Glorifying God
Casting A Vision • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
What do you glorify? The word glorify means “to cause to be or treat as being more splendid, excellent, etc.” We are using it the context of glorifying God or giving Him the glory. We are called to give glory to God through adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving. How many things in your life do you glorify? Do you glory in your church attendance? Do you glory in your possessions? Do you glory in your relationships? Do you glory in your accomplishments? While all of those things are good, they can be harmful if we boast in them when we should be boasting about our Lord. When we are casting a vision, whatever we do we should glorify God. The Bible has many examples of glorifying God. The angels making the announcement to the shepherds on the Holy Night Christ was born glorified God. The shepherds glorified God as a result of what they had learned. Glorifying God is not just a New Testament concept. We see examples in the Old Testament as well, particularly in the Psalms and the Book of Isaiah.
Today, I want to share with a model of how we can glorify God. Our example comes from a passage that is usually associated with giving money. However, there is absolutely no mention of money here. It is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Let’s look at this passage and how it shows us ways to glorify God.
Glorifying in Sowing (vs. 6)
Glorifying in Sowing (vs. 6)
First, we glorify God in sowing. The law of sowing is another concept that is taught throughout scripture. What you plant is what will grow. If you plant beans you will get beans. If you plant tomatoes, you will get tomatoes. However, to get that fruit or vegetable, you have to plant it. The biblical term is sowing. Sowing means to scatter seed. The law of sowing says that you have to cast out the seed in order to have growth. It can be good or bad. It can be fruit or weeds. I was mowing my yard this week and noticed right in the middle of my yard was a thorny plant. I didn’t plant it there, but somehow that seed was cast and the plant sprouted. Typically, what is sown is what will grow. However, there are a few examples in scripture for that which is sown the opposite is produced.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
That gives me great comfort. It tells me that there’s hope. When we sow as a church in a way that glorifies God, we will be sharing that hope.
Verse 9 of our text this morning again says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” This introduces the law of reaping. Except for the previous example of Psalms 126 just cited, whatever is sown will be reaped. How sparingly you sow will determine the reaping. The word reap is therizo. It simply means harvest. The law of reaping says that how the seed is sown will determine the harvest. If we scantily sow, we will have a meager harvest. If we sow plentiful, we will have a bountiful harvest. The same is true if we sow that which is evil.
8 As I have observed, those who plow evil
and those who sow trouble reap it.
Paul adds a third way to sow. He says, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” The Greek language takes two words to make up the word generously. Epi, which means upon and eugolia which means bounty, polished language, and invocating blessing. These two words combined mean that the one that sows generously will be giving blessing upon blessing. This is the law of generosity. Generosity helps us share abundantly what we have been given abundantly.
24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
This brings us to the next concept, glorifying in sharing.
Glorifying in Sharing (vs. 7-9)
Glorifying in Sharing (vs. 7-9)
2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that “we should give what we have decided to give.” This shows me that what we share is to be a personal decision. One of the reasons that this great country was founded is that the colonists were tired of being told by the Church of England how much they should give. When you give to this church, please know that there is only one person knows what you give and that is the person that puts it in the bank. I don’t know nor will I ever. Brittany doesn’t know. The finance committee doesn’t know. The deacons don’t know.The point is that we do not have any business as a church in what you give because it is a personal decision in how you want to glorify God.
It is also a pleasing declaration. The Bible says that we should give in a way that is not of compulsion. We should give in a way to glorify God and do so freely, without reluctancy. We give as we understand how we have been given. When we choose to give, we are doing so not to please others but to please God. 1 Thessalonians 2:4
4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
Therefore, remember that everything we do is to glorify God!
That gives us a purposeful determination. We are to give whatever we give, cheerfully. We give as we have been given. Every kind of blessing stems from the Author of Blessing! God implants in every human the grace and willingness to give. Think about it, isn’t that part of His character? God willingly provides us our needs! Look at this promise again:
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
God is able! That in itself should be enough for us to glorify God! You are given much to do much to glorify God much!
God’s righteousness endures forever! Look at the security He provides.
Glorifying in Security (vs. 10-11)
Glorifying in Security (vs. 10-11)
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
Our God supplies us with seed to sow and food to eat so that our harvest can be enlarged and our righteousness increased. Do you understand that? Let me explain it this way. We have talked often about our sinfulness and how our dirty sin separates us from a clean and Holy God. God’s plan is to provide everything we need to increase the opportunity for us to become clean and righteous just like we are!
Our God suffices! 2 Corinthians 12:9
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
The security we have in the Lord is better than any other assurance every known. Our God sanctions. What I mean by this is that God gives us His word that He will be our security.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
In every way! Why? So you can be generous. Generosity always leads to serving.
Glorifying in Serving (vs. 12-15)
Glorifying in Serving (vs. 12-15)
Listen to these verses again:
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Did you catch that? We glorify God when we serve others. Serving others serves God! Here’s a reminder for you:
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
I love the concept that serving others serves God. But it is also the reverse: Serving God means serving others! When we meet the needs of others, we point them to expressing thanksgiving to God! We lead them to praise God and then those who have gone before you will praise God for you and your work! Look what happens next: You go back to the idea of sowing more seeds. Serving leads to sowing! Then we are glorifying God at a new level!
So how do we take this passage and glorify God as a church? We look for ways to serve. We look for ways to share. We look for ways to sow! Let’s be the church that sows into the lives of others. Let’s be the church that embraces the opportunity before us. Let’s be the church that glorifies God in everything we do!