The Glory Of God

Isn’t it wonderful to sense the awesome presence of God? There really is nothing else like it. I think I speak for most of us when I say that. The Glory of God is greater than being anywhere else this morning.

Text: Acts 2:1 thru 4, 12 thru 21

Second only to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, this was the greatest day in history of the N. T. church.

This may come as a bit of surprise to some of you, but did you know that this had happened once before?

This was not the first time THE GLORY OF GOD fell on the children of God. Let me show you.

Text: II Chronicles 5:11 thru 6:2, and 7:1 thru 3

Prayer:

The people of God were having church. They had it in the New Testament. They had it in the Old Testament.

These really are similar stories for us to compare.

They both describe the Glory of God and how God can and will choose the forces of nature to convince mankind of His anointing.

And there are other stories of how the Lord moves on His people. There was cloud by day and a fire by night.

These demonstrations would cause God’s people to stay very close to Him and follow Him.

Those who choose to stay close to the cloud of His anointing were never left behind. This cloud was a compelling force of nature for the godly people.

But for those who did not recognize it as being the Lord, they called it a strange phenomena. They were impressed, but they were not compelled to follow Him.

Some people became disheartened, easily discouraged, or even complacent with what God was doing. Some were frightened by THE GLORY OF GOD and refused to follow what they did not understand.

As a result many people were left behind.

Have you ever though about what a cloud can do?

It can become a fog, a mist, a shower, a heavy downpour, sleet, hail, snow, a tornado, a twister, a typhoon or a hurricane.

These phenomena’s of nature can put the fear of God in any weather man. I don’t think the Weather Channel can do anything about what God choose to do with His clouds. God is God. There is none other.

You may not understand THE GLORY OF GOD any better than you do how a cloud works.

But that won’t change the way God chooses to demonstrate His Glory.

Just as in the Old and New Testament, there will be those who will choose not to follow the Glory of God.

You may be just that person. The people of the Old Testament who saw THE GLORY OF GOD were good people just like you.

They went to their synagogues every Sabbath.

Good Sunday go to meeting kind of people. But they did not keep up with what God was doing because they didn’t agree or they didn’t understand it. They were left behind. They missed what God had for them.

Many good people have purposely chosen to not allow THE GLORY OF GOD in their lives.

We need to understand that just as there are many ways that God will use a cloud, there are many ways that He will manifest (or, demonstrate) His Glory.

We all know that God is omnipresent. He is universal in where He is at all times. When Isaiah saw the Lord in Isaiah chapter 6, he heard the seraphim say,

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

That tells me that THE GLORY OF GOD is on the mountain tops and He is down in the valleys. That is God just being God. He is everywhere.

1 Corinthians 6:19

“…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…”

II Corinthians 6:16-17

16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

17 Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."

While it is true that God is everywhere, there is a difference we need to consider. It is this:

The manifestaion of THE GLORY OF GOD is to take place in His Temple. You sir, you maam’ are His Temple!

IN II Chronicles chapter 5 we see the priests and the Levites finding THE GLORY OF GOD in the Temple where they worshipped. That Temple was built by a man named, Solomon.

Things have changed with THE GLORY OF GOD. Solomon was right in what he said in chapter 6:2.

“I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever."