Formed for God's Glory

The main thing that God want us to be about it what we call the Vision Statement: “Glorifying God by creating Christ followers who change the world.”

Subject: General

Prop: God desires mankind to be captivated by his glory.

The main thing that God want us to be about it what we call the Vision Statement: “Glorifying God by creating Christ followers who change the world.”

How are we going to make Christ Followers? We are going to be driven by 3 values:

1) Captivated by God’s Glory through Worship. This give us the directive of “creating worshippes by leading people to treasure God.”

2) Connected to God’s Family through Discipleship. This gives us the directive of “fostering community by guiding people inot Christ-Centered fellowship.”

3) Committed to God’s Mission through Ministry. This gives us the directive of “producing servants by sending people to fulfill the Great Commission.”

This morning I want us to see what God’s word says about our first value, “Captivated by God’s glory through Worship.”

What captivates you? What catches you eye and causes you not to be able to look away? What are you drawn to.

Of course, when we think about worship, most people think about a worship service at church.And then, some think that depends on the quality of the sermon or the music to move you.

I’m reminded of the story about Thomas Beecher. He was the brother of the very famous preacher and eloquent, Henry Ward Beecher at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York in the latter half of the 1800’s.

One Sunday, Henry Ward Beecher asked his brother, Thomas, to fill the pulpit while he was out of town. A lot of the guests that came in expecting to hear Henry Ward Beecher started to leave when they learned that his brother was speaking instead.

When Thomas saw this, he went to the pulpit, raised his hand, to bring silence to the room, and announced, “All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beech may withdraw from the church; all who came to worship God may remain.

Ultimately, worship is about what you find your greatest value in. It comes from the word “worthship.”

There’s an aspect of Beauty, Majesty, and Awe to worship? It’s why people pay big money to go to the mountains, or the beach, or the grand canyon just to take in the view.

What is it that so moves us when we look out on those views? It’s glory. What is glory?

The Neilson Bible Dictionary describes glory as beauty, power, or honor; a quality of God’s character that emphasizes His greatness and authority.

When you go to the mountains, beach, or Grand Canyon, we delight in the glory of God displayed in those things.

For life to really make sense you have to understand that the reason anything exists is that God desired to put his glory on display. God gets great joy when we find delight in his glory.

I want to talk about two ways that God’s glory affects us as we see it in Scripture.

1. God’s glory affects our sense of morality.

God has perfect morality. God is morally perfect. And that is beautiful. He can not lie, steal, cheat, etc. He is completely just. He has never treated anyone wrongly. In every sense he is morally beautiful.

God is morally perfect. And that is beautiful. He can not lie, steal, cheat, etc. He is completely just. He has never treated anyone wrongly. In every sense he is morally beautiful.

Psalm 113:4–6 ESV

4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

God is so much different than we are. When says,

Pslam 113:4-6

This is why says, “4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 5 Who is like the Lord our God,

who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

on the heavens and the earth?”

What it means is that mankind has fallen completely short of this moral glory that we were suppose to reflect as the image bearers of God. So really, the only place that this is in God. God sets the standard for what truth is. Why is lying, stealing, and cheating wrong? Because it transgresses the nature of God.

This is what it means. Mankind has fallen completely short of this glory. The only place we can see this glorious glory is in God.

That’s actually one of the proofs for the existence of God. Imbedded in the heart of every person is some sense of morality. Where did this come from? God.

Seeing something of the wonder of God in glory affects us morally.

I ready a story that illustrated that this week.

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 772: Worship

I was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975. It was a night launch, and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket.

The countdown came and then the launch. The first thing you see is this extraordinary orange light, which is just at the limit of what you can bear to look at. Everything is illuminated with this light. Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across. You hear a “WHOOOOOSH! HHHHMMMM!” It enters right into you. You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place as this thing goes up and up. The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it. And then there’s total silence.

People just get up quietly, helping each other up. They’re kind. They open doors. They look at one another, speaking quietly and interestedly. These were suddenly moral people because the sense of wonder, the experience of wonder, had made them moral.

Jacob Needleman told about his experience watching the launch of Apollo 7 in 1975.

“I was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975. It was a night launch, and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket.

The countdown came and then the launch. The first thing you see is this extraordinary orange light, which is just at the limit of what you can bear to look at. Everything is illuminated with this light. Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across. You hear a “whooooosh! hhhhmmmm!” It enters right into you. You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place as this thing goes up and up. The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it. And then there’s total silence.

People just get up quietly, helping each other up. They’re kind. They open doors. They look at one another, speaking quietly and interestedly. These were suddenly moral people because the sense of wonder, the experience of wonder, had made them moral.

Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (p. 613). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

The goal of worship is not morality. God did not become great to make you great. But, when we are caught up in his greatness, it moves us to desire to be more like him.

2. God’s glory affects our sense of need for God.

In the Old Testament the Shikina glory was seen on the Mountain tops. Or in the cloud by Day and the fire by night as God leads his people from Egypt, through the wilderness, to the promised land. This glory cloud would sometimes dwell over the tabernacle and the temple.

Where do we see this glory visible today. Well, says that it can be seen in what God has made, as we already discussed. But since the NT, it is most clearly seen in the person of Christ. W

God is displaying his otherness, his greatness, and providing his presence and help to his people. Where do we see this glory visible today. Well, says that it can be seen in what God has made, as we already discussed. But since the NT, it is most clearly seen in the person of Christ. W

God is displaying his otherness, his greatness, and providing his presence and help to his people. Where do we see this glory visible today. Well, says that it can be seen in what God has made, as we already discussed. But since the NT, it is most clearly seen in the person of Christ. W

We see this same glory displayed in Christ visibly on the Mountain of Transfiguration.

