"Soli De Gloria"

Johann Bach's love of music and dedication as a youngster began to pay dividends. At just seventeen years old, he got his first job as a church organist. His family was happy to see him carry on the family tradition in music. And word of his incredible musical abilities spread quickly. So much so that tradition says, one day, he went to compete in an organ contest, only to learn there was no contest.

"I guess you've won the organ contest Johann!" the judges said.

"But I haven't even played a single note! How did I win?" he asked.

"The Frenchman heard of your amazing talent and didn't want to risk getting beaten. Louis Marchand knows he can't beat you!"

It was also said that when Johann played music, he felt his soul praising God. He once said, "I play the notes as they are written but it is God who makes the music." We find that a few years later, Johann got another job as a church organist and choir director at a small German church where he directed the choir and wrote the worship music used in the church service. But in all of life Bach would find difficulty, Johann never forgot that it was God who made the music through him. Whenever he began a new piece, he bowed his head and prayed. "Jesus, help me show your glory through the music I write. May it bring you joy even as it brings joy to your people." Without Jesus' help, Johann knew he'd never be able to complete the task. Before writing even one note, Johann carefully formed the letters J J Jesu Juva… at the top of the page. With that, the music began to pour from his soul and onto the page. When he was finally satisfied, he wrote the letters SDG at the bottom of the page - Soli Deo Gloria - For the Glory of God Alone. He hoped that when the music was played, it would point toward God.

And so we see that Bach saw the beauty of the foundational reformation principle Soli Deo Gloria. One of the 5 sola’s of the reformation. Sola is latin for alone or only. Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria and Sola Scriptura. That’s great Shane, I have heard these prepositions many times but what do they really do for us. Gotta know that clause that these preps modify right? “We are justified before God . . . by grace alone, on the basis of Christ’s blood and righteousness alone, through the instrument of faith alone, for the glory of God alone, as taught with final and decisive authority in Scripture alone.” Today we will center in on SDG. Mentioned by theologians everywhere to be the beginning and the end of the other four. Because we see that the glory of God is the goal of life.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

But over the years more and more it seems we are losing the significance of these principles of the reformation. We are slowly going back to the principles of medieval roman catholicism. Sometimes when I hear modern evangelicals describe how we are saved and why Christians are going to heaven it sounds more like Roman catholicism than historic protestantism. Many young evangelicals can’t understand why we divided with Rome in the first place. Many popular teachers today think that our divide with Rome is nothing but misunderstandings. But do not be deceived. It is clear. Protestants have made it clear that Roman Catholicism is now apostate. And Roman Catholics have declared that Protestants are anathema. They reject the 5 sola’s.

They do not hold to justification by grace alone, on the basis of Christ’s blood and righteousness alone, through the instrument of faith alone, for the glory of God alone, as taught with final and decisive authority in Scripture alone.

Justification is by grace and the merit of the saints of God held in the treasury and the grace of the co-redemtrix the mother of God the mother of Christ. Not just faith but also works which we are able to do because of the infused righteous that is given to us and for the glory of God and for the glory of the church and for the glory of the saints and the for the glory of the pope. Taught not by scripture alone, but also by the holy tradition, the pope and the church. The sola is the key. If these principles are not “alone” then we have fallen from the true gospel of Jesus.

There is so much that we need to recapture, but today we focus on the principle of soli deo gloria.

Psalm 115:1 NLT

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

What is the Glory of God?

The Chief End of Man

The first thing we will look at today is the Biblical essence of what we know to be the glory of God. The second thing we will explore is the true purpose of mankind and the glorious redemption bought by Christ and Christ alone.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world leads us to true robbery of the glory of God, it is the truth of the scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the reality and beauty of the glory of God and how we give it back to him as our purpose, enjoyment, and our great reward.

I. What is the Glory of God?

- So much more.

A. There are so many manifestations of the glory of God in the scriptures that it is virtually impossible to define the glory of God. But in the efforts of trying to define it, it shows us a lot about what it is and why we cant define it.

B. The hebrew for the word glory is kabod. Ich-kabod. It literally means “weight” or “heaviness.” C. John Collins explains that it became a “technical term for God’s manifest presence.” The primary Greek term for glory is doxa. According to Aalen, doxa in secular Greek referred to an “opinion,” “conjecture,” “repute,” “praise,” or “fame.” He maintains that the concepts were transformed by the Septuagint. Aalen also maintains that doxa translated kabod and took on the same meaning, referring to God’s manifestation of his person, presence, and/or works, especially his power, judgment, and salvation.

C. In an essay by Christopher Morgan, he writes, “Further, God’s glory is intrinsic and extrinsic. God’s intrinsic glory refers to the inherent glory that belongs to him alone as God, independent of his works. He is glorious in his perfections; he is magnificent; he is beautiful. God’s extrinsic glory is his intrinsic glory partially communicated in his works of creation, providence, redemption, and consummation.”

D. It is the manifestation or appearance of all of God’s and parts of God’s attributes, perfections, and works. All of which are incredible and indescribable in totality. This is why this definition is ok, but it does not capture the fulness of a definition of the glory of God. Sometime there are just no words to describe the beauties and perfections of our living God.

E. And the manifestations are numerous. Many key turning points in the biblical story stress God’s glory and attest to its varied manifestations. God’s glory is revealed through creation; is identified with humans’s creation in the image of God, crowned with glory; is linked to the exodus, to fire/shining/bright light; to a cloud, and to the Sabbath; is revealed to Moses; fills the tabernacle; fills the earth; fills the temple; is above the heavens; is revealed in visions to Isaiah and Ezekiel; and is identified with God’s people, Israel. When the glory cloud was there the priests bear to stand and minister. Moses could not enter the temple nor could the people even see the building. Isaiah fell prostrate in conviction. To see his face would kill us.

