Well we finally got a smattering of snow. They are calling for 2-4 inches tonight (Friday). Hope you have a great week! Kirk
The short of it:
GLORIFY
John 17:1-5
I. Introduction
A. Three words which sum up John 17 are:
1. Glorify - Sanctify - Unify
II. Man needs to glorify his Creator
III. Jesus Left us an Example to Glorify God.
1. Jesus Glorified God first through Obedience.
2. Next, Jesus Glorified God through works.
3. Third, Jesus glorified God through sacrifice.
CONCLUSION
A. REMEMBER … It’s not about YOU. Your struggles and trials might be for God to display His glory through you. God might be using you to reflect His glory … as a “Son-reflector”. MAYBE … You have been selected to suffer for God’s glory.
B. God will use whatever He chooses to reflect His glory … the universe … a beautiful sunset … your obedience, your works and your sacrifice
THE LONG OF IT:
GLORIFY
John 17:1-5
Introduction
A. Three words which sum up John 17 are:
1. Glorify - Sanctify - Unify
2. If one glorifies God in their thoughts, conduct and activity then....
3. They will sanctify themselves unto his service.
4. And if one sets himself a part for the Master’s use, then unity will prevail at home, in church and in the world.
B. For all intent and purpose this lesson will deal with the first aspect of Jn. 17 GLORIFY
1. 1 Cor.
II. Man needs to glorify his Creator
Quote: Charles Ryrie, a famous teacher from Dallas Seminary said, "God’s glory is His reputation. To live for God’s glory means to live so that God’s reputation is enhanced and not diminished in any way."
A. Glory in the Bible refers to worth, beauty and value.
1. The glory of God is His renown, his honor and His fame. When we seek to glorify God we give Him all our homage, service and devotion in all ways.
2. In the Old Testament, glory meant weight, substance and radiant beauty. To glorify someone is to recognize one’s worth, beauty and to speak of their honor so others may hear.
3. Thus to glorify the Lord is to speak of Him in a truthful way so we can worship Him with the beauty of holiness, truth and love (Jerm. 9:23, 24 good)
Quote: Ray Pritchard "Just as we cannot darken the sun we cannot decrease God’s glory, but we can cause others to see the glory of God or lessen their motivation to behold His splendor by poor choices." Jesus put it this way - Matt. 5:16
B. Too many people are turning to the Bible as a self-help book.
1. The Bible is essentially a book about God and His glory. The Lord is seeking people to be His worshipers (John
2. The Lord wants to draw all people into thanksgiving praise, sanctification of life and obedient worship. John revealed heaven as a place where the people “bring their glory and honor into it” (Rev. 21:24). 1 Cor.
( following points [C-E] based on Lucado’s book – “It’s Not About Me”)
C. We live in a “me-centric” world. i.e., everything revolves around ME … my happiness … my wants … my pleasure … ME!
1. Up until 450 years ago, everybody believed that the universe, and the sun, and the planets revolved around the earth. THEN, in 1543, Copernicus told them that the earth wasn’t the center of the universe. 50 years later, Galileo said that the planets revolved around the sun. They were so opposed to this idea, that they threw him in prison, and kicked him out of the church. The very IDEA that WE weren’t the center of the universe, was unthinkable!
2. God has a very important LESSON in all of this … the world doesn’t revolve around YOU … or ME. God’s priority isn’t your comfort … happiness … or YOUR pleasure. If God existed to please you & me … THEN … why aren’t we pleased all the time? The TRUTH is … it’s not all about you or me … it’s all about GOD.
a. Why did God create the universe? Psalm 19:1 - “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.”
b. Why has God chosen the righteous to do his work? Isaiah 43:7 – “Even
every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”
c. Why does God allow troubles in our life? Psalm 50:15 – “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
d. Why did God send Jesus to earth? John 17:4 – “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
D. God wants the SPOT-LIGHT on HIM! EVERYTHING that God does, it brings Him glory!
1. NOW … this doesn’t mean that God has an EGO PROBLEM. If you or I did
everything we do for the purpose of receiving honor and glory, we would be considered arrogant … egotistical … conceited … pompous.
2. BUT … God doesn’t do everything so His glory will be revealed for HIS OWN good. God wants His glory revealed in everything that happens … FOR OUR GOOD … so we can WITNESS His glory … AND be a witness OF His glory (Rom.
3. 1 Cor.
4. God wants us to SEE His glory … SO … we can REFLECT it to the rest of the world. We are to be like the MOON. The moon doesn’t have any light of its own … it REFLECTS the light of the sun. We are to be “Son-Reflectors” … and reflect the glory of God that He displays for us in everything He does.
a. 2 Cor.
E. Everything happens … everybody exists … everything was created … to give glory to God! Including YOU!
1. We think that the world ought to revolve around us. Do you really want that? (I know some people who SEEM to want it … want to be in the SPOT-LIGHT). LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING … IF it’s all ABOUT you … THEN … it’s all UP TO you.
2. God knows better than to revolve the world around you & me. WHY? BECAUSE … He knows that we are weak and powerless … He knows our limitations. BUT … GOD is GOD! To HIM be the glory! THAT’S WHY God wants all the glory … it’s not all about YOU … it’s all about HIM!
3. And one other thing - God doesn’t share His glory. LISTEN to what God says - Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another …”
4. The world doesn’t revolve around you & me … it revolves around God. LISTEN to what John the Baptist said about Jesus - John 3:30 – “He must increase, but I must decrease.” WHY? BECAUSE … it’s all about HIM … NOT about you & me.
