CLS Isaiah 48_9 and 11 God Loves His Glory

God Loves His Glory

Secular:

When we are asked….

How are you doing?
Okay.
Kind of tired…
A little sick….
Surviving

An expectation of well-being…
We have a mindset that has been focused on what we get, what makes us happy, what about me!
Truly if we understand our faith…. Our relationship we would answer… “Better than I deserve…”
We believe we are sinners….
We believe that if we received what we are due….

It would not be pleasant!
“Better than I deserve…” Counting our blessings…

It is easier for us to be God-centred in our faith if we believe that God is man-centred in his….
Easier to appreciate… when the expectation for comfort and happiness are our requirements of God…
The truth is… we can all answer the question How are you doing? With the phrase Better than I deserve…
And not expect God to serve us and our desires but t see God model true worship… recognize true value… for if the Chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever… it is to be modeled after God himself whose chief end is to glorify himself and enjoy himself forever…

Biblical:

Isaiah 48:9, 11

9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger,

for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,

that I may not cut you off.

11 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.

Personal:

It is hard to take off our 21st century goggles…
And see clearly
In an age of egotism and narcissism

All about me…. Huge personalities

Donald Trump…
Conrad Black…
Sport celebs
Movie starts
Singers

It makes us fuzzy on the whole idea of God being all about God first….
Sounds very cultural…. And not that appealing!
We see the stars crash in the news… the sports celebs fade… the moguls in court, charged with lying or stealing, or just so pompous we want to barf….

Bridge:

But we have to take off the 21st century lenses and see God and his Word in the right light….

Body:

Who is it about…

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Context glorifying God is denying self
Not about self…
Tim Horton’s line up to make a withdrawal…
Correct focus
We need to get past the service agency view of the church, of our faith, of God
The church isn’t primarily about us… scratching a social and spiritual itch… we are a response to the glory of God.
Whether you eat, drink, serve, worship, parent, work,… if you live… live first for God
It is too easy to twist it around…

Who is it about?

God’s Perspective

Is 2:22 Stop regarding man

in whose nostrils is breath,

for of what account is he?

Between God and Man…
Man is of no account… his breath…. His words
(remembering it was God who gave him breath to begin with…)

Ps 146:3 Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

Not in the powerful or wealthy or political
They have no bearing on your eternal well being….
Trust belongs in the Lord

Je 17:5 Thus says the Lord:

“ Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

Either or…. Flesh or Spirit
Eternal or temporal
Valuable or useless

Is 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and are accounted as the dust on the scales;

behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

…

17 All the nations are as nothing before him,

they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Gov’t does not save us
Gov’t isn’t worthy of our praise
Nations are not worthy of our laud
Leaders are not eternal
God is uniquely eternal
God is uniquely powerful
God is uniquely worthy
Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

God’s Perspective is the right perspective!

His Name’s Sake

Eze 36:22-23 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

It is Apparent that it is all for his name!
Not contingent on us… (we have profaned it… our imperfection)
God seeks HIS GLORY!
Vindicates his holiness!
We fail… and God doesn’t! (take heart)
Nations ignore him and he shakes them!
He will be known… His Glory Will be known….
It is about his purpose….Isaiah 45:23 "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Isaiah 48:9, 11

9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger,

for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,

that I may not cut you off.

11 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.

God is jealous!

Jealous of worship
“You shall have NO other gods before Me”
There shall be no other gods before him
God does not live to glorify us… or serve us…
But for his name’s sake he does promise to glorify us and has demonstrated a servant’s heart in Christ…
He glorifies his name
His Glory He will not Give to another

He acts with us, in us and through us… to bring glory to his name… His Name… it is what we are about… CHRISTIAN
1 Sam 12:22 For the Lord will not forsake • his people, for his • great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make • you • a people for himself.
His glory first….
Not because we deserve it (scary…. How could we live up?)
But because we can’t…. He demonstrates his glory all the more in loving the unlovable without condition….
What about that do we like… being the unlovable
What about that do we like… without condition
Not about our glory
Not because of us (merit is a spooky concept)
Ps 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Demonstrates his glory… in relationship to us
End of man-centred theology
Ps 25:11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, • pardon • my guilt, for it is great.
Demo your glory Lord in this clay vessel!
Ps 31:3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
O lord magnify your Glory
The Lord is magnified in the believer who lives the reality…
Ps 79:9 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!
Sinner, saved
Believers declaring

Humbled by the glory and mercy of God
For His Name’s Sake

Ps 106:8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known • his mighty power.
Saved you! For His Glory!
Cuz that is just where it is at!
Ps 109:21 But you, O God my Lord, deal • on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
His Name
His glory
His love
Testifies to Him! His Name’s Sake
Ps 143:11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
Conduit of demonstration!
Jer 14:7 “Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O Lord, for your name’s sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.
Show your glory in light of our falleness… (whew!)
Not about doing right…. It is about being declared righteous!
Jer 14:21 Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake; do not dishonor your glorious throne; remember and do not break your covenant with us.
Show you glory Lord in your dealing with us!
Show you are greater… show you are steadfast!
Ezek 20:44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your • evil ways, nor according to your • corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord • God.”
The promises of God
The Purposes of God
The Truth of God

Declares his glory! His Name’s Sake

Eph 1:4b… In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
For his purpose…. The praise of his glorious grace
Salvation isn’t about us first…. It is first about about him! (hmmmmmmm)
Eph 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Salvation for his Glory…
Glory, glory, glory….

His Name’s Sake

Conclusion:

Who is it about?

God’s Perspective is the right perspective!

His Name’s Sake