The Glory of God

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. Greetings to each one of you in Christ's name. Yes, it has been a blessing to be here this morning. I would like to ask some questions at the outset of this message. And I'm not looking for a response necessarily, but something to get our minds stirred a little bit to help us think about some things. [00:00:36] Hopefully to help us think about this, what I'm about to speak about. The first one is this. As God looks on your life this morning, on you as an individual, what does he see? What would God's report be of you this morning? Is it pleasing to him? Is it acceptable? Now, what about what's in my home? Think about what's in your home. What about my actions? [00:01:07] Is it pleasing to him? What about where no one can see what's going on right in here, in your heart? But God knows what's going on in your heart this morning. He knows. He knows what you're thinking. What does He think about it? How does He view that? What about my past sins? Are they confessed and under the blood? Is God satisfied with the way that I've taken care of it? Does the way I act or conduct myself or dress or speak bring glory to God this morning or the past week? [00:01:43] I would like to speak about the glory of God this morning. How many of us in the last 24 hours have considered the fact that we are responsible to bring glory to God in whatever we're doing? And I don't know where your battlefield is when it comes to this battle in the faith that we're fighting for But my battlefield isn't necessarily in the church Sunday morning Sunday morning when the brethren gather and we speak about God and I sense the presence of God coming very near [00:02:17] It just seems rather easy to serve the Lord It just seems like things flow and words flow and it just becomes easy Easier, maybe. There are things that sometimes distract us. Not sure if I'm qualified to speak about the glory of God. There's some, well, let me just look at the definition. And there was some, I don't know, there's some difference in the glory of God in the way that it's used in the Bible. [00:02:49] What is it? What does it mean? What is the glory of God referring to? The dictionary uses descriptive words like admiration and honor. And there's also a sense of praise and thanksgiving offered as an act of worship to a deity. Those are some of the definitions that the dictionary had for glory, I should say. And then Strong's Concordance, the Greek definition of the word is similar. [00:03:22] The one word that came through prominently was honor or bringing honor to someone. And it's used in different ways in the Bible. Bringing glory to God is used in different ways. And I'm going to attempt to speak in both directions if I can this morning. The one is as used in Psalms 19, the heavens declare the glory of God. And it's linked to the beauty of God. The glory of God is seen in his creation, the beauty of God. [00:04:03] And then the other way that it's used is in, and this is what I would like to look at first, is in man's responsibility to bring glory to God. and what happens when that glory, when the glory of the Lord is lost. And that has more to do with the presence of God in our hearts. Now, I don't know if we can cover all of that or not, but I would like to notice, first of all, Ezekiel 10. I know I'm going to be reading quite a bit of scripture this morning, and I know that is a little distractive when you preach, [00:04:39] but in some cases I would like to let scripture speak for themselves. Ezekiel 10 looks like, to the casual observer, like an obscure Old Testament vision that Ezekiel had. And I'm not going to be reading, I'm just going to point to one verse in Ezekiel 10. But I know if you read it, the focus can easily be turned to the vision, The wheels that were turning within wheels and the faces, there's a description of what Ezekiel saw in this vision. [00:05:19] But chapter 10 verse 18, and this is a vision, part of the vision that Ezekiel had. He says this, what he saw then, he said, Then the glory of the Lord departed off the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubims. And I think that's the real story that he was, that's the real thing that he was seeing. The most disturbing thing that he was seeing in this vision, the history and the significance of the temple and the glory of God leaving that must have been something that impressed him very much or was in his mind. [00:06:01] I don't know if there's a greater tragedy, if there can be a greater tragedy than to enjoy the presence of God only to have that presence withdrawn because of willful sin or commitment to going down the wrong path and losing that glory. I don't know if there's a greater tragedy. And I know that this is just a vision maybe. We think of this as something far off and just a dream maybe, but if we are headed down the wrong path this morning, if there are thoughts or actions that would draw us away from the glory of God, that the glory of God would leave us, I think this vision should be a warning, a stark reminder that we are accountable to bring glory to God if we want his glory to rest, his presence to rest upon us. [00:06:55] I've already mentioned that His presence is closely, His glory is resting on His people is closely akin to His presence. And I don't know what you think about the presence of God. What does it take for you to experience or have the presence of God in your life working out in a practical way? I don't know of anything more practical or more important than absolute obedience to God. [00:07:28] If you desire the presence of God to be with you and the glory of God to rest upon your life or your congregation, then obedience is of, you can't emphasize it enough. It has to be there. Obedience to God. Our thinking must be in line with God's thinking. Now, I don't know how this all works out, but it seems to me that when man is standing in harmony with God, [00:08:00] when our lives are back in harmony with God, we are as the heavens declaring the beauty of God. We are where God wants us and we stand in stark contrast to this present evil world. I don't know, typically I'm not out in Chicago on the streets. Well, I think Alita could talk about some of these. She was just in Los Angeles, I believe. When you get out where there's no Mennonite or Amish or Anabaptist influence, you stand in stark contrast. You have something totally different. [00:08:34] And I'm not putting down someone. I'm just saying that when we bring our lives into harmony with what God wants us of us, there is a manifestation of something beautiful that brings glory to God and is glorious. Now I would like to turn to 1 Samuel and read chapter 4, a passage here. I think I'm going to break in chapter 4 and verse 10. [00:09:06] Maybe I'll ask you to stand for a change of position. 