God is Glorious

Introduce self...

Pray...

Heavenly father,

I praise you that you are great. I praise you that you were before all things and that by you all things hold together.

I praise you that you are good. I praise you that all your ways are righteous and just. There is no imperfection in you.

Thank you for coming down from heaven in likeness of sinful men, to make a way for rebels like me to return to you.

I confess that I fall short of your righteous standard of thought and life, I trust your steadfast love and mercy.

Grant me words to speak today; my lips belong to you.

I ask that you would glorify yourself and make your own name great in all the earth.

For those listening this morning, I pray that the Holy Spirit would speak.

I pray that each person here would hear and learn from you through my words.

I pray that we would be a congregation that is thoughtful and reflective when you speak, God.

I pray for renewal for myself and for this congregation.

Renewal to remember and embrace the truth about who you are - to be refreshed by the truth of your gospel.

I pray for equipping for myself and for this congregation.

I pray for practical equipping in the fight of faith - for sanctification - that you would continue to close the gap between what we say we believe, (what we know to be true), and how we actually live our lives.

And finally I pray for salvation.

I pray that the hearts of those here this morning that don’t know you would be softened.

I pray that repentance would be granted.

I pray that lost souls would be united to you.

All these things I pray in Jesus name,

Amen

For advent this year, we have been going through the 4 G’s.

These are four simple truths, that if we fight to believe them will transform our behavior and thus our lives.

These four simple truths are:

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God is GREAT - so we don’t have to be in control

God is GOOD - so we don’t have to look elsewhere

God is GLORIOUS - so we don’t have to fear others

God is GRACIOUS - so we don’t have to prove ourselves

Underlying assumptions for this series:

Every sin is a result of believing a lie

When we sin, it is true that we are DOING something bad...

But in every case, the reason we are DOING something bad is because we are BELIEVING something wrong.

That is, we are believing a lie.

Belief is root. Behavior is fruit.

What you deeply hold to be true will flow out of you as be behaviors and emotions.

Real faith is head, heart, and hands.

Few Christians would read the 4 G’s and have any issue with them intellectually…

But those things which we believe in our head,

Must transfer to our heart,

And must flow out of our hands...

Two weeks ago we talked about:

God is GREAT - so we don’t have to be in control

Psalm 19:1 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Last week we talked about:

God is GOOD - so we don’t have to look elsewhere

Psalm 34:8 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

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“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about 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, The Weight of Glory

Today we’re going to talk about:

God is GLORIOUS - so we don’t have to fear others

Before we get going on that, we need to review a term:

What is “glory”?

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Glory is the expression of worth, value, significance, or power.

Violin Example:

Imagine the most excellent violin...

Imagine the most accomplished violinist...

Imagine the most beautiful theater, maybe Carnegie Hall

Imagine you are seated in the front row of a final performance...

What is “glorious”?

“Glorious” is an adjective. Which means it’s a word that describes a noun.

To say that “God is glorious” is just to say that God has glory.

So,

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To say that “God is glorious” is simply to say that God’s being and character express worth, value, significance, and power.

When we properly understand that God is glorious, it ought to lead to what the Bible calls, “The fear of the Lord”

Fear of the Lord

The “fear of the Lord” is the appropriate response to his glory.

HOW GLORIOUS IS GOD?

THIS GLORIOUS????

Hebrews 12:28–29 ESV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Reverence and awe.

I think that is the best simple definition of the fear of the Lord...

I want to try and paint a picture of the fear of the Lord by looking at a few stories.

We could look at so many stories, but I want to hand pick just a few out of the Bible...

God passes by Moses...

Exodus 33:18–23 ESV

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Skipping down to 34:29...

Exodus 34:29–30 NIV84

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.

THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

Jesus calms a storm

Matthew 8:23–27 ESV

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

Jesus’ betrayal and arrest...

John 18:1–4 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

John 18:5–6 ESV

They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

And transitioning to the exact story in Matthew...

