LEARN TO REST IN GOD'S GLORY
THE GLORY • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2,578 viewsGod is calling us to learn to rest in His Glory and allow Him to do the work.
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GM- welcome – NCF
Visiting Card – coffee cup – thank you
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At the beginning of each year, I ask God for a word that can be used to direct us for the year.
Last year/ Prepare.
And man have we been preparing.
God has had us go through a lot of change and preparation in this building, and we have a whole lot more to go.
(By the way, our funding is getting there to get new carpet, fix our celling and replace the cross lighting with inset LED lighting. If we continue to give to the building fund as we have, we will make our target of this summer.)
But not only has God been telling us to prepare our building and grounds as well as our organization structure-
But, God has also been preparing us spiritually.
This years word or should I say phrase – Is more about Emotional Preparation and Spiritual Strength.
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The Word –
“LEARN TO REST IN MY GLORY.”
“LEARN TO REST IN MY GLORY.”
This is what God said to my heart –
“Rest in my Glory so, you can then do the work of displaying my Glory to your city.”
This is the year we really learn to rest in the Glory of God so, that we have the energy and Spiritual power to display the Glory of God to our city.
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From the beginning of Genesis to the Book of Johns Revelation of Jesus, the beginning, middle and end is consumed with the Glory of God.
Nothing in all of scripture is as important as the Glory of God.
So what is Glory?
Glory – Basic meaning means weight or heaviness.
Scripture speaks of God’s glory as being far above all creation’s glory including the glory of man.
In other words –
God’s power is weightier, heavy, or surpasses all others.
God’s beauty is heavier, more, weightier, surpasses all others.
Glory then, in Scripture is speaking of the characteristics and nature of God as being so far above and beyond anything our mind can comprehend.
He is so, glories that God tells Moses, that if he or any other man were to see Him in His full glory Moses and others would die from it.
Who God is, is so overwhelming, so above us, so above all creation that the very glimpse of His fullness would strike us dead. We simply cannot contain the weight, or gravitas of God. We cannot handle the fullness of God’s Glory.
“The Glory of God refers to the visible splendor of moral beauty of God’s manifold perfections.”
“The Glory of God refers to the visible splendor of moral beauty of God’s manifold perfections.”
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So what does it mean to rest in God’s glory?
So what does it mean to rest in God’s glory?
It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.
One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”
Verse 11 – So Joshua stayed behind.
Verse 11 – So Joshua stayed behind.
Why? And why would the Scriptures even mention this?
Some commentators say it is a way of telling us that Joshua was constantly on guard watching over this little tent. But what is he protecting it from?
The people could go there and ask questions.
It is not the Tabernacle but rather a small tent outside of camp Moses called the tent of meeting.
God had already shown He was more than able to handle all rebellions.
So- I cannot except this answer.
Why does Scripture tell us Joshua would remain behind in the tent of meeting?
My reading and belief is Joshua would stay behind because he had learned two very important things.
My reading and belief is Joshua would stay behind because he had learned two very important things.
First, nothing is more enjoyable or valuable than being in the Glory of God.
John Piper says it like this –
“ God is most glorified when I am most satisfied in Him and, I am most satisfied when God is most Glorified in me.”
In other words, there is no success, no beauty, no joy, nothing that compares to the pleasure of God’s Glory.
Second, Joshua learned how to rest in the Glory of God.
Joshua learned how to stop working, and just rest in God’s Glory.
This is what we must learn to do.
Look at verse 14
Look at verse 14
His manifest presence is to give us rest!
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Our problem is, we often feel as though we should go to work when God’s Glory shows up.
Our problem is, we often feel as though we should go to work when God’s Glory shows up.
Luke 9:28-36
About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Think of this, Peter is seeing the Manifest Glory of God and his first thought is to build something.
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary, rested in the Glory of God. (Jesus is the Glory of God)
The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
Martha, went to work.
Martha, went to work.
There is only one thing worth being concerned about – Resting and soaking up God’s Glory.
We have to learn to rest in the Glory.
We have to learn to rest in the Glory.
Sometimes when we approach the glory we look for things to do – Prophecy, healing, sing, etc….
But God wants us to find the Prize in the Glory….
God is the Gospel….
One looks for something more in the Glory and the other sees the Glory of God as the Prize.
· One looks for something more in the Glory and the other sees the Glory of God as the Prize.
One sees the Glory as the means to the end, while God wants us to see His Glory as our End.
We have to stop, trying to uproot God from his position of Glory and learn to rest in it.
We need to begin to seek God for His Glory to rest upon us.
We need to begin to seek God for His Glory to rest upon us.
At our times of corporate worship
In our homes.
At our work and in our businesses.
Around town and everywhere we are and go.
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But what about the people we need to reach?
But what about the people we need to reach?
Lives are radically changed by the Glory of the Lord, not you or me.
Lives are radically changed by the Glory of the Lord, not you or me.
Minds are instantly transformed
Bodies are instantly and creatively healed
Minds and bodies are instantly delivered
But most of all, we are at the feet of God, the end prize is being experienced.
God is healing, God is salvation, God is deliverance, God is peace, God is joy.
God is healing, God is salvation, God is deliverance, God is peace, God is joy.
When we rest in His Glory we do not have to stir up or make these things happen, they all exist in His Glory because they are all His characteristics.
God wants us to be a people who desire His Glory above all else.
God wants us to be a people who desire His Glory above all else.
We desire His Glory above being right.
We desire His glory above being on time
We desire His glory above being seen and noticed.
We desire His glory above our own glory!
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In the Glory of the Lord lives are transformed.
In the Glory of the Lord lives are transformed.
And transformed lives, transform cities.
And transformed lives, transform cities.
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How do we reach this city?
How do we reach this city?
I have been asking this question for 5 years now.
And this week God finally gave me the answer, I needed.
We must rest in the Glory of God and then He will give us the master plan.
God will also attract people to His glory – If I be lifted up……
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God’s word for us this year is....
Learn to rest in my Glory?
Learn to rest in my Glory?
Why?
Because He is about to send us to work, displaying His glory to our city and we need to learn to rest.
Because He is about to send us to work, displaying His glory to our city and we need to learn to rest.
Let’s learn from our Lord,
Luke 5:
But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Learn to rest -
The real work is about to begin.