SERMON OUTLINE

God’s Glory: The Highest Purpose of Man and Creation

Introduction

-Our topic for Communion Sundays this year

-Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q. What is the chief end of man?  A. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

-We glorify God first by receiving His gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ and then by becoming like Christ in our attitudes, thoughts, words and actions.

Angels

-The faithful angels glorify God by enthusiastic service.

-Glory to God pictured in the Tabernacle curtain and mercy seat. Exodus 26.31; 25.19

-Isaiah 6, “Holy, Holy, Holy the whole earth is filled with His Glory”.

-The angels praise God and worship Him. Psalm 103.19-22; Revelation 5.11-14

Physical Creation

-Psalm 19.1; Psalm 148; “for His name alone is exalted, His Glory is above earth and heaven”.

Jesus

-John 12.28; 13.31; 17.4 – Jesus one purpose was to glorify his Father

-“so that God may be all in all” 1 Corinthians 15.20-28

-“to the Glory of God the Father” Philippians 2.10-11

Conclusion        

-The Glory of God is the highest Christian motivator

-“How do I glorify God in this situation?”

-Ask this question and answer it properly and be ready for adventure and the manifestation of God.

SERMON NOTES

The Glory of God

God’s Glory is the Highest Purpose of Man and of all Creation

-On the first Sunday of each month we gather together around the Lord’s Table to remember our Lord’s death until He comes. On these Sunday’s I have focused on a particular theme each year. This year I would like us to think together on the Glory of God. I am feeling terribly inadequate as we come to this great theme and I ask that you pray for me. Pray for insight into God’s Word as I study and pray over it, and also that I might be enabled to explain what the Word of God says about the Glory of God. Pray also for yourselves that God’s Word will stir up your minds to thoughts of God’s Glory, and your hearts to a passion for God’s Glory, and your wills to make choices to the Glory of God. My prayer is that we might be drawn to God as we think together of God’s Magnificent Glory.

-The influential Westminster Shorter Catechism has as its first question, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer given is, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”. Man’s highest purpose in this life is to Glorify God and to enjoy God forever.

-We Glorify God first of all by coming to God as sinners and receiving His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Have you recognized yourself as a sinner who cannot be righteous before God and have you asked God to save you based on Christ’s payment for your sins on the cross? That is how we begin to Glorify God in our lives. This would be a very good way to begin a new year.

-Then we continue to Glorify God by being conformed to His Son Jesus Christ in our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Our highest purpose in all that we are and do is the Glory of God. We were created to Glorify God and all of creation finds its ultimate purpose in bringing Glory to God. This morning I want to look at how all of creation declares that God is to be given Glory.

-Let us begin with the mighty angels of God. In the OT we see angels obeying and serving God in fulfillment of His purposes. Jacob’s dream of a ladder with angels ascending to heaven and descending to earth is a vivid picture of enthusiastic angelic activity in service to God. Some of the angels rebelled against God refusing to Glorify Him, but those who remained faithful to God give themselves completely to lifting up the Glory of God. They sing, “Glory to God in the highest”.

-When we read about the construction of the Tabernacle we find that the curtain facing the Holy of Holies which contained the Ark of God was to be embroidered with Cherubim (an order of angels) to emphasize the majesty and Glory of God by the worship of the mighty angles (Exodus 26.31) The mercy seat which covered the Ark of God had two Cherubim bowing over the Ark in worship to God expressing His Glory and Majesty. (Exodus 25.19) It is between these Cherubim that God’s presence was manifested to His people through the high-priest.

-In Isaiah 6 we find Seraphim (another order of angels) lifting up the Glory of God by crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His Glory”.

-David writes, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul.” (Psalm 103.19-22)

-In the book of Revelation we are given a glimpse into heaven and we find the angels in a constant state of worship and obedience which demonstrates to us the Glory of God. “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen’ and the elders fell down and worshipped.” (Revelation 5.11-14)       -God’s mighty angelic beings show us that their purpose is to bring Glory to God.

-Not only do the angels show us that their purpose is to bring Glory to God but the physical creation itself brings Glory of God. In Psalm 19.1 we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” All of us have looked at a sunset or the stars in heaven, or pictures from space, or tried to comprehend the immensity of the universe, and have bowed in worship of the Glory of God.

-Let us read together Psalm 148. [Overhead]

-All of creation brings Glory to God “for His name alone is exalted, His Glory is above earth and heaven”.

-The greatest example that we have that the purpose of man and the purpose of all of creation is to Glorify God is Jesus.

-In John 12.28 Jesus prayed, “‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” The one desire of Jesus was to bring Glory to the Father.

–John 13.31, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.”

-Jesus instructed his disciples to make requests to God in his name, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14.13) His purpose in answering prayer was to bring Glory to the Father.

-In the prayer of Jesus before the crucifixion Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17.4) That work included all that Jesus had done as well as the cross he was going to shortly endure for the sin of mankind.

-Paul by the revelation of God writes in 1 Corinthians 15.20-28 … [Read]

-The ultimate purpose of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is to rule over all things and then to place all of those things including himself under God, “so that God may be all in all”. The ultimate purpose of all creation, of all of heaven, and earth and all that is under the earth is to bring Glory to God. The saved, the unbelievers, the Devil, everyone and everything will find its culmination in the Glory of God.

-Let me once again remind you that one day soon, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. (Philippians 2.10-11)

-God created you and saved you from sin, and makes you holy and conforms you to the image of His Son, in order that you might bring Glory to His name.

-I believe that the highest motivation available for living the Christian life is to live for the Glory of God. To have the Glory of God as your highest motive in life will determine most of your decisions, and keep you from sin, and will keep you standing under persecution. If we were to ask ourselves this one question, “How do I glorify God in this situation?” and then proceed to Glorify God by the appropriate attitude, thought, words or silence, and action – our life, our circumstances, our church would be changed and God would be glorified through us. Make your ongoing question this year, “How do I bring Glory to God in this situation?” If you decide to ask that question and answer it in obedience to God’s will, get ready for adventure and get ready to see the manifestation of God’s Glory in your life and circumstances.