Matthew 26:50–53 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

A legion would be no fewer than 6000.

12 legions would be no fewer than 72,000.

THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

Jesus’ meekness on the cross

Matthew 27:35–40 ESV

And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Matthew 27:41–44 ESV

So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

I read this story and I feel anger and indignation running through my body...

I think to myself, Jesus, explode off that cross, speak and crush those no good, despicable, sinful rebels...

And then I realize who I am in this story...

I am the no good despicable, sinful rebel...

Jesus had every right and reason to crush them.

Jesus had every right and reason to crush me.

But Jesus did the unthinkable.

God crushed Jesus instead of me.

Jesus, perfect, holy, innocent Jesus, offered to be crushed in my place.

He had the right to destroy me and be justified in doing so...

But in his rich mercy and grace he switched places with me...

THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

Jesus coming back in victory

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus is coming back to judge the world and crush his enemies.

Jesus came to this earth first as a lamb...

Jesus is coming back again church, as a lion!

THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

How are we to respond to this? (Fear of the Lord)

Psalm 29:2 ESV

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

God is GLORIOUS - so we don’t have to fear others

(also, so we don’t have to look elsewhere for significance)

Who or what “defines” you?

This is the same as asking who or what do you fear in life the most? Revere? Respect?

Who’s “voice” weighs heaviest on your mind and heart?

How can we make sure that God is more glorious to us than people? Do you struggle with people-pleasing? Who is the one person you most try to please?

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Many of us struggle with what the Bible might call “fear of man” (Proverbs 29:25). We spend tremendous amounts of time and energy worrying about what other people think about us. Some of us even lose sleep at night because of what might have just been a meaningless comment from someone made in passing: What did she mean by that . . . But if God is truly glorious in our lives, we don’t have to give so much weight to what others say about us. If we have God’s approval, we don’t need man’s and when we don’t need man’s approval, we are powerfully freed to love others like we should instead of seeking to please them. When God is most glorious in our lives, He carries more “weight” and we care more about what He thinks than what people think.

Tim Chester, You Can Change

Who’s “voice” weighs heaviest on your mind and heart?

Whoever that is....that is who you believe is most “glorious” in your life. And that is where you will turn to find significance and meaning and approval and purpose.

What is the fruit of NOT believing that God is Glorious?

Fear of man

People-pleasing

Insecurity

Seeking significance in the eyes of others

Seeking significance by what we do

Needing the approval of others

Being controlled by those around you and their expectations on your life (good or bad)

Over-committing because you can’t say “no”

Giving into peer pressure

Jealousy (You’re on team GOD)

A sense of failure… (I don’t matter, I’m not significant, my life has no meaning/purpose)

Comparing yourself to others

Fear of conflict

Really?? Who says? According to who? Who told you that? Who gets to decide that? You? Your dad? Your boss? Media? Marketers? Peers? Who?

But what if we really believe God is GLORIOUS? We are free from worrying about what other people think? We are free from worrying what we think about ourselves? What really matters is what GOD says about us. We don’t have to look to other people to gain our meaning, worth, or significance...

God defines who we are. He defines what we’re worth.

WE ARE ON TEAM GOD.

God says you are:

chosen

loved

forgiven

you have purpose

his child

you are a member of a royal priesthood

safe

eternally secure

rich

temple for the Holy Spirit

brought near to him by the blood of Christ

Who’s voice are you going to believe???

I fear being on any other team. I don’t want to be on any other team. I want to recruit as many people to TEAM GOD as possible!

What is the FRUIT of believing God is glorious?

Fear of the Lord

Wisdom

Freedom from the power of criticisms or even insults

Peace in our identity

Humble confidence, or meekness

Intimacy with God

Joy (from being on TEAM GOD)

Free to love and pursue others without fear of rejection!

Boldness to proclaim the truth to others without fear of rejection!

Whose voice speaks loudest in your life?