How can I glorify God in my life?

[0:00] Glory to God, my theme on glory, glorifying God. And it's long been said that really the ultimate purpose,! the primary purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

[0:14] ! To glorify God. It's our primary purpose, isn't it? It's why we're here. It's why He's made us. To glorify God and to have that forever. Forever.

[0:24] We're just practicing, as I say, for eternity beyond, aren't we? As it were, to praise Him. And this should be our purpose, our pursuit, the glory, to give Him glory, to glorify God.

[0:36] So how can we? How can we purpose to give God glory? How can we purpose that? Some thoughts on that theme. What does glorifying God look like?

[0:48] What is it to glorify God? It's clear that God is due glory. He is due our glory. Psalm 29 verse 2. Psalm 29 verse 2.

[0:58] It says, Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Give unto the Lord the glory that is due unto His name.

[1:12] The name of Jesus, our Saviour. He's due glory and praise. We're called to glorify Him. It's something that He wants us to do. It talks of how the Father seeks such that will worship God.

[1:25] Worship Him in spirit and in truth. He seeks worshippers. And He wants us to be amongst that number. To be the people that glorify Him. Glorify His name. And it should be an imperative.

[1:37] It should be something. This is fundamental. It should be front and centre for our life. That glorifying God matters. In all of our life. In all of our aspects of our life. In every dimension.

[1:49] In all of our decision making of life. We see for example 1 Corinthians 10 verse 31. It tells us that even in the nitty gritty of our lives. Even in those elemental things of our lives.

[2:02] The eating and drinking. It's really just a picture of how all encompassing it is. As to how we should worship our Lord. It tells us whether therefore you eat or drink.

[2:13] Or whatsoever you do. Do also the glory of God. Whether you eat, drink. Whatsoever you do. Really when you think of that. It's almost like. Well that's something you do every day. Hopefully isn't it?

[2:24] You eat and drink. It's something that's the day by day. It's elemental. It's the nitty gritty. In other words. When you look at this verse. Whether you eat, drink or whatsoever you do.

[2:35] Do all to. All. 100% to. There's nothing out of the scope of our life. That the glory of God should not be manifest in. God's glory should be manifest in every little corner of our life.

[2:48] It should be the glory of God. It should be a consideration we make when we make decisions for life. And that's a really challenging thought when you consider just that. Just that one verse.

[3:00] All. Do all to the glory of God. Not 90% but all. All of our life should be to his glory. And so when we think of what does that mean. Do we seek God?

[3:10] Do we seek him? Do we love him? Like he wants us to. Wholeheartedly. It is right that we give glory to God. It's due unto him. Due unto him. And really it's due to him alone.

[3:23] The glory is due him alone. Not to man or any other object. We see that in Isaiah 42 verse 8 where it reads. Isaiah 42 verse 8.

[3:34] The Lord says, I am the Lord. That is my name. And my glory will I not give to another. Neither am I praised to graven images. Of course it's one of the fundamentals, isn't it?

[3:46] That we should worship the Lord our God and him only should we serve. But it seems like sadly some churches are missing the point. I know I've just had a few weeks off and we've fellowshiped at some other like-minded churches.

[4:00] But I did have occasion to slip into some different churches and to see some of the things going on in different churches. Just as a kind of observer of what's going on.

[4:11] And we can see that some churches are missing it. They're missing that. That the glory of God is missing. That glory is being given to another. Our whole object really as a church body should be to direct our glory, all the glory unto God.

[4:26] Not to man. Not to machinery. Not to methods or show or personality. Not our movement or our efforts. We think sometimes in some church circles it's almost like the spotlight is on the pastor.

[4:42] They put him on a pedestal. And that can be unhealthy when the glory is given to another, even to the preacher. We are just humble servants. Whoever gets up here and preaches. And we thank God for those that have covered the pulpit while I've been away.

[4:55] But when we think the glory of God, it's not directed to a man. It's not directed as much as we can be glad of our movement of churches. The glory doesn't go to that.

[5:05] It goes to him. And he says, my glory will not give to another. We see what happens when the glory goes. Or the glory goes to another. Or something else other than our Lord.

[5:17] For example, in 1 Samuel 4, we see Ichabod. Ichabod. That's what happens when the glory goes. When the glory is lost. When the glory departs.

