Do All For The Glory Of God

Do All for the Glory of God

2 Corin 3:17-18, John 14:13-14, John 15:1-8

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Jan. 22, 2012

*About this time two years ago, we were all living in the “Who Dat” nation. A judge down in New Orleans even had to postpone a trial due to all of the Saints-mania. That was a good example of athletic glory, but how long did that glory last? -- A few weeks or months at the most.

*We were hoping for a little more of that glory a couple of weeks ago. But those hopes went down the drain in a 21 to nothing loss to Alabama and a 36 to 32 loss to the 49ers.

*That’s one of the problems with man’s glory. It will be over in a few hours or years at the most. Compared to God’s glory, man’s glory is a lightening bug up against the blinding brilliance of the sun. And God’s glory will last forever!

*This is the glory God speaks of 300 times in His Word! It is His splendor, majesty, magnificence and brightness, the outward shining of God’s inner-being, His infinite and overflowing fullness of all that is good. (1)

*God will surely reveal His glory. In Numbers 14:21 the Lord made this promise to Moses: “Truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” And God’s glory is so important to Him that 1 Corin 10:31 tells Christians: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

*“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” God wants every part of our lives to magnify the glory of God. But how can I magnify God’s glory next Tuesday at 10:30? -- How can we do ALL for the glory of God?

1. One way is by a growing awareness of God’s glory.

*We all need more awareness of the glory of God. Like Moses, we should want to see and to know more of God’s glory. The more we focus on Jesus Christ and His glory, the more we will be transformed to reveal His glory to others.

*We see this result in 2 Corin 3, where Paul compared the revelation of God’s glory in the Old Testament to that in the New Testament. In Old Testament times, the glory on Moses’ face after he met with the Lord was so bright that the Children of Israel could not even stand to look at it. Moses’ face had to be covered for a while. But that glory faded away.

*The glory of God in New Testament believers is far better, because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The more we focus on Jesus, the brighter His glory shines in us. The more we focus on Jesus, the more we will look like Him

*So in vs. 17&18, Paul said:

17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

*To understand this verse, you have to remember that mirrors back then were polished metal. You could not see in them nearly as well as we can see in our glass mirrors today. Paul had already mentioned this in his first letter to these Christians. Talking about seeing the Lord now, compared to seeing Him in Heaven, Paul said, “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Cor 13:12)

*Right now we can only see a tiny bit of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but even that has the power to transform our lives, -- IF we will keep focusing on Him. The more we focus on Jesus, the more we will look like Him.

*Don Shelby tells about a preacher friend of his who was a missionary kid. When he was 12, his parents went back to their mission station in India. And they left the boy with his grandmother, thinking that it would not be too long before they could be reunited. But it was just before the beginning of World War II, and that the family was separated for 8 long years.

*On the boy’s 20th birthday, they finally were reunited. Their son said, “I’ll never forget it. It was almost dark when the train finally pulled into the station. Mother and Dad were the only ones who got off. I could barely see them in the haze, and they couldn’t really see me. -- We embraced in semi-darkness.