For God's Glory

Why church? What is church? Why do we meet on Sunday mornings? What is the purpose of what we do?

Are we doing the right things? Are we focused on the right things or have we strayed?

Why do people just not want to come to church these days? How do we get people to come to church or even seem interested in church?

What is the church? Why church?

We are attempting to answer these questions through a Biblical lens and see where we are as a church but also as the American church.

We talked about 3 goals through this study. I asked you to write them down last week and pray that these three goals would be true for CCR during this study and beyond.

To unify us through a sense of purpose

To motivate us to action through a sense of responsibility

To see the full potential of Christ’s intent for the the church

Last week, we took a look at Matthew 16, the story where Peter makes a confession of Jesus being the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And how Jesus uses the word church for the first time in the NT. Jesus proceeds to tell Peter and us that the foundation of the church, the basis of the church’s power, the foundational boulder of the NT church is the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the prophesied Messiah, born to take away the sins of the world, the Son of the living God.

We talked about when that truth is the foundation of the church, the gates of hell will not prevail against it and there will be power to bind and loose in heaven and earth.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to go back and watch it, I encourage you too.

This week, I want us to look at the the main purpose of the church.

Our first goal of this study is to unify us as a church behind our purpose. And that is hard to do, when maybe we don’t talk about our purpose enough.

We used the analogy last week about a ship with a bunch of people rowing on it. And if we know what the destination is and the purpose is, then we can all row in the same direction as opposed to rowing this way and that way or some people not even rowing!

Most people need to know the “why” before they row in the right direction or even pick up an oar.

So, its important that we talk about and understand our main purpose.

I say main purpose because I think there can be multiple practical purposes in the ways that the church accomplishes this purpose, but as long as this purpose remains the main and central reason why we do everything that we do.

The main, central purpose of the church is for the glory of God.

Write that down.

Now, there is a danger here, of just saying that and letting it be it. Of just saying this very churchy, cliche purpose and moving on as if we understand what that means or how to do that.

Now, I have the danger of claiming with absolution that I have figured this out and know 100% for sure that I have figured out what the glory of God is! I do not wish to make that claim here today.

Now, I also have the danger of going too deep in this explanation because I simple search to attempt to understand what the glory of God is will expose that this phrase is used in a variety of ways throughout scripture and in church lingo.

In church, we say phrases like:

For the glory of God

We were created for His glory

We were created to glorify God.

We say to give God the glory

and there is also scripture that talk about blinding lights when discussing His glory.

So, as you can see there are multiple ways of using the phrase but how do we understand what it means that the church exist for the glory of God and for us to understand what that means without getting bogged down in frivolous talk without ever coming to a conclusion.

So, would you trust me to lead us to the understanding that the Lord has lead me to about His glory?

We are going to try to understand what His glory is to the best of our understanding and how the Lord is asking us to be united behind this purpose.

Before we understand how the primary purpose of the church is for the glory of God, I believe we need to attempt to understand the answer to the question, what is the glory of God?

There may be multiple explanation of the answer to this question and you may disagree with me. But as I have studied this phrase in an attempt to understand it, this is what the Word and the Spirit has taught me and I believe that it is for us.

So, first thing we need to try to understand this concept of the glory of God that is often described as a bright shining light when the Lord’s presence is shown in the Bible.

All you really have to do is read the story of Moses and you are going to see this description of the glory of God being described as fire or light multiple times.

Moses first experiences the glory of God in the burning bush in Exodus 3.

And then in Exodus 13, the Israelites are led through the desert by a cloud in the day and fire by night.

At Mount Sinai, in Exodus 19, the glory of God falls on the mountain and sets the mountain on fire.

Then in Exodus 33, Moses asks to see God’s glory and when he comes down from the mountain, Moses's face shone so bright, they made him put on a veil.

In Matthew 17, Jesus shows His three closest disciples His glory when He transfigures and His face and clothes shines like the sun.

In Revelation 21, the new heaven and new Earth are said to not have a need for the sun, moon and stars because the glory of God will give the city light.

The most blatant verse that describes this is

1 Timothy 6:15–16 (ESV)

he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

So, this is great but I still ask the question why?

Why does the glory of God shine like bright light or fire? What is this power that will light heaven and earth for eternity?

I believe that the answer lies in the exchange between Moses and God on Mt Sinai in Exodus 33 and 34.

Exodus 33:18–19 ESV

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Moses asks to see God’s glory and the Lord responds by saying He will make His goodness pass before Him and proclaim His name Yahweh before him.

His goodness, in Hebrew is the good, attractive, and beneficial qualities of a person.

Now, we don’t see that happen is chapter 33 but in 34, verse 5-7. We see this happen.

Exodus 34:5–7 ESV

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

We see the Lord descend and stand before Moses and proclaim His goodness and the name Yahweh to him.

This is the Lord keeping His word from 33. He passed before Moses and showed him His goodness, His good, attractive and beneficial qualities and told him who He is!

(Emphasize)

THIS is the glory of God! Who God is, His goodness, His beneficial qualities, His “I Am who I Am” name is the glory of God that shines as bright as the sun!

