers of earth.

I want to encourage us to step into the middle of that action tonight with our prayers.

To believe that as I pray: SOMETHING HAPPENS!

My prayers release activity in heaven.

In Revelation 1 we are told: Revelation 1:12–16 (LSB) Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands [in verse 20 we are told these are the 7 churches of Asia] ; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, 16 and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power.

I tend to believe that Jesus was not just standing stock-still, but that He was walking amongst churches.

Reaching out.

Touching

Perhaps pouring out bowls:

Of strength

Of anointing

Of Courage

Of power

Of Presence

Of Glory

Well the 7 churches of Asia have turned into perhaps 8 to 16 million churches around the world.

Does that overwhelm our Jesus?

Absolutely not!

When Jesus ascended to the Father He stepped out of space-time constrictions into Omnipresence.

He is everywhere present all at once.

As we gathered in the authority of Jesus, He is here.

He promised He would be: Matthew 18:20 (Phillips) For wherever two or three people come together in my name, I am there, right among them!”

So, Jesus is here and He will actively respond to our prayers.

So, let’s pray.

I would ask that you defy the 2% finding of Barna Research Group:

Pray aloud — we believe in concert prayer.

You don’t have to scream — just vocalize your prayers.

Allow time to listen.

When we all come together to pray — ask the Holy Spirit to give you a petition, a praise, a scripture to pray out loud.

I’m NOT asking you to preach a sermon or to pray out loud for an hour.

Let it be led by the Spirit (that is a hard thing!) and it will be just right.

If it will help you to pray to come forward and pray at the front, please do so.