Luke 9:29–32 ESV

29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

“And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.”

For a moment, the humanity of Christ was pealed back and we get a glimpse into the majestic glory of Christ.

But the glory of Christ is seen most profoundly on the cross. And, it’s seeing Jesus on the cross that we begin to understand our great need for God. That’s what it is talking about when says,

Luke 9:31 ESV

31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

it says, “who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” ()

He appeared in his glory of being God. They talked about his glorious work that he was about to go to in Jerusalem, where he would go to the cross to save sinners. Jesus Christ exchanged his perfect moral righteousness for our wretched sinfulness. He bore our sin and through faith we received the status of righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV

8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Because w

God’s glory shows us our need for Christ and moves us to run to him and receive him by faith. Eternal life, escape from judgment, eternal heavenly peace, peace with God forever. There is no great glory than in the gospel of Christ!

Why is it such a struggle to delight in what is so delightful? To glory in what is so glorious? Why is worship such a struggle?

*I was at a wedding rehearsal that I was doing years ago. I was assigned to eat with one of the groomsmen that didn’t mind telling me quickly that he was an atheist. I thought, “Well I know why I was assigned to meet with him.” I asked him what brought him to the decision to not believe in God? He said that he couldn’t understand how God could demand that people worship him?

He said, “I refuse to worship anything?” I told him, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but that is a foolish statement. Everybody worships something. The question is ‘is what you worship worthy of your worship?”

He looked at me really strange. I asked him, “How do you define worship?” I don’t think anyone had ever asked him that. He tried to define it in terms of religious ceremony. I said, “Let me help you. Worship is treasuring. You worship what you value. And you worship most supremely what you value the most.” So to say you don’t worship is to say you don’t value or love anything.

Everybody worships something. Some people worship college football most supremely. Some people worship their kids most supremely. Some people worship their job or making money most supremely.

I think we struggle with worshipping God and delighting in him to the extent that we should because our sin keeps us from seeing Him as the most supremely worthy one in the universe.

Who is worth more of your time, than the one who gave us every minute we will ever have? Who is worthy more of your resources than the one who placed in you the potential and opportunity to have everything you own?

Who else is so moral that they define morality? Who is so just that they define justness? Who else is so beautiful that they paint the sky with light and the universe with more galaxies and planets than we can see? Who is else is so mighty that they speak all things into reality.

What do we need to do?

Instead our sin causes us to worship what is never worthy of our lives.

*In his sermon “The Weight of Glory” C.S. Lewis talked about this: He said, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward that staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

God puts in us a desire to worship, but we corrupt it by worshipping things that aren’t worthy, things that can never fill our hearts they way they were meant to be filled.

*“Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter. Within the human heart things have taken over. Men have now by nature no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned there no longer, but there in the moral dusk, stubborn and aggressive usurpers fight among themselves for first place on the throne.” (A. W. Tozer)

So the first value that must drive us as a church is worship. Not only because God deserves it, but because we were created to be worshippers. And we were created to worship God and treasure him above all things. Life doesn’t ever really make sense until we embrace that.

What do we need to do?

-Find your greatest delight in the person and work of Jesus Christ and consider everything else, even good things, as lesser things.

Every so often I like to quote an important paragraph out of the “The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis”

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward that staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -C. S. Lewis

Then, as he gets to the 6th day he makes mankind. Then he pauses again, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” ()

God puts in us a desire to worship, but we corrupt it by worshipping things that aren’t worthy, things that can never fill our hearts they way they were meant to be filled.

As Mount Gilead Baptist Church, let’s seek to live lives that find our great worth and delight in God alone, in Christ alone, for his glory alone.

What does it mean for his creation to be good and finally very good? Think of him as an artist that paints a masterpiece and as they are painting looks at his work and smiles and says, “That’s good, Oh that is very good!” What makes it good that it displays genius of the painter just the way they want.

When God calls his creation good, it means that it displays that his majesty and glory exactly how he wants it to.

Now that means not only do the fish and pine trees exist to display God’s glory, but you and I do to. We glorify him by having faith in Christ to save us from our sin. And living in a relationship with him. The joy of that relationship affects everything else in our lives.

Did you notice that we don’t even show up until . The first 25 verses don’t even have us in it. Here’s why. This is not our story. The main character is in the 1st verse of the 1st chapter of the 1st book. When we say “history”…think His Story.

This is not our story and God is in it. This is God’s story and we are in it. We are part of a creation that was created to Glorify him. Not only do we glorify him, but we have the ability to recognize and be captivated by his glory.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” ()

When Jesus came entered Jerusalem riding a donkey on Palm Sunday, “the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” ()

All things were made to bring glory to God. Worship must be the most important priority of our lives. It’s the greatest privilege in the universe to worship God with our lives. If we aren’t willing to, even the stones would be happy to take our place.

For that reason, our vision must start with worship and making worshippers.

That means 2 things:

1) What we do in this place on Sunday morning and Sunday evening must be worship, true worship.

Just because you are here doesn’t mean you worshipped.

So when you come, don’t come to a worship service. Come to worship God. Come and treasure him.

2) We must be worshippers and we must be devoted to making worshippers of others. So our goal by 2020 is to have 750 people at Mount Gilead on Sunday Morning worshipping God. That means you must be intentional about inviting your friends, family, and neighbors.

They were made for worship. To really love them is to lead them to become what they were made for. We want to make worshippers of their children, their students, and the parents.

My vision is to see Dothan worship God in Christ. That is what we were made for. If we don’t, even the rocks will cry out. Let’s be captivated by God’s glory together.