God does not shine bright simply because He wants to. I don’t think that God shines simply because He decided to.

(Go slow)

I believe that the glory of God shines so bright because who He is is so drastically different from literally every other thing ever created that He stands out as something as unapproachable light!

There is a massive difference between created things and the Creator of all things! Its so massive that fire and bright lights are the only way that it can be manifested.

God is spirit. Therefore, He doesn’t have created substance or physical form. Then its not Him physically that is shining, its God’s character, attributes, His perfection that’s shines so bright in the sinful world of created things!

He is so perfect, so holy, so righteous, so immaculate, so unlike anything else, that He shines in unapproachable light! That He appears like nothing else on this Earth!

I believe that that is the glory of God! Who He is! And God shines His glory to Moses by revealing him knowledge about His name and attributes of who He is.

He is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, who will by no means clear the guilty.

Our God that we worship is all of these attributes plus thousands of others to the level of perfection. Completion. He does not lack or come short in any of them attributes of who He is. He is perfect.

So, I believe that the glory of God is who He is and who He is is like nothing else. The created world can barely comprehend Him.

So, if we understand and agree on this, that the glory of God is who He is, then how is the primary goal of the church for the glory of God?

How is the goal of the church for His goodness and His name?

How do we do that personally and corporately?

How do we practically do this?

How do we obey 1 Corinthians 10:31

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Turn with me to John 17. I think that in order to understand how we do everything for the glory of God, for who He is and His name, then we have to look at the One who did it perfectly.

Jesus is looking towards Calvary here. Knowing that His Earthly ministry is coming to a close, He brings His disciples in and has a last supper with them. He gives them His final teachings and then prays a prayer that is referred to as the high priestly prayer. He prayer for His disciples and for us who would believe because of their testimony.

John 17:1–6 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Jesus here is asking His Father to glorify Himself as He glorified the Father in His earthly ministry.

Jesus is looking towards the cross and says glorify me. So that I can show the world your goodness and Your name. Jesus is looking towards the cross and knows that His sacrifice will be the greatest example of the glory of God, the goodness of God, the power of God this world has ever seen!

He says that His life has glorified the Father by accomplishing all of the work that He sent Him to do. By being the perfect example of the attributes of God to the world.

He says that He has manifested His name to the people that the Father gave to Him.

Do you see it?

Jesus says that my whole life has been about showing the world who you are, showing the world your love, your compassion, your mercy, your provision, and I’m about to go to the cross to show the world your grace, your forgiveness, and I’m about to be raised from the dead to show the world your, power, your sovereignty over sin and death.

Everything that Jesus did in His life, death and resurrection was to make the name of God known to the world. He says it right there in verse 3. I have given them eternal life and eternal life is this, to know God and Jesus Christ.

So, how does the church with Jesus as the head, continue to accomplish this primary purpose to glorify God?

Just like Jesus said and did, to know God and to make Him known.

To exist in this world to glorify God is to in everything that you do, you do it to make His name, His character, His attributes, who God is known to the world!

To do things not simply in the name of Jesus but also in the nature of Jesus!

And in order to do that, you must know Him yourself!

I’m not talking about simply being saved. I’m talking about spending your days and nights and every waking moment with your eyes fixed on Him waiting for Him to show you who He is!

We think we know a lot about God and in our head knowledge we have stopped pursuing a deep, personal relationship with Him. To think that we know everything that we need to know about the infinite God is lazy and arrogant, and not understanding who God is at all!

The eternal life that Jesus died to give you is the ability to know Him and the Father. To stand before the throne of grace confidently!

To stand amazed in the presence of the Great, I AM and be overwhelmed by who He is daily! What do you think we are going to do throughout eternity?!

Church, everything that we do, personally or corporately, to meant to have the purpose to know God and make Him known to the world. THAT is our primary goal and mission.

Are you as a Christ follower growing in your knowledge of who God is?

Are you striving to make who He is known to those around you? Your neighbors? Your co-workers? Are you interacting with others in the nature of Jesus?

Are we as a church, growing in our knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is?

Are we making His name and attributes known to the community of Richland and Lynnville?

Here at Connection Church, we have a simplified way of saying this but it means the same thing.

Our mission is connecting people with Jesus for life. To know Him and to make Him known to others.

Everything that we do is to connect the lost with Jesus Christ, to connect you to a deeper knowledge, understand and appreciation of who God is. And our mission is to do that for life!

So, the glory of God is the primary goal of our church. And we do that by knowing God and making Him known to others. Connecting people with Jesus.

But you need to make sure that you are spending time getting to know God better. Enjoying that eternal life more.

Our first priority must be our personal relationships with God. We must spent time in His glory for us to be able to reflect His glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The more that we stare into the glory of God, who He is, the more we are going to be transformed into the same image.

The more we know Him, the more we will make Him known.

The more we will do whatever we do for the glory of God.

When was the last time the Lord revealed Himself to you in a new way or in a deeper way?

When was the last time the Lord showed you an attribute of His to a sweeter richness?

When was the last time you asked the Lord to show you His glory and you had to remove your shoes because He showed you His goodness and proclaimed His name to you?

I pray that this is a primary goal of our lives and our church.