THE GLORY OF GOD
Notes
Transcript
Series: Sacred Motives: 10 Reasons to Get up Tomorrow and Live for God
Date: September 9, 2012
Title: SACRED MOTIVE #1 THE GLORY OF GOD
Text: 1 Corinthians 10:31
Series Introduction:
What drives you? What causes you to wake up every day and live the Christian life?
Are your motives pleasing to Christ, and are you driven by what drives Him?
Motives do matter-they are the foundations of our lives with God, our hearts are for Him, and our service unto Him.
Wrong motives produce an empty life and a ministry that is not sustainable. Pure motives sustain our passion for God and thus sustain our work for Him-even during the dry, discouraging or seemingly fruitless seasons of our lives.
Living the Christian life with less than pure and Biblical motives will produce fruitless, empty, and ultimately shipwrecked lives. Some examples of impure motives:
Guilt
Opportunity
Money
Duty
Affirmation
These motivators hinge on human resources (either our own or someone elses) and fail to draw in the unlimited passion that God desires to give to His servants.
We need Biblical, Christ centered, and Holy motivations!!! The kind that flow from the heart of God and the pages of the Word of God!!!
Christ is worthy of our all-our purest love from our deepest devotion!!
Series Text:
Ephesians 6:6
6- Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Introduction: 1 Corinthians 10:31
Sometimes we overcomplicate the Christian life.
We develop formulas, strategies, set goals, lists, philosophies, all of which may be helpful; but there must be an overriding purpose: do all to the glory of God.
Glorify=to reveal or make clear; to make God look Good.
We were created to show or reveal God more clearly to others.
The world says: glorify self-God says: Glorify me.
I. WHAT GLORIFIES GOD?
I. WHAT GLORIFIES GOD?
A. Spiritual fruit glorifies God.
A. Spiritual fruit glorifies God.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
1. The Fruit of the Spirit
1. The Fruit of the Spirit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2. The Fruit of Soulwinning
2. The Fruit of Soulwinning
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
B. Good works glorify God.
B. Good works glorify God.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
1. Jesus is the light shining in a dark place
1. Jesus is the light shining in a dark place
John 1:5
5- And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
2. Christ’s presence in us should illuminate the world for God
2. Christ’s presence in us should illuminate the world for God
Ephesians 2:10
10- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Titus 2:14
14- Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Hebrews 10:24
24- And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
3. Sometimes it is simply our good response to a trial or our good works in the face of hardship that brings Him glory.
3. Sometimes it is simply our good response to a trial or our good works in the face of hardship that brings Him glory.
C. Consistent praise glorifies God.
C. Consistent praise glorifies God.
23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; And fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Note-as we purposefully and specifically direct praise to God, we glorify Him.
Psalms 50:23
23- Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation arightwill I shew the salvation of God.
Luke 2:20
20- And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
D. Generous giving glorifies God.
D. Generous giving glorifies God.
29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Note-giving and worshipping are permanently and inseparably linked.
E. If we desire to glorify God, we will want to purposefully participate in these actions that bring Him glory-leading others to Christ, submitting to the Holy Spirit’s transforming work within us, doing good to others, praising the Lord, and giving to further God’s work.
E. If we desire to glorify God, we will want to purposefully participate in these actions that bring Him glory-leading others to Christ, submitting to the Holy Spirit’s transforming work within us, doing good to others, praising the Lord, and giving to further God’s work.
II. WHEN GOD’S GLORY MOTIVATES US
II. WHEN GOD’S GLORY MOTIVATES US
There will be a big difference in how we approach life when our highest motivation is God’s glory!!!
There will be a big difference in how we approach life when our highest motivation is God’s glory!!!
A question asked may be: How do I know when I am living my life in a way that brings glory to God?
Note- following are some identifiers that demonstrate a life live for the glory of God.
A. We strive for excellence.
A. We strive for excellence.
An American Dictionary of the English Language EXCELLENCE, EXCELLENCY
EX´CELLENCE, EX´CELLENCY, n. [Fr. from L. excellentia.] The state of possessing good qualities in an unusual or eminent degree; the state of excelling in any thing.
2. Any valuable quality; any thing highly laudable, meritorious or virtuous, in persons, or valuable and esteemed, in things. Purity of heart, uprightness of mind, sincerity, virtue, piety, are excellencies of character
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
When motivated for His glory, we will dig deeper and strive to give Him our utmost in every area of life and service.
B. We live with integrity.
B. We live with integrity.
An American Dictionary of the English Language INTEGRITY
2. The entire, unimpaired state of any thing, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. Integrity comprehends the whole moral character, but has a special reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfers of property, and agencies for others.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
When we care about the glory of God, we strive for a deep level of truth in all of our life, not just the visible aspects.
God sees every part of our lives and His glory calls us to absolute sincerity and integrity.
God’s glory keeps us from separating our lives into public and private-holding each one to a different standard.
C. We care about the details.
C. We care about the details.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.
His glory will motivate us to give attention to the details we might dismiss if it were for us only….
Example: Pastor Wallace and how to place a stamp….this is a representation of God!!
D. We are willing to be consumed for Christ.
D. We are willing to be consumed for Christ.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
When God’s glory becomes our motive, our passion-it is a joy to expend our lives for Christ alone.
SACRED MOTIVE #1 The Glory of God
III. PUTTING THE MOTIVE INTO PRACTICE
III. PUTTING THE MOTIVE INTO PRACTICE
A. List your current responsibilities or activities, and evaluate them by a standard of God’s glory.
A. List your current responsibilities or activities, and evaluate them by a standard of God’s glory.
B. Purposefully center your life on bearing fruit for Christ.
B. Purposefully center your life on bearing fruit for Christ.
C. Develop a habit of deflecting praise to God and others.
C. Develop a habit of deflecting praise to God and others.
D. Strive for excellence in every area of your life and ministry.
D. Strive for excellence in every area of your life and ministry.
E. Purposefully view the mundane as an opportunity for you to decrease so He might increase.
E. Purposefully view the mundane as an opportunity for you to decrease so He might increase.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Note-ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD
What is your highest motivation?
When God examines your heart’s motives, does He find first and foremost a deep desire for His Glory?
You and I were created for God’s glory, and you are never more fully alive that when you are living to bring Him glory!!!
Is my life in its current form bringing glory to God?
Is my life in its current form bringing glory to God?