F. The glory of God is an awesome thing that is unbearable and could even kill us. Just the gaze of God in the Holy of holies without the veil of smoke could kill the high priest.

G. Glory is also identified with Christ. It is linked to his incarnation, birth narratives, miracles, transfiguration, suffering and crucifixion; resurrection/exaltation, ascension, session/reign, and coming/victory/judgment. Glory upon Glory.

H. Further, glory is identified with the Holy Spirit; is identified with the church; and is manifested in the new creation.

I. John Piper insightfully writes… “So, I take the glory of God to be the radiance of the intrinsic worth and beauty and greatness of his manifold perfections. Every attribute of God is a facet in the diamond that is the glory of God. If God lost any of his attributes, he would be less glorious — indeed he would not be God. So when I speak of the glory of God, I am not treating it as something God possesses — different from himself, as if I spoke of God’s house or God’s city. No. God’s glory is the radiance of the worth and beauty and greatness of God himself — the God-ness of God manifest to be spiritually seen and savored and shown by his redeemed people.

J. And because the ontology or substance and essence of God is so far beyond anything we can understand, the fullness of His glory is incomprehensible.

K. Jonathan Edwards when writing about the glory of God in ethical writings he writes, “All that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God’s works is included in that one phrase, the glory of God. . . . The refulgence shines upon and into the creature, and is reflected back to the luminary. The beams of glory come from God, and are something of God and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God, and God is the beginning, middle and end in this affair.”

L. What an amazing thing we have displayed in the scriptures regarding the glory of God. Our amazing triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who the scriptures declare to be glorious, The Almighty… joyfully and graciously communicates His glory, initially through his creation, lovingly though His image-bearers, His people, in His generous providence, and His redemptive acts of deliverence and salvation.

M. God’s people, those called by His name, respond by glorifying him. And with all of creation we praise and God receives glory. Moreover, through uniting his people to Christ, He graciously blesses us with His glory in the sense that we are beneficiaries united with Christ. And all of this contributes to his glory, as God in his manifold perfections is exhibited, known, rejoiced in, and prized.

N. This is why the glory of God cant be shared.

Isaiah 42:8 NLT

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.

Not only because its belongs to God alone, but there is nothing in this entire universe that could be worthy enough for it. If it would be worthy of the glory of God it would be God. There is only one God so there is only one who is worthy.

O. Have we lost this truth? Do we not truly recognize the tremendous implications of the glory of God. For many today without even knowing it we have lost the true nature and even fear of the wonders of the glory of God. I saw the extent of this with the whole glory cloud fiasco. A church in california had posted video of a glory cloud in their worship services. Gold dusting cloud. Of course it caused a ruckus as to whether this was a real or not. Was it a hoax? Many in my circle of friends who were pastors went out of their way to find proof that it was a hoax and said they had evidence and testimony from a former employee that they were pumping glitter out of the vents, but people came up with reason why this was not the case.

P. But family is we have a good grasp on the biblical nature of the glory of God and how awesome and incomprehensible it is. We know it was a hoax. Number 1. The people we dancing and praising God the whole time. In the bible the priests could not bear to be in the temple and could not minister. It was so think that people could not see and as thin as it was it veiled nothing, why did people not die? Number 2. Some people took the gold dust that fell to the ground and had it analyzed at the local university and found that it was tiny gold pisces of plastic squares. Glitter. Do we not think that the great and magnificent living God, creator of heaven and earth with all things in the universe by him, through him and for him, with all the perfections and power of the king of kings and lord of lords, the alpha and omega is going to manifest His awesome and majestic presence with a glory cloud made of plastic glitter???

Q. Our God is an awesome God and He is more that we could ever imagine. So great is our Lord the whole earth is his footstool. He is higher. He is more wonderful. He is more powerful. And he is deserving of all praise and all worship from all of creation.

II. The Chief End of Man

- To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

A. I mean really. These charlatans are trying to deceive with parler tricks that actually make a mockery of our living Lord. Do they think we are that stupid? I think so. Are we that stupid? Its seems that we are.

B. What happens is that we get so desperate for things. A better life. To accomplish our hopes and dreams. A new way. New experiences. The fear of boredom. More money. More power. Healing. Prosperity. Popularity. So desperate that we will believe anything. We will do anything. We will believe the ridiculous in the hopes that something will happen. Even though we know nothing will happen or that its probably not true, it is the hope that it is that keeps us going.

C. I read a post by a popular teacher on facebook yesterday that said that God will wreak your plans if your plans will wreck you. It gives you the impression that God’s motivation is our personal best interest. God’s motivation is his glory and so should ours. Our cry is for God to wreck our plans if our plans will not bring Him glory. Whatever we do that does not bring him glory we should not do it. All that we do. All that we are. All that we live for. Every beat of our hearts is all for the glory of God.

C. The Lord does not exist for us. We are here for Him. Our purpose here on earth is to bring glory to God. Period.

D. But we struggle with this. We want what we want. We desire what we desire. We struggle with our purpose being only God. Sure we want God to receive glory but we want what we want to. Its not for God’s glory alone… our happiness too. This is our struggle with sin.

E. All have sinned. There is no one earth who always does good and never sins. This is the reality of our nature. We inherently want to rebel against the Lord.There is no one righteous no not one. But we see in the scriptures is the glory of God revealed in his perfections of mercy and grace. The glory revealed in salvation. The glory revealed in the gospel of Jesus.

F. Salvation is here. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures… The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance… he came to seek and save that which was lost...

G. And the promises continue… if we confess with our moths that Jesus is Lord and believe … all who call upon the name of the Lord