Sola Dei Gloria

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are anticipating great things as we approach this new year. Before we entered into the advent season, we were in a sermon series on the five major tenants of the Protestant Reformation. We looked at the doctrine of “Sola Fide”. Biblical Christianity is distinct from every other religion in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work. If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation.

Next, we looked “Sola Scriptura”. All truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life is taught either explicitly or implicitly in Scripture. Scripture is the highest and supreme authority on any matter on which it speaks. This is not saying that the Bible speaks on every matter, but rather that it is the authority on any matter on which it speaks.

Third, we considered “Solo Cristo”. We are saved by Christ alone, apart from the merit of any other person. Fourth, we talked about “Sola Gratia”. Sola Gratia is a key doctrine because it distinguishes what cannot save from what does save. The reason why people have trouble with this doctrine is because they fail to understand the depth of their own depravity. You were dead and unless God did something, you would stay dead.

This morning we are going to talk about the subject of “Sola Dei Gloria” or “for the glory of God”.

Sola Dei Gloria - for the glory of God

The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in 1647 and became the primary doctrinal standard for most evangelical churches, even until this day. Even when I was a child, the catechism would be used to teach us about God and key theological principles. The first question of the Westminister Shorter Catechism asks,

Q: “What is the chief end of man?”

The answer:

A: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

The chief end, the main purpose of all of mankind is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. I don’t know about you, but just thinking about that makes my head hurt. The main point of my life is to glorify God. Everything about me is to be for the glory of God. Everything about you is to be for the glory of God.

As I thought about living for the glory of God, I had to ask the question, “What does it mean to live for the glory of God?” Even the concept of “glory” is tough for us to understand. Sometimes “glory” is associated with battle. A solider or group of soldiers do something incredible and by their feat they achieve glory, like the Civil War movie entitled “Glory”. Sometimes we think of glory like royalty. The pomp and circumstance surrounding royalty is said to be glory.

When we think of glorifying God, what we need to realize is that it is not just about believing in God. Even the demons believe in God and they tremble. Glorifying God is not just about doing good things. Doing good can bring glory to ourselves and not to God. Glorifying God is not about gaining God’s attention and admiration for the sake of gaining some blessings.

Glorifying God is when everything about my life points directly to God.

Isaiah 43:7 CSB

7 everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Originally, this verse was written to the people of Israel. They were in captivity in Babylon when this prophecy was given. God promised to restore them, not because they were an awesome people or because they deserved it. He promised to restore them because of his great name. They bore his name and if God could not deliver his people, then God would not be as great as he said he is. God said the people who bear his name are created for his glory. The word “created” is the Hebrew word

bara - created

This word is the same word used for the creation of everything. God created everything that is by his word and it is for his glory it was created. The creation of everything was no accident or some random explosion of particles. It was purposeful. God said he formed them. The word “formed” is

yoser - a potter

A potter doesn’t just throw a lump of clay onto the wheel and hope it turns into something. A potter doesn’t leave the clay to develop into whatever it wants to be. The potter purposefully and methodically works and shapes the clay into a specific vessel for his use. Often the Scriptures speak of God as a potter who is making us, molding us, and shaping us into a vessel for his glory. The same God who brought the nation of Israel out of captivity is your God. You are called by his name. You are his people. He will not allow his name to be dishonored.

Isaiah 42:8 CSB

8 I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.

You were made to glorify God.

For those of you who may not know, Karen and I have three children. Karis is thirteen. Kyle is twelve. Koen is seven. Parents, what is the best thing you can hear about your children? You send them to school. You send them to sports activities. You watch them perform. You take them to the store with you and to the restaurants. What is the best thing you could hear about your children? You want to hear how smart, how prepared, how well-behaved, and how wonderful your children are. Why? You want to hear those things because it means you are doing something right. It speaks well of you and how you are raising them.

