Sermon Central
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The Glory Of God Series
Contributed by David Taylor on Jun 19, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: 1. God is the center of his own existence 2. Biblical texts show God's Zeal for His Own Glory -God chose his people for his glory 3. Why this gives us great confidence he is committed to our good
Foundation of Christian Hedonism
The Glory of God
Why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did God save us? Why does God heal? Why?
The mantra of CH is that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him. The Westminster Catechism says the chief end of Man is to Glorify God and enjoy him forever; CH says the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. I want to demonstrate the glory of God as central not just to our lives but to the very existence of God himself.
1. God is the center of his own existence
God and his glory is the highest value of the universe. If God was committed to anything less than his own glory, reputation, name then it would be idolatrous for him and he would not be God. God is radically God centered. We need to align ourselves with God and his purposes. Therefore we need to be radically God centered and committed to God and his glory. God is God and we are not; He is significant and we are insignificant in comparison; He is the ultimate and absolute reality. We are made to see this and savor this with everything we have. To the extent that we do this is to the extent that we become significant and substantial – Srougal Q.
Because then we reflect or display or transcribe his glory on the face of this earth. It is why we exist. The Comfort, security, that we can have in this reality is that IF God is committed to himself and his glory then he is radically committed to us because as we seek and savor his glory and goodness in our lives, we display his glory which is what and why he created us for (Edwards Q1).
Opposite of what we hear in the church - what motivates the average church – Worship; teaching; length of service; parking; location; slogans; Hear from the average Christian – God is marginalized; after thought; hardly mentioned in conversation. Peterson Q
Why Paul says we must not only see it but we must savor it and that is what will be us our greatest happiness in this life (Edwards Q3).
Your happiness in God is the most important battle you face every day of your life.
Suppose you ask a man, say Darrin Marriot - “Under God, who’s the most important person in your life?” And he says, “ Definitely Mike, for without Mike we could not have worship. Then you ask, “After Mike who is the most important person?” And then he answers Chris, for he sets up the church every Sunday.” And you ask, “what about your wife?” And he answers “O . . . I just assumed that. Sure that goes without saying.”
It may be a few Neanderthal men would assume that it was his lavish affection and love for his wife that kept her from coming to mind. But most of us, especially Tamra, I think, would assume just the opposite: namely that she didn’t come to mind because she’s not of supreme importance in his mind. She goes without saying because she goes without significance.
I think we can be certain that she would not like it. She would not say, “I feel so loved and honored because Darrin, my husband, never thinks to mention me among his top priorities - like the air he breathes. - he never gives me a thought.” That’s is not what she would say. She would say something like this: “If I don’t come to your mind to talk about, then I am not important to you. And if you think I am an honored by being taken for granted, then you are wrong because I am not.”
It is possible to take thing for granted, like oxygen in the air we breathe. But nothing is honored for being taken for granted. It is not a tribute to the importance of anything in our hearts when we say, “Oh, we assume that.” To be assumed may make a person feel indispensable but it does not make a person feel treasured.
Too many times we take God for granted. But God is a very important person and does not like being taken for granted. The glory of God is what he esteems more than anything and he does not like it to be taken for granted. I have never heard a sermon on it in a church barely in passing;
God created the universe to display his Glory; God manifests his works of redemption to display his glory; and Gods rules over history to display his glory.
words of the Westminster Confession, “The chief end of God is to glorify God and to enjoy himself forever.”
