Christ the way to glory!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
He’s coming!
He’s coming!
One day Christ is going to return and we should be living in the glory and for the glory of God through Jesus Christ who is the way to glory.
(Illustration: child waiting for birthday, Christmas, trip to amusement park, adults for a vacation get away)
Are there things that get you excited? Christ is the way to Glory and what a glorious day it will be when we join Him.
In a Poem I located by Deborah Ann, I thought it could help us set the stage for today.
I don’t know the hour,
but I know for sure
Jesus will return . . .
till then I must endure.
For many will depart,
from the Life, Truth and Way
but on the narrow path . . .
I’m dedicating myself to stay.
I don’t know the moment,
nor does anyone . . .
only God knows the day
He will send back His Son.
So I need to be ready,
watchful, sober and alert
my eyes mustn’t ever
on Jesus turn or avert.
I don’t know when,
but I know it will be . . .
like a twinkling in my eye
when Jesus comes for me!
One day Christ will come in His glory (Mt25:31)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
That is the day we eagerly wait (Tit2:13)
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
Comes in His glory, appearing of His glory! Oh what a glorious day that will be, but there is much more we can know about:
The promise of His glory
The description of His glory
And, finally a wrap up of our series Christ is the way series
These are the things we are going to look at this morning.
The Promise of His glory!
The Promise of His glory!
You know the phrase hope, faith and love right? Comes from 1Cor13:13, and we base our hope, our faith on the promises of the Lord and his holy apostles and much based on the promise of the glory of God to be revealed to us. So, in other words the fulfillment of the promise of glory.
Promise of glory by Jesus
To honor (Jn12:26)
To honor those who serve Him as noted in Jn12:26
26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Notice the honor here, who is honoring who? The Father will honor those who serve the Son.
To be and behold (Jn17:24)
To know and behold the glory, a demonstration of the Fathers glory given to Son.
24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
To shine (Mt13:43)
So from being with Jesus to see the glory of the Father in the Son to now shining in the glory in the kingdom of the Father.
43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
(transition): Do you see the glory given, the glory revealed and the glory promised by Jesus? That should excite you now and for all eternity. But wait, there is much more to be said regarding the promise of glory from the apostles too.
Glory given by words of apostles
Called to glory for this purpose (2The2:14; 2Cor3:18)
According to Paul we have been called by the gospel for this very purpose
14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! His glory in us!
This is glory that we even have now as we are being transformed from glory to glory as noted in (2Cor3:18)
Called to eternal glory (2Cor4:17-18; Rom8:18)
Oh we will face things in this world now, temporary things that will result in the eternal weight of glory, check this out.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The things we face now, Paul says are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed to us (paraphrase of Rom8:18)
Appear in glory with Christ (Col3:4)
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Ah what a glorious day to be in glory with Him!
(Transition) but wait not only in glory with Him but we will be glorified with Him too.
(Insert God’s glory in you)
We shall be glorified with Him (2The1:10, 12; Rom8:16-17)
He will be gloried in his saints , His name will be glorified in You and you will be glorified in Him too when you look at (2The1:10, 12)
We are heirs with Him if indeed we suffer but the result is that we may be glorified with Him (ref: Rom8:16-17)
Glory for those of faith (1Pt1:7)
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Glory for those who serve faithfully (1Pt5:1, 4)
Ah Peter encouraged the elders of the disbursed church, serve faithfully!
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
add to that
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
One day the crown of glory for those who serve faithfully.
A great reminder we have been called to it, God’s eternal glory (1Pt5:10)
10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
(Transition) look at those marvelous, wonderful promises to those who accept Christ is the way to . . . (by now you can fill in the blank). Glory promised, glory given, now may we press on to glory described?
Description of Glory!
Description of Glory!
We know that God is due the glory in the highest (Lk2:14). But you know scripture describes glory, in terms of the resurrection, and our destination.
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Maybe a prelude along the way, some things to consider before getting to the description, lets look at How we can give God the glory and some more bonus material.