1 Cor.
III. Jesus Left us an Example to Glorify God.
Quick Summation: First we will notice how: 1. Jesus Glorified God first through Obedience.
2. Next, Jesus Glorified God through works. 3. Third, Jesus glorified God through sacrifice.
A. Jesus Glorified God first through Obedience.
1. Obedience comes through obeying the positive laws of God.
2. Some Bible characters who suffered for not obeying the positive laws of God.
a. Eve - ate the fruit, lost paradise; Nadab & Ahihu offered strange fire (Lev. 10:1, 2) lost their life; Saul didn’t fully obey (1 Sam. 15) lost the kingdom; The church at Ephesus was rebuked for losing their first love, Pergamos allowed different doctrines to enter the church, Thyatira tolerated sexual permissiveness, Laodicea was luke warm, and if these churches did not repent, he would take away their right to be called the church of Christ.
b. Naaman almost wasn’t cleansed (2 Kn.
3. On the other hand many others obeyed and by it glorified God.
a. Abraham (Rom.
4. The truth is, Jesus Christ left us an example to fully obey every command of God, whether they be moral laws or just something God told us we should do.
a. Obey your parents (Lk.
b. Love your neighbor as self (His miracles; our response to their need Jas. 2:14ff)
c. Be baptized (Matt. 3:17ff; - Acts
d. Assemble in God’s house (He was found in the synagogue teaching and singing Hebrews
e. Keeping pure (1 Jn. 3:5; 1 Cor.
• Sexual impurity doesn’t glorify God.
• Unhealthy eating habits … alcohol & drugs … living to satisfy the flesh … doesn’t glorify God.
• Your body is God’s TOOL … maintain it … for His glory.
• Your body is God’s
That’s why God gave you a body … so He would get all the glory.
4. Don’t think you can just get by by not breaking the moral laws and break every positive law God gave. Jesus Glorified God by his full obedience. We glorify God through our full obedience as well.
5. 1 Cor.
B. Next, Jesus Glorified God through works.
1. Jesus said, "I have glorified you, Father, on the earth, having accomplished the work, you have given me to do." (John 17:4) We can best glorify God by accomplishing His will in us for life.
2. Our works? Many scoff at works. (Matt.
3. Some men works tattle on their heart (Titus
4. The Corinthian church were failing miserably in spiritual works thus hindering the glorification God.
a. They were divisive (1:10-13); doubtful of apostolic authority (chapters 2-4); harbors of sexual infidelity (chapter 5); court happy (6); fornicators (6); divorce happy (7); immature (8); complainers of those who received compensation for the Lord’s work (9); abusing the Lord’s Supper (11); jealous over spiritual gifts (12); failing in divine love (13); and doubting the resurrection (15). And in the mist of all this bad behavior Paul implores them to accept their responsibility - "Whatever you do, do it ALL for the glory of God."
5. We must see the church (people of God) as the medium by which God is glorified (Eph.
6. There is a story in the O.T. about two battles which
What happens after this event is a symbolic message to the following generations. Eli’s daughter-in-law, who, being pregnant, hears about her father-in-law and priestly husband’s death, goes into labor. It was a hard labor and she died during child birth. But before her death she named the baby boy Ichabod, which meant, the glory of the Lord had departed.
Today, quality spiritual lives are needed if God’s glory is to be revealed in his church. The church is the glory of the Lord today. We destroy that glory by having reckless attitudes toward holiness. By failing to pass on biblical spiritual values to the next generation we remove the glory of the Lord in his church. It is a indisputable and undeniable fact, that undisciplined behavior removes the glory of the Lord from his church. We become the modern Ichabod unless we fulfill our obligations as Christian parents, teachers, preachers and shepherds.
7. What a blessing it is to know that our works continue to glorify the living God!
8. 1 Cor.
C. Third, Jesus Glorified God though sacrifice.
1. Col. 1:19-23 God gloried in the cross of Christ. And because Christ gloried in the cross, God honored his son (Phil. 2:8, 9).
2. Could it be that our struggles, our pain, our light affliction is nothing more than another way to bring glory to God.
a. Consider the blind man - Jn. 9:3 through him the works of God was made manifest.
b. Consider the leper - Lk. 17:14-16 our own physical frailty.
c. Remember Lazarus - he waited for him to die - Jn. 11
d. Peter’s death (Jn.
e. Persecution (1 Pet.
3. What do you think will happen …
• When people see you put your trust in God, in your pain and suffering? God will be glorified.
• When people see how God sees you through your trials and testing … meeting your needs? God will be glorified.
• When people see your faith, in spite of your circumstances? God will be glorified.
• What do you think happened when Lazarus walked out of that tomb? They witnessed the glory of God.
• What do you think happened when the blind man came walking down the street without his white cane … greeting everybody? They witnessed the glory of God.
4. 2 Cor. 4:17 – “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” Compared to the glory that you will give to God … compared to the glory that you will receive in Heaven … it’s but a “light affliction”. MAYBE … YOU have been selected by God (like Lazarus and the blind man) to display the glory of God!
a. Are people strengthened because of your struggles? Do they see the glory of God in your trials?
5. 1 Cor.
CONCLUSION
A. REMEMBER … It’s not about YOU. Your struggles and trials might be for God to display His glory through you. God might be using you to reflect His glory … as a “Son-reflector”. MAYBE … You have been selected to suffer for God’s glory. God will use whatever He chooses to reflect His glory … the universe … a beautiful sunset … your obedience, your works and your sacrifice.
B. So there you have it - the first word in Jn. 17 - GLORIFY.
1. Glorify God in your obedience
2. Glorify God in your works
3. Glorify God in your sacrifice.
4. 1 Cor.