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 10, and I'm going to read to the end of the chapter. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent. And there was a very great slaughter for their fell of Israel, 30,000 foot men. And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head. [00:09:39] And when he sat down, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside, watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to today out of the army. [00:10:11] And he said, What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people. And thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat, backward by the side of the gate, and his neck break, and he died. for he was an old man and heavy and he had judged Israel forty years [00:10:41] and his daughter-in-law Phinehas' wife was with child near to be delivered and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead she bowed herself and travailed for her pains came upon her and about the time of her death the woman that stood by her said unto her fear not for thou hast born a son but she answered not neither did she regard it and she named the child Ichabod saying the glorious departed from Israel because the ark of God was taken and because her father-in-law and her husband [00:11:16] and because of her father-in-law and her husband and she said the glorious departed from Israel for the ark of God is taken. You may be seated. Maybe I should have given some background before I read this but I just kind of broke in here. This was at the time that Eli was a priest and I think we're all familiar with the story But his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were, he was the high priest, but they were priests in the temple. And there was defeat in Israel that day. There was great defeat. I think I read there were 30,000 footmen that were slaughtered, an unbelievable proportion of men. Hard to believe. [00:11:58] In this community of 30,000 men we're missing, it would take, I don't know, maybe 100 years to gain that back. I don't know it. And that's not the point of the story. I think we all remember the name Ichabod. My son has a line about Ichabod, kind of an unusual name. But there is something, there is a meaning that goes behind, that is behind that name. And I think there was great sorrow in Israel. And there was sorrow expressed at the birth of this son [00:12:33] The name means no glory Because the glory of God had departed from Israel And I would like to notice some things that brought this about And I think in a very real way can be practical for us today First of all, I think we're all aware of the sin that was going on in the temple Let's turn, well, maybe I'll just turn back to chapter 3 and verse 12 and 13. God was talking to Samuel and he said in that day, he was talking about what he would do in that day. [00:13:12] Will I perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house? When I begin, I will also make an end, for I have told him that I will judge his house forever. for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. Now, we are not the one to judge Eli. We are not in judgment. We are not to sit in the judgment seat. But there was a phrase that caught my attention. For the iniquity which he knoweth. [00:13:46] There is something about open sin, tolerating open sin. But that is what was going on in that setting. And right along with that, I'm sure you're all familiar with the story of Achan. Hidden sin and open sin both. If they are tolerated in God's house, in the congregation of the Lord, the glory of the Lord will depart. Invariably, sooner or later, the glory of the Lord will depart. [00:14:18] Lord, if it's not dealt with, it will bring defeat. It will bring defeat in the church. It will bring defeat on a personal level and all areas involved. And the second thing that I want to notice just briefly is the art that was the symbol of God's presence among his people. And they had, I don't know if you would say they had desecrated the ark or not, but they took it to battle in hopes that that symbol could save them. [00:14:50] But, and I'm sure that God worked through that symbol maybe at times. But let's not, let's not get to the point where we think we're going to gain by a symbol. Maybe our plain clothes. Let's be careful. And I'm not preaching against plain clothes this morning. Let's just be careful that we don't expect the glory of God to rest upon me just because I dress a certain way. It has to flow from the inside out. But it was evident that the glory of God was gone. [00:15:22] Now what happens when the presence and the glory of God are gone in a congregation? Or how is it evident? When pride is tolerated in personal lives or in a congregation, when there is an individualistic spirit, when there is a lack of unity, the glory of God cannot rest upon a congregation. We have to do things God's way, or at some point the church can become a meaningless function that keeps going, but the blessing and the glory of God, the presence is no longer there. [00:16:03] It's no longer present. It only becomes an exercise. And if the church of Jesus Christ is going to move forward as it should, there is, there is, if we have lost that glory, there is nothing to do but to go back and do whatever it takes to get that presence back so we can move forward again. The church will not move forward until glory is restored or the presence of God. Now I would like to look at some more scripture here. [00:16:36] And I came across some of these in my personal devotions. There are consequences