[5:28] That's what happens as judgment came. In 1 Samuel 4, verse 21, the context is of the ark of God was taken. It was captured by the Philistines.

[5:41] And a woman brings a child into the world. And it says, verse 21, 1 Samuel 4. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, the glory has departed from Israel.

[5:53] Because the ark of God was taken. And because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, the glory is departed from Israel. For the ark of God is taken.

[6:05] The glory is departed from Israel. Why? Because the ark of God is taken. So as we see the ark, where the manifest presence of God showed up. When the people met and gathered.

[6:17] When God's glory showed up. The ark was taken. It was the judgment of God really against the nation. And how sad it is to lose the glory. To lose the glory of God.

[6:29] For God's glory to leave the place of worship. I think that's happening in some quarters. It can happen in our quarter. For the glory to leave the place of worship.

[6:40] This is happening in many places now, I put to you. Where the word of God is being replaced with trifles. They're not preaching the word. It's all about the preacher's experience.

[6:50] Or their views. Rather than what does the simple word of God say. They're getting away from the word. And that can be a danger. We're seeing that happening where the worship of God is being replaced with entertainment.

[7:05] And performance. There's a danger there. We all need to be careful. The honour of God is being trashed by worldly talk and lightness. Where the preacher is some kind of comedian.

[7:17] Or some effort of comedian. There's a degree where we can have enjoyment. But it's not the focus. And that's taking away. It's taking away the glory. The glory is departing.

[7:28] We don't want that. The glory is departed. Sometimes the glory is gone. And we aren't even aware of it. That can happen in a church. Where they're still going through the ritual. The motions.

[7:38] The liturgy. But the glory is gone. God's left the building. We see that in the life of Samson for example. In Judges 16 verse 20. It talks about Samson.

[7:50] And of course the context here is a Samson. He's lying in Delilah's lap. And she's tested him a few times. And now he's finally revealed that his strength was his hair.

[8:03] As that was a token of his devotion. And covenant with God. And yet his hair now is cut. And she said the Philistines be upon thee Samson.

[8:14] So here she is rocking him. You know a little lullaby in Delilah's lap. And she's tricked him now to reveal the source of his strength. Which was his commitment.

[8:25] His relationship with God really. And that was taken in that token of his haircut. And he awoke out of his sleep and said. I will go out. As at other times before.

[8:35] And shake myself. Now here he was. He's done it before numbers of times. As he didn't reveal the true source of his strength. He says I'll just shake myself like I've done before.

[8:47] And it says he wished not. He knew not. That the Lord was departed from him. Now what a sad thing it would be. And that can happen for individual believers can't it. Where we're walking with God. And then somehow you know God's left us.

[9:00] In the sense that we're not walking with him like we should. We've gone astray. We've backslid. And we've gone far far away from his will for our life. And this was Samson's case here.

[9:10] The Lord was departed from him. It's like the glory of God was gone out of his life. The presence of God. And Samson didn't even realise it. He didn't even realise it. He went through all the motions.

[9:21] I'll shake myself like I've done before. And it was all in vain. And again to reflect on that in a church context. Some churches and movements and men are like that today.

[9:33] Their love for the Lord has grown cold. Their light has become dim. They are not the same gospel witness that they once were. And some aren't even conscious of it. For example we can think of such movements as in times of old.

[9:46] The salvos used to be on the street corners preaching the gospel. At least in their effort they had zeal. They had some intent to evangelise.

[9:58] And now they're just standing on the street corners shaking their cans for donations for their charity work. And as much as that might be good work it's not the gospel. And they're missing the point.

[10:09] They now become captivated like a social gospel. Like with a charity based kind of gospel. A good works kind of thinking.

[10:20] And we see other movements in the past where we had men like Wesley and Whitfield that were preaching. That were openly declaring the word of God. Strongly exhorting people to trust Christ.

[10:34] But now their modern counterpart the Uniting Church is flying rainbow flags. The glory has departed. The glory has departed. It's gone.

[10:45] And we see many empty churches. Why? Because the glory has departed. It's like the Lord has departed from them. And so we can all be minded about such things that we will all be aware.

[10:59] Are we going to give God the glory? Are we going to give him the glory? Who are meant to give God the glory? We are. We are. The people of God are the people who are meant to give God the glory.

