Responsibility Of The Church
To Glorify God
Lesson #2
Part A
Text: Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
II Th 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second responsibility of the church is to Glorify God
When I was first thinking of this my thought turned to praise
- praise in the church
- praise and worship
- surly this is how we Glorifiy God
this seams logical and there is some truth in this line of thought especially on a personal leval in the service
But bringing Glory to God goes much deeper
- it is much more involved
- it is a lot more than just mear words
- it is more than just lifting our hands in praise
- it is more than just a time slot we fill in each service that we call praise and worship
- it goes much deeper than any of these things although these things are part of it
SO HOW DO WE Glorify God
- how do we as a church bring Him glory
- if this is our responsibility as a church how do fulfill it if it is not by lifting our hands and praise and worship
I. By Our Example
Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We bring glory to God by our exampleship
- it is more than what you say
- it is more than just some phrases you utter in a church a service
- it is more than just learning to talk a talk
A lot of people know how to talk church
- they have been in church since their youth
- they have been raised in Sunday school
- they have learned all the religious lingo
but the problem is they have no works
I have seen since being here in Mitchell’s Plain
- drunks preach the gospel
- seen them gather around a trash can totally smashed and out of their heads singing “My redeemer lives” and “Jesus lover of my soul”
- does this bring glory to God
- does this glorify His name
No
The reason is there is no works
- there is nothing to show that the words mean anything
- there is no evidence of what God has done for them
- there is no evidence of a changed life
- and a changed life is what brings Him glory
What this term “let your light shine” means is
- let your good works be seen
- let people see your changed life
- let them see you serving God
lot’s of people want to say I am a Christian
- but their life does not show it
they say one thing but live something totally different
- I am saved but they steel on the Job
- I am saved but they are lazy at work
- I am saved but they are always talking about someone
- I am saved but they are always stirring things up and causing trouble
- I am saved but they are always flirting with the opposite sex
- I am saved but they cheat on their husband or wife
If you are trying to live this double life it in no way brings glory to God in fact it brings disgrace upon the Kingdom of God
- and you are no better than a drunk singing my redeemer lives
The question we need to ask ourselves is
Does our life bring Glory to God?
Does our church bring Glory to God?
The way God is glorified is by us bringing our good works before men
- or in other words by you being a Godly example in front of sinners
- by shining your light in dark places
Some people have no problem acting the Christian in church
- or when they are around other brothers and sisters
- but they become a whole different person when on the Job or in front of their friends
the light that God has placed in us is useless unless it is placed before men
- what good is a testimony if it is not shared
- what good is it to testify if there is no one there to hear it
- God intended for you to place your light before men and not men of light but men of darkness
- A light doesn’t need a light
- Darkness needs light
You can’t live a double standard and expect for your life to bring glory to God
- this is the reason we hold such a high standard in this place
- our desire is to bring glory to God
- we want the world to look at this church and say what a glorious thing God has done
- look at the changed life
- look at the way they live
we are not here to blend in and look like everyone else
- we are here to stand out
- to set an example
- to raise the standards for Christian living
- we are not here to conform to the world and blend in with them
- we are here to make the world conform to God and be like Him
Are you different?
II. By Our Speech
1 Pet 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
What is it to have Honest conversation
The word honest means
- righteous / pure / upright / truthful / open
the opposite is to be
- dishonest / a liar / untruthful / deceitful / false
we bring glory to God as a church by being honest and open
- God has a real problem with liars
- In fact he says, “no liar shall inherit the kingdom of God” Rev. 21:8
He places them right along with
- whoremongers / murders / idolaters / and unbelievers
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
God takes lieing very serious because it robs Him of His glory
It is amazing to me how easily people lie
- they have no problem lieing to me
- no problem lieing to God
- no problem lieing to the Holy Spirit
I have went to people and asked them about so an so and had them lie to my face
- no pastor he wasn’t over at her house
- knowing the whole time it was a lie
- Pastor they are at work tonight
- Knowing it is a lie
When you lie to cover someone elses sin or disobedience
ITim. 5:22 says you become a partaker of that sin
1 Tim 5:22 Do not lay hands upon anyone {too} hastily and thus share {responsibility for} the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
(NAS)
When you lie to cover a sin not only do you sin but you also share in the responsibility of their sin
- God requires an openness in our lives
- You can not hide your life and you can’t try to cover for someone else
Lying is an issue of character
- it is an issue of your moral fiber
- it is an issue of your spirit
- it is not a social strategy
The Cape Times had an article recently and in that article it said the culture of South Africa is a “culture of deceit”
- it means that inbeded in this culture is a tendency to lie and be dishonest
- but no matter how much this is inbeded in our society and culture we can’t bring this into the Kingdom of God with us
How can you disciple men who you can not trust
- how can you raise up faithful men and women of God who will not be honest
- the answer is you can’t
I am amazed at how easily people lie
- I can ask them if they will be at church tonight and they will look me in the eye and say I will be here
- Knowing the whole time they have made other plans
- I can ask who will be at outreach and have a multitude respond who have no intention of even trying
- We can take a pledge and have less than 25% come in because people do not have a problem with lying
Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Listen you are not lying to me
- you are lying to God
- You are lying to the Holy Spirit
And the bible tells us God will not be mocked
It doesn’t matter what kind of twist you put to it or what kind of excuse you give, lying is lying
- Pastor we don’t tell on each other in this culture that is why I lied for him
- Pastor everyone was watching I had to put up my hand that I would be at outreach
- Pastor nobody really expects me to pay that pledge, everybody was looking, I had to put something down. God expects you to honor it
- Pastor when you asked me right to my face if I was coming to church I had to lie or else I would have had to listen to you give me a sermon on faithfulness and I just didn’t want to deal with the truth
Lying to avoid confrontation is still lying
- I was just trying to avoid conflict
- I was just trying to avoid a disagreement
- I was trying to avoid an argument
The real issue is a refusal to change
you don’t want to change so you lie
- you don’t want to face truth
- you don’t want to listen to righteous council
- you don’t want to alter or adjust your life style so you lie
This gets Pastor off your back
- this keeps truth at bay
- this keeps you from having to deal with the issue
Truth demands change so you lie to avoid the truth thus avoiding change
When we are confronted by truth there is a response required
- do we accept it and change
- or do we reject it and stay the same
this is why people will tell you what you want to hear
- it avoids confrontation with truth and change
- for this very reason some people if cornered on a outreach will pray with you knowing that is what you are after but they have no intention of following through with it
- no intention of changing
true repentance demands change and to deny change is to deny salvation
Col 3:9-10 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
One of the signs of true salvation is a turning from lying
- a turning from the habits of our old nature
- a turning from cultural sins
- a turning to Jesus and a new life
If we are to glorify God in this place
If we are to glorify God in our lives
We must walk the walk and talk the talk
We must set a Godly example
We must guard the words we speak
Honesty and truth must be a part of our character no matter the cost