on a personal level for not bringing glory to God and as a group. We affect, I affect my brother and my sister in the church if I am not bringing glory to God. We have a responsibility. Look at the priests in Malachi chapter 2, the first several verses here And we could say that maybe this is just for the preachers, I don't know [00:17:09] But I think it's for all of us These priests had gone astray Let me just read the first three verses of Malachi He says this And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you. I will curse your blessings, yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. [00:17:42] Behold, I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feast, and one shall take you away with it. Because they did not lay it to heart or take seriously the responsibility, their responsibility to bring glory to God, the Lord pronounced a curse upon them. They were cursed. And if you begin to study this, you understand something of what was going on. Malachi speaks much about robbing God in their tithes. [00:18:16] And what they were doing is they were not giving to God the first fruit. But I think in one sense, these priests were also robbing God. They were not giving him the glory that was due, but how were they doing it? I think there's an answer further if you read further in verse 9. Well, let me just say this. they had allowed influential people in their midst to direct their worship [00:18:49] because of the robbery that was going on in Israel they had allowed the, well they lost the glory of God because they did not give heed to the law as they should have I don't know how else to explain it they were unwilling to confront these people and in verse 9 the new King James says this Therefore, I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept my ways, but have shown partiality in the law. [00:19:20] Back to the obedience to God thing. We have to, it is of ultimate importance, it is imperative that we are obedient to God, not just on Sunday morning, but wherever we go and whatever we do. If we want the glory and the presence of God to rest upon us. Now, Isaiah chapter 43 has just the line of a, I'm just picking one line out of a chapter here. [00:19:51] But he says this, even everyone that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, formed him, yea, I have made him. Man was made in his image to bring glory to God. We are made both by the way we're made and by what we do. And I had never noticed this, but in 1 Corinthians 11, if you look at that chapter very closely, it speaks about the glory of man. [00:20:23] Maybe we should, I'll just leave it there. The glory that man brings to God, and if you study that very closely, when man is in his proper position of authority and doing what God asks him to do, he is bringing glory to God. But we very easily can desecrate our duties, our bringing glory to God. We can very easily move away from that. I would like to notice, I'm going to read quite a bit in Romans, the first chapter, and I know that this, what I'm about to read, seems kind of far out, far removed, and it should be, praise the Lord, I think it is, from our constituency and our churches. [00:21:13] But there's something that I noticed in Romans chapter 1. I'm going to read from verse 18 to verse 32 to the end of the chapter. There's a whole list of sins here that almost make me shudder when I think about it. And I think we all understand that Paul is addressing homosexuality in this portion of scripture. But there was a phrase in here that I never noticed before. Let's read verse 18, chapter 1 in Romans. [00:21:46] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath showed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God [00:22:16] neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. [00:22:53] We could stop. I think we'll stop reading there for now. There's several. There's a phrase in this that I never noticed before. And I think we need to look at it seriously. And lastly, in verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. They did not bring honor to God. And because of this, and they were not thankful either. We could add that right in there with it. They did not bring glory to God. [00:23:30] And because of this, there was a chain of events that brought them to what I class as the lowest of the low in sin. And I'm not preaching out there this morning, but how does that apply here in our hearts, in our congregations, in our congregation here? I'm not sure. Let me just continue reading. They they kept going. They kept going until they got to where they were in homosexuality and idolatry. And we could name. I'll read. Continue to read. Verse 26. For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women to change the natural use into that which is against nature. [00:24:24] Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burn in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves recompense of their error, which was meat. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to reprobate minds to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, [00:24:58] whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. It is a long list of sins, but it started by not giving glory to God. [00:25:32] When they knew God, they didn't give glory to God. And it kept going. It was a downward spiral. And now some of these look like they're far out, shouldn't even be mentioned in a church setting on a Sunday morning. But I noticed as I was looking down this list, some of these things, the devil is making inroads right in our plain churches, destroying unity, destroying lives, discouraging people. And I don't know if I should even mention some of these things, but I think it bears our consideration. [00:26:11] We need to be careful. There was one thing that was riveted in my mind as I don't know why this kept coming up in my thoughts as I was studying this passage for this message. But in verse 22, back now to verse 22, one of the first things that happened, not the first thing maybe, But one of the first things when they quit, when they left off glorifying God, it says they became vain in their imagination, imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. [00:26:42] And