I think God likes to hear the same thing about his children. God knows all and sees all. He knows what people are saying and thinking about his children. My children represent me, really, no matter how old they are. Your children represent you, no matter how old they are. This is why it breaks our hearts when our children aren’t doing what is right. As children of God, we represent God. What does your life say about him? Does the way you are living your life make him proud or might you be embarrassing him?

King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel became an embarrassment to God’s name. He started off strong. He was described in as an impressive man. He was tall, dark, and handsome. However, Saul’s life was characterized by unfaithfulness and a rejection of God’s way.

2 Chronicles 10:12–14 CSB

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”

1 Chronicles 10:13–14 CSB

13 Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Saul was anointed king and he was to bring glory to God, but instead he lived by his own ways, according to what was right in his own eyes. God, eventually said, “Enough!” God will not allow his name to be dishonored.

David, the shepherd boy, became the next king of Israel. Did King David have failures and shortcomings? Oh yes. Many of them. They are recorded for us. David slept with another man’s wife and then had her husband killed. He had severe family troubles including an coup attempt by his son and one of his sons raping one of his daughters. However, in spite of all of David’s shortcomings and failures, it is written

1 Samuel 13:14 CSB

14 but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.”

This “man after God’s own heart” was David. David wasn’t perfect, but he glorified God. He confessed his failures and sins. He repented of them and listened to what God was telling him to do. He served God with all his heart and sought to follow God’s path for his life.

Likewise, we aren’t perfect. We all have failures and shortcomings, but can it be said of us that we are people after God’s own heart. Can it be said of us that we glory God?

1 Corinthians 10:31 CSB

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

This is truly profound. What this means is for the believer nothing is secular. Everything has a spiritual basis. Nothing is without spiritual significance. We might say it this way.

Everything we do is to be sacred.

Your work is sacred. You are to do what you do for the glory of God. How you conduct yourself with your boss and co-workers is to be to the glory of God. You should not be gossiping at work. You should be working to please God.

You marriage is sacred. Your relationship with your spouse is for the glory of God. You should never talk bad to others about your spouse. You should honor, love, and respect your spouse because your marriage should be a reflection of how God wants a married couple to live. You should never do anything that would hurt your spouse. God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman. He intended marriage to be a representation of his love for us.

Your parenting is sacred. You are to teach your children how to live lives which glorify God. You are to teach them biblical principles and values.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 CSB

4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

Deut 6:

Your hobbies are sacred. Our creativity and activities should focus our attention on God and who he is. We are to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. We are not be wasteful or to be polluting the world. We go fishing and I truly can’t stand to see the trash that is accumulating in our world. I can’t stand to see people abuse the fishery and the animals. We will give an account for how we treated the world God entrusted to us.

Your vote is sacred. Every person is flawed and every person has shortcomings. All of our representatives have issues, but we should vote for those who will uphold biblical values and ethics. Perhaps there comes a time when there is no one we can in good conscience vote for, but we should not be about party politics. In Christ, there are to be no republican and no democrats. We are one in Christ and we are to represent biblical values. In this, we are to glorify God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 CSB

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

For believer, there is no secular. Everything is we do is to be sacred. Everything we do is to be for the glory of God. I don’t know how all of this works. I don’t know why God would trust us with the ability to bring him glory. It is an awesome responsibility. What others think about God is related to how you represent him.

What others think about God is related to how you represent him.

Here is what I think. I think it is an insult to God when you allow your circumstances to affect your attitude. You aren’t glorifying God when you are wallowing in self-pity. You aren’t glorifying God when you are full of pride and arrogance. You aren’t glorifying God when your are angry and bitter. You glorify God when your feet are firmly fixed on following his will and living in holiness and righteousness. You glorify God when others look at you and see Jesus in you.

The way you work should point people to Jesus. Your marriage should point people to Jesus. Your dating life should point people to Jesus. Your parenting should point people to Jesus. Your hobbies should point people to Jesus. Your politics should point people to Jesus. Everything about who you are and why you do what you do should point people to Jesus. You do everything you do for the glory of God. He redeemed you for his glory and you are to live for his glory.

As we get ready to start a new year, let us be evaluative. Some of us will make resolutions and goals. Others will simply go to bed and wake up for another day. I would urge all of us, as believers, to take some time to evaluate our lives. Evaluate why you do what you do. Why do you do what you do? Is it for the glory of God? Maybe you need to post this statement in your car or on your refrigerator. Maybe it needs to be on your desk or on your wall. Why am I doing what I do? Is all for the glory of God?

You can work for the glory of God. Your marriage and parenting can be about the glory of God. Your hobbies can be done for the glory of God. Your social media can glorify God. Believe it or not, even politics can be done to the glory of God. It is a choice you must make. It is a philosophy you must adopt. It is a lifestyle you must choose. We are to live Sola Dei Gloria, for the glory of God!

Pray.

Father God, we know that we are to do everything we do for your glory. Impact us with this truth. Keep it in the forefront of our minds during this coming year. Let it be said of us that we are your people who are called by your name and that we glorify you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As we continue in this time of reflection with our heads bowed and our eyes closed, brothers and sisters, could it be said of you that you are living for God’s glory? Is your life a testament to God’s glory and greatness? Will you say with me, as we approach this new year, “God, the desire of my heart is to glorify you. Show me how I need to change to live a life pleasing to you.” How many of you will say this with up-raised hands? “God, the desire of my heart is to glorify you. Show me how I need to change to live a life pleasing to you.”

Let me pray for you. Father, I ask you to honor our request. We want to bring your glory. It is for you we live. We know there is always room for improvement in our lives. Show us what is distracting from your glory and empower us to change. Move us from where we are to where you want us to be in 2020, by the power of Jesus’ name.

Continuing with our heads bowed and eyes closed, we have been talking about glorifying God and for some of you, glorifying God is not something you have thought about before because, if you were honest with yourself, you have been living for you. You really haven’t given much thought to living for God.

You have never made the decision to give Jesus control of your life and right now, you are just living for whatever makes you happy. You are running from one relationship to the next, one experience to the next, and one empty promise to the next. You can’t find happiness and you can’t find satisfaction because you are trying to find peace and happiness apart from Jesus. Let me tell you. You will never find what you are looking for unless you give your life to Jesus, unless you place your faith in him.

Let me tell you, you can have hope and peace. Jesus, the Son of God, took on flesh and came to earth. He lived a sinless life and then Jesus, who was without sin became sin for us. When he did, his Father God look away and He cried out in anguish, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He never walked away while being beaten. He never called on the hosts of heaven while being tortured. He never called off the mission when he was being mocked and crucified. The Scriptures say, he endured all of this because he loved us and for the joy set before him, he endured the pain.

Jesus endured all that pain because our sins separated us from him, but in his love and mercy God sent Jesus to endure the pain of the cross for you. When you call on his name, every sin you have ever committed will be forgiven and you will be brand new. If that is you today,

Pray with me, “Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me new. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, would you raise your hand so I can pray for you?

Pray.

I am going to ask our deacons to come forward at this time. Our deacons will be coming forward to pray with you and for you. If you prayed to receive Jesus, please come to the front of this worship center and let us pray with you and celebrate your new life in Christ. If you want to pray for someone you know who needs to receive God’s gift of salvation, you come and get on your knees asking God to reach into that person’s life. Maybe you need to come in rededication of your life to God as we are on the verge of a new year. This is a time for you to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit in your life.

In closing, let’s sing that old familiar hymn, Amazing Grace.

<after closing the time of invitation>

Perhaps you didn’t come forward for one reason or another, but you really do want to talk with us about what is going on in your life. Perhaps you need help, prayer, or you just want to know more about being a follower of Jesus. I would encourage you to do one of two things. After we are dismissed, just stay where you are. One of our deacons will come and talk with you and pray with you. The other thing you can do is check one of the boxes on the Connection Card. Put it in the offering plate as it passes. We will get in touch with you this week. You see, this church exists to minister to one another. We are here to support you in your walk with God.