For His Glory
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Introduction
Introduction
Today we are ending our series: Church by the Book
We have thought about the
Foundation of the Church
Marks of a true church
Marks of a healthy church
Mission of the Church
Now I want to think about what is central and what is the goal of the church
Let me ask you
What is ultimate in life?
What is the most important thing in life?
Not only for you individually, what what is the end of all things?
What is your life, my life, our lives, and all of creation headed toward?
As it has been asked before,
What is the end for which God created the world?
Your answer to that changes the way that you view everything.
Of course we are assuming creation, we are assuming the God of the Bible as our Creator and yet with all of that assumed there may be different answers to this question
What is the end for which God created the world?
Boredom?
Need for loving relationships?
Desire to make much of us?
Desire to make much of you?
Of course the Independence of God taught us that this is clearly not the case.
God does not need us, He is not dependent upon us
I would submit to you that one of the problems with the modern american church
My desire this morning is for us to see church, that the end for which God created all things, the reason God created all things was to make much of Himself. God created all things for His glory.
But not only that, the church exist for the glory of God and brothers and sisters we are to strive to make the glory of God the central pursuit in our lives and in our church.
As we come to the end of this series brothers and sisters I want to press home that I believe one of the central problems of the modern american church is that she has lost sight of this very thing.
The Glory of God is not what drives her
Numbers drives her
Worldly success drives her
Big budgets drives her
Where the glory of God is not central what will replace that is a desire for our own glory
We want to make a name for ourselves
We want to build our own kingdom
We will do so at the expense of others not caring about the glory of God or Christ, only giving lip service to the glory of God
God is not glorified in churches where the gospel is watered down
God is not glorified where what is central in worship is musical styles and not the glorious content of the gospel being sung by redeemed hearts
God is not glorified where leaders are not godly
God is not glorified where commitment to the church is at an all time low and that is accepted and expected
God is not glorified in a church culture where people jump from church to church because they didn’t get their way in one church and so they move to another and the other church gladly embraces them though they left the other church angry and in sin
God is not glorified where worldly methods are used to try to draw people into attendance and then emotional manipulation is used to try to get attendees to make a quick emotional decision
God is not glorified when members of churches lives look just like the lives of everyone else in the culture
God is not glorified where His people are not pursing holiness
God is not glorified where truth and doctrine is minimized for the sake of pseudo unity
God is not glorified when public sin is overlooked within the church because the church does not want to do the right thing
The list could go on and on brothers and sisters
I have five points that will help us to see that as a church the glory of God should be central for us and I want us to think about what it means for us as a church and individuals to live to the glory of God.
I. God created all things for His glory.
We see God’s desire for His glory
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
Not only do we see God’s desire for His glory, but His refusal to share glory with another
A church, a pastor, a christian that is not first concerned about living for the glory of God is at odds with God Himself, because that is God’s central focus.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Paul considers the marvelous wisdom of God, His knowledge, His judgments, His ways.
God has caused all things to be to Him in their final end just as they are from Him in their beginning and are governed by Him.
Paul joyfully exclaims that all things are to God in the sense that all things will bring Him glory forevermore.
The Good parts of the moral world are created for God’s glory
I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.
II. Christ lived for God’s glory.
The second thing I want us to see is that our Lord and Savior Himself lived for one ultimate purpose and that was for the Glory of God
In Jesus goes up to the Feast of Booths and is teaching and the Jews marveled at His teaching wandering how He knew so much when He had never studied, listen to Jesus respose
So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
John 7.
His ultimate goal was to bring glory to the Father.
And as Jesus thinks about the crucifixion and all that awaits Him with the crucifixion listen to what He says
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
John 12.27
The glory of God was the motivating factor in Jesus’ suffering.
In the High Priestly Prayer right before the last sufferings of our Lord what does He say?
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,
Here we see clearly that the highest and the greatest reason for Jesus coming and His sufferings was the glory of God.
Brothers and sisters, the end for which our Lord lived should also be the end for which we live as well.
III. Salvation brings glory to God.
Scripture is clear brothers and sisters, that the great end of the salvation that we so richly enjoy in Christ is the glory of our Great God.
Again
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
We also looked at but look further
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.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
.
Think of the song that was sang at the coming of our Lord
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
We see the glory of God as the end in the work of redemption
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We continue to see this
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Eph. 1.
knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Listen to the prayer of the psalmist
Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
Brothers and sisters it is clear, the end of this great work of God whereby He redeems and restores sinners through the work of His Son is the glory of our God.
Brothers and sisters we are simply benefactors of God’s glory.
We benefit from God desiring to display His glory in redeeming lost sinners
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Brothers and sisters,
It is to the praise of His glorious grace that we have been chosen in Chosen in Christ
That He predestined us for adoption as His children
That we have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil. 2.
IV. Saints should desire the glory of God.
Listen tot he prayers and the desires of the apostles
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gal. 1.4-5
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
As Paul is finishing up his prayer for the church listen to what He says
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Eph. 3.20-21
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Listen to the OT saints
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
Listen to the saints and the angels in heaven
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Oh with all of that we have seen should not the heart of the church be the same, should we not cry out
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
V. The church is commanded to glorify God.
Clear command church
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
How did the Lord teach us to pray?
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.