[11:10] You and me. That's despite our frailties. You might say, well preacher I've got this wrong with me and this problem and that problem. And you know, you don't know what I'm really like. I'm failing.

[11:21] I'm faulty. I'm inadequate. We all are. We're all frail, fallible human vessels. But we're all called to display the glory of God. Every one of us.

[11:33] God doesn't wait for someone to be a perfect super Christian for him to use them. You know, some people think, well I've got to train and train and I've got to be qualified.

[11:44] I've got to go through some long process of training. Now I'm not against training. But don't let that be an excuse not to serve. Don't say I'm going to train and then I'll serve.

[11:57] Serve and train at the same time. You know, serve and train. Don't just say I'm going to train then serve at some distant time in the future. And rather that you serve now.

[12:08] I mean we do commend that online Bible school there from Victoria. They have some great courses you can do. You can study and serve at the same time.

[12:19] In fact, it's much better that you do that. That you really have a cadetship if you like. Like the apprenticeship is hands on, isn't it? To serve. To serve in the local church.

[12:29] And that's what we want to be. So as much as we've got intentions of running our own Bible Institute and having good training resources that we can go through. Some classes together in some kind of formal way.

[12:42] We don't want to let that stop us from serving now. Don't keep having the future to one day I'll serve God. But serving now, despite your frailties, despite your feeling like you're inadequate, despite your lack.

[12:55] We're all called to display the glory of God. To be the salt and the light. To be his ambassadors. The ambassadors of Christ. To take that glorious gospel that he's given to us. And he's given it to us to declare it.

[13:06] To share it. And it's in all our weaknesses. In all of our brokenness. In all of our limited ways. Don't ever get to that thinking that somehow I'm not ready.

[13:18] I'm not adequate. I'm not worthy. It's the enemy that would give us such a feeling that I've got to be more trained before I do something. Again, I'm not discounting training.

[13:29] But don't let there be an obstacle that you're not trained. The best training you can have is practical. Practical on the job training. Really.

[13:40] We see in 2 Corinthians 4 verses 6 through 7. It says, For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge.

[13:52] Of the glory of God. In the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure. It says, We have this treasure. The glory of God. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

[14:04] We have this treasure. In earthen vessels. That the excellency of the power may be of God. And not of ours. It's got the sense of clay pots.

[14:15] You know, I think some Christians are crack pots. But we should be clay pots. We should be earthen vessels. All right. And earthen vessels aren't all nice and shiny. And all the bumps and ridges are polished and shiny.

[14:29] Earthen vessels are just pottery. Just simple earthenware, isn't it? Earthen pottery. Earthen vessels. And it says that God chooses such as we.

[14:40] Earthen vessels. As humble and as limited as we are in our earthen vessel that we are. It says what matters is the excellency of the power of God that fills us.

[14:54] In all of our inadequacy. In all of our weakness. He can be strong. And God can use you and me to shine for his glory. He wants to. He wants to. Don't hold back.

[15:05] Young people. Younger ones amongst us. You don't have to wait until you're even a teenager to start serving God. I know as a young man myself. I think I was 15 when I did the first Bible study in a home fellowship kind of setting.

[15:19] Don't hold back. I was glad of someone who gave me an encouragement to do that. And we've got that in our own company. Young Torrens put his hand up. Willing to serve. We want to encourage that.

[15:31] Don't think. And the word actually specifically says. Don't let someone look down on you because you're young. Rather just go for it. Go for it. God can use you and me to shine for his glory.

[15:42] It's what he's purposed for us to be and to do. So how do we do it? How do we glorify God? How are we to glorify God? We see 1 Corinthians 6 verse 20 it says.

[15:53] For you are bought with a price. You're a purchased possession. You belong to him by his purchasing. By the price of his blood. You are bought with a price it says. Therefore glorify God.

[16:03] In your body and in your spirit which are God's. It's saying glorify God in all aspects of your life. It's talking about our body. We could think about aspects as such as that.

[16:15] Are we using our body wisely? Are we looking after it? Are we taking care of it? Are we using it such that we're walking to places we should be walking? We're speaking words we should be speaking.

[16:27] Talking about our body. Talking about our mind. Our thinking. As we talked this morning. We think about our spirit. Is it glorifying God? Have we got that heart? Are we glorifying God with our works?

[16:38] Are we glorifying God with our words? We see Matthew 5. Our Lord says that we should let our light so shine. Let your light so shine he says. Before men that they may see your good works.

[16:49] And glorify your Father which is in heaven. Notice what we see. What they see is our good works. How can we be mindful of giving him glory?

[16:59] In acts of service. In selflessness. Good works. Good works. Now sometimes especially we Baptists.

[17:10] We can shy away from works. Because of course we don't preach a works based gospel. We don't preach a works based gospel. You don't need to work to deserve heaven.

[17:21] You don't need to work because you can't earn it. There's no credit for works in terms of salvation. There's no gain to you in works as far as getting into heaven.

[17:32] But that's not to discount that we should shy away from works. We should be working. In a sense we should be activated. We should be motivated.

[17:45] We're not saved by the works. But we are created unto works. That's an important thought to get in our heads. Of course as I say. And we're very clear on this as a fellowship.

[17:58] It's by grace you're saved. If you're not saved tonight. And you're searching for God. You're not sure that you're saved. That you're heaven bound.

[18:08] The Bible says it's by grace that you're saved. Through faith. So what's that saying is that God's grace. His kindness. His mercy.

[18:19] His love. His wideness of his reach. His grace. It's by grace. God's grace that you're saved. And it's through faith. It's faith. It's trust. It's our faith.

[18:30] It's our belief. It's trusting in Christ as our saviour and Lord. That Christ is the one who took our sin and paid for it. He took our penalty.

[18:40] He paid it in full. Every price that had to be paid to be the sacrifice. Our substitute for our sin. And that's very clear. It's by grace that you are saved.

[18:51] It says through faith. And he says that not of yourselves. That not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Salvation is the gift of God. It's a free gift. It's not of works lest any man should boast.

[19:04] So it's very clear that our salvation is not of works. But then it goes on to say this. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

[19:20] So there's a sense where we're saved, not by works, but really as saved people now, we are his workmanship. Every one of you is a masterpiece crafted by his hand, by the work of the Master.

[19:32] And he's created you, he's saved you, such that now you should live to honour, to glorify him unto good works. He's ordained that we should walk in such things.

[19:43] What will we see come out from a life that glorifies God? We can think of many scriptures, but for example, the fruit of the Spirit should come out. As we glorify God, we should see, for example, as Paul tells the Galatians, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such.

[20:04] There is no law. Telling us that these things should kind of pour out as fruit would come out of a fruitful tree. That's the fruit of the life that honours him.

[20:16] And it says, And they that Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So it's telling us that we glorify God by faith, our trust in Christ.

[20:28] He wants that relationship with us. He wants us to be his. He wants you to belong to him. He's made you for that. Without Christ as your Lord, really, you're missing the whole point of living itself.

[20:42] The Lord has created you such that you can have a relationship with him. He's made us for that. Without that relationship with God, our life is incomplete. And so as we trust him, then may we build that relationship through prayer, through crucifying the flesh, through worship, through spiritual growth.

[21:01] He's called us to love, to compassion, to grow in integrity and honesty, to have that humbleness of attitude, of heart, of dependence on him. And we think of that life that glorifies God.

[21:13] It should be a life that's characterised by endurance in the face of trial and challenge. That perseverance and character should be formed in us. That glorifying God should be a continual growing, a transforming of our life.

[21:28] That being saved is really just the beginning. We're not saying salvation is a process, which is a false teaching. Because once you're saved, you're saved. You're saved then and forever. You're saved in the now and that is forever.

[21:41] Once you're saved. Now the process is the sanctifying. It's the growing closer, isn't it? It's the growing deeper in your walk with him. It's growing stronger in your faith with him.

[21:52] It's that continual growing. And so as God-glorifying people, we're called to be good stewards of what God's given us. Every one of us has something we can do, be for God.

[22:03] Every one of us has abilities and opportunities that God has provided for us. And that can be in the social, secular settings, in our work settings. Wherever we plant it, let's be God-glorifying people.

[22:15] You may wonder, how can I grow? You know, you might feel I'm inadequate. I'm lacking. I don't, maybe, I'm not as literate. I don't have as much knowledge of this or that.

[22:27] Take whatever step you can take, bit by bit. And God will help you to grow. It can be just little steps at a time. In fact, minute steps can make a massive change.