How to give God the glory:
Believe in who He is (Isa42:8)
Love Him and love others (Mt22:37-40)
Be obedient to what He says (Deu11:1)
Praise and worship Him alone (1Chr16:28-29)
Do all things unto the Lord (Col3:17, 23; 1Cor10:31)
Do it by giving thanks to Him (Ps50:23)
Do it by bearing fruit (Jn15:8)
and if that is not enough know this (yep, more bonus material; this not on your outline.)
You were created for it (Isa43:7)
You were equipped for it (2Pt1:3)
So, go ahead and confess it (Php2:11)
Description in our resurrection:
Raised in glory; incorruptible, immortal (1Cor15:42-44, 50-53)
Perishable is raised imperishable
Dishonor raised in glory
In weakness raised in power
Natural raised in spiritual
Now look at (vv.50-53)
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Our lowly bodies transformed/conformed to our glorious body (Php3:20-21; 1Jn3:2)
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Transformed bodies! From our humble state to our glorious body, the body of His glory!
Do we know what is going to be like, No, according to (1Jn3:2) we don’t know yet, but we will be like Him!
(Transition) - so, there you go, thus far we have the hope of being resurrected from the dead in glory, resurrected from the dead in honor, resurrected from the dead and we will be like Him and see Him as He is. Resurrected from the dead to our eternal destiny
Description of our Eternal destiny
(If you have your bible, open to Revelation 21)
The heavenly City (Rev21:1-7)
the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
Think about it, look at (vv.3-4)
God will dwell with us
He will wipe away tears, no death, no mourning, no crying, no pain, all those things are passed away.
That sounds good doesn’t it?
The great city (Rev21:10-21)
Now jump down a few verses to (v.10) listen to the beautiful description given by John in his vision, trying to put the heavenly into words we can understand.
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.
16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.
18 The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The illuminated city (Rev21:22-23)
From the earthly where you are the temple of God, you are the light of the world, look now at the illuminated city, illuminated by the glory of God and the light of the Lamb
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations walking in the light of the heavenly city (Rev21:24-27)
What a great promise and also a warning found in this last section. We need to know we are the people of God, in the city of God, because of the promises of God.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;
26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
So, all this sounds good doesn’t it? Yep, now there is this to come, but there is this that is too.
We are the new Jerusalem today because Christ is the way to glory, we are the glory of God right now, in a city not made by hands but by the very Spirit of God. The church is the heavenly Jerusalem that came down and one day we will be in the heavenly, eternal home!
(Transition) So as you wait for the final glory, there is a way for us to live now., with such a hope of glory, a heavenly assurance because Jesus Christ is the way.
(Insert Jesus is the way picture here)
I think we can agree that Jesus is the Way and with Him being the way it is way worth following.
The way to God - through the atoning death of Christ
The way to truth - Jesus was truth and bore witness to the truth and gave us the truth through His word
The way to life - an abundant life now and the promise, assurance of eternal life with Him
The way of love - to love God, brethren and yes our enemies (you know those we don’t get along with)
The way to joy - knowing and and responding to the riches of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.
The way of peace- first peace with God through the blood of Christ, then peace with self, with learning to have the right view of self through God’s eyes and peace with others because you see things as God sees them and make peace with others.
The way of unity - Knowing who Christ and following Him without denominationalism or sectarianism. For there is only one church that Jesus built that He is the cornerstone of.
The way to prayer - Jesus who gives example for us for prayer, who also is our intercessor who lives to intercede for us as our High Priest
The way to forgiveness - Forgiving others knowing that God will forgive us
The way of bearing fruit - bearing fruit for the kingdom of God proving you are a disciple of Christ Jesus and bringing glory to God
The way to of service- Because of the forgiveness given, because of the peace instilled and the joy experienced. We can see Jesus example of service and from a place of love then be able to serve with one another for the right reason with the right heart.
The way of suffering - we know we maybe called to suffer for the name of Jesus, for righteousness sake, we are equipped for it and do not go through it alone for He is with us.
And the way to glory - As his glory now as the church who will be glorified and in His presence eternally one day walking in the light of His love.
(Invitation slide - made complete in Christ)
The way of Christ leads to eternal life for it is in Christ that you are made complete - expand and do invitation here now.
(Song) (prayer) (exit)