this line kept going through my head, professing themselves to be wise. They became fools. Now, have any of you ever observed anything like that? And it's easy to see when you're not looking too close to right here. but I'll just admit that maybe I'm digressing from the subject a little bit but when we leave off giving glory to God let me just ask this question how soon after a person quits giving glory and honor to God [00:27:16] how long after that does he get to the place where he professes himself to be wise but he's foolish in his life, in his doings That's a question that you can roll through your mind and maybe give me an answer for it or we can come up with something. I don't have the answer, but I think it's one of the first steps. How close home does this come? [00:27:48] How does popular opinion in our church setting factor in? It looks like it's very wise, but it may be kind of foolish, if you think about it. And the longer I thought about this, the more I thought, this is not just around us. Maybe it's just the nature of man. When I do something a certain way, I at least want to make myself believe that I'm being wise about it. But let's be very careful that we are not foolish. [00:28:21] Popular opinion Movements that sweep through churches running counter to God's word It's easier just to go along and get along Especially if it seems like everybody else is in agreement But popular opinion if it goes against the truth of God's word is always foolishness There's never a time when that's wise Maybe this verse is a little overused here or a cliche But 1 Corinthians 10.31 [00:28:53] And I don't like using verses out of context What Paul was saying as he said these words I think was simply He was talking about living by your brother's conscience Being sensitive to your brother's conscience When he said this Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do Do all to the glory of God But And he said that As he was speaking about living by your brother's conscience, being careful that you do nothing, say nothing, your actions do nothing to violate your brother's conscience. [00:29:32] But I think it's the ultimate plumb line, the measure that we should use in our lives. Am I bringing glory to God by what I do? The way I act, the way I dress, does it honor God? And you can fill in probably a whole lot more than that. Now I would like to turn back to Ezekiel here very quickly. And this is a continuation of Ezekiel's vision. And again, I don't know how much I should read. [00:30:03] I think I'm going to break in chapter 11, verse 23. 3. It almost seemed to me that as God was speaking to Ezekiel, he was saying, there goes the glory of God out of the temple. It's gone. And then at the end of the vision, there was it just seemed like he was saying, here's the road map to get it back. If you want the glory of God or the presence of God to rest on you or your congregation or your people, this is what you need to do. [00:30:35] Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel holy, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord. Unto us is this land given in possession. Therefore say, thus saith the Lord God, although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. [00:31:08] Therefore say, thus saith the Lord God, I will even gather you from the people and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel and they shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence and I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God [00:31:43] But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God Then did the cherubims lift up their wings and the wheels beside them And the glory of God of Israel was over them above And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city And stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city I'm not sure, this was not a very pretty picture Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come, the presence of God with them wherever they go. [00:32:41] and I think for every believing Christian it doesn't matter how dark the night is or how far away you are from home or how overwhelmed you feel or downtrodden or whatever happens if your life is where it should be God is there with you and that's a real blessing, a real comfort he promises his presence with his people but it became very evident to me That if we are to bring glory to God, there must be submission to God. [00:33:14] And I've already talked about this. And verse 19, the glory of God returns when the heart of stone is turned to the heart of flesh. And other translations say a stubborn heart, when a stubborn heart becomes soft. And God wants to get through to us many times. I don't know if you're thinking that maybe we're just speaking to youth or younger people. [00:33:46] I've noticed that the older I get, the more set I get in my ways. And I have to be careful that I don't harden my heart against God or the things that would bring conviction into my heart. The Amplified Bible says that the heart of flesh is sensitive and responsive to the touch of God. And I think that's really what we need this morning. If we are to bring glory to God, we need a heart that's sensitive and responsive to God when we're touched by him, when he speaks to us. [00:34:23] Verse 21, he says, But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their heads, saith the Lord God. The judgment of God is upon us if our heart is hard. And then it seems at the end there, the glory of God went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain. It seems as though he's saying it'll come back if we are willing to live our lives according to his will and what he has asked of us. [00:34:58] I just want to leave this with you. There is no way that we can bring glory to God if I am still on the throne. The only way that we are going to bring glory to God and have his presence in our lives is if we die to self. It's the only way. And I think we've all heard that we need to become broken and submissive to God. But let's give careful consideration. Am I that person? [00:35:29] Am I broken in every area and submissive to God. May God help us to bring glory that is due him in every area of our lives. Let's kneel for prayer.