[22:38] When you think about it, I know we had some termites in a property. And those termites made a big difference to that house. It made a really big difference. You wouldn't believe it.

[22:49] What a big difference little termites can have to a house. When you think about it, too, in our own lives, what a little effort can make every day.

[22:59] Maybe just a moment of time, committed time every day in the Word. A committed time where you try to learn something of God. You get some good Christian books to read.

[23:12] I commend you to read some good Christian books. Find some good Christian books. Read some good autobiographies. We've got a little library in the back here. You can help yourself to take a shelf load home and borrow them and use them to grow.

[23:25] Learn about God. Grow your faith. Little by little, inch by inch, you'll grow. And you can change into who God wants you to be.

[23:36] I like this verse here in 2 Corinthians 3.18. It says, But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we, it says, are changed into the same image.

[23:47] From glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So since we're step by step, you might say, Preacher, I'm a young Christian. I don't really know that much.

[23:57] Well, we all had to start there. We all had to begin there. I was there. We're all going from glory to glory to glory, ultimately, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So we're meant to be a growing Christian, and that brings glory to Him.

[24:11] We see that the Word tells us that the path of the righteous is as a shining light. It shineth more and more unto the perfect day. But the way of the wicked is as darkness.

[24:22] They know not of what they stumble. So it's saying here, the path of the just, it's saying that we should keep shining brighter, ever brighter. So make it a turning point, if you like.

[24:33] I know often we think as it's a new year, we think of New Year's resolutions. Could it be that we can make a resolution? Yeah, I'm going to grow stronger and stronger.

[24:43] I'm going to shine brighter and brighter. I'm going to be like that path of the just that is like a shining light, shining more and more, from glory to glory. I'm going to shine brighter, ever brighter.

[24:55] From glory to glory, He's changing me. It's a process. Like Paul prayed. Paul prayed for the Galatians. He says, There's a sense where God wants Christ to be formed in us.

[25:10] Christ to be formed in us. It's an amazing thought, really, isn't it? That Christ could be formed in each one of us as His own people.

[25:21] So take those steps to grow by faith. The important thing, too, is do it now. You might be hearing me say this and think, Yeah, okay, that sounds like wise advice. That sounds like the right thing to do.

[25:33] But I'll get around to it. I don't know if you've got that problem. I'm a bit like that sometimes. Especially when Julie tells me to do something. I think, oh, yeah, I'll get around to it, dear. But I'm learning to say, yes, dear, straight away.

[25:47] I've learnt a lot from Brother Joel's song. We've got to cut it out. There's some things we've just got to cut out. All the excuses, all of the machinations, all of our reasons why not, and to say, no, I've got to do it now.

[26:05] And it's the same with the Christian life. If you want to grow, do it now. Do it now. Cut it out as far as the procrastinations, as far as saying, oh, one day I'll start to grow as a Christian.

[26:17] No, do it now. And Paul says, I want Christ to be formed in you. The important thing is do it now. Make a lifestyle choice. You know, it's a new year. It's a good time to say, yeah, I'm going to try to make a habit.

[26:29] I know this one of our numbers says, I'm going to make it a practice to try to come Sunday nights now. And it's a good thing to make some lifestyle choices that are good choices to make. That's going to do your soul good.

[26:40] All right. Do it now. Don't put it off. Whether it's reading the Bible. And I was blessed to be given a Bible by some friends, and I've been reading it ever since, that particular Bible.

[26:52] And I'm getting through it. Getting through it. It's a blessing just to open the Word of God, isn't it? To make it a daily habit. Make it a habit. A lifestyle choice. And we're all set apart for God's purposes.

[27:05] God wants Christ to be formed in you, that you'll be more like Him day by day, step by step, shining brighter and brighter from glory to glory. We can find that true joy that He gives.

[27:15] And it tells us, For the people of God, in Titus 2, of Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

[27:28] He wants us to be such that He's separating us. He's purifying us. And it's unto Himself. And that we'll be zealous of good works.

[27:38] It won't be just, we'll think, oh, others can do the good works. We're all going to be such a people. We're all going to have that heart to serve, to looking to please God. And really, it's about being countercultural, isn't it?

[27:52] We know that this world we live in, they don't care about the glory of God. This world doesn't care about the glory of God. This world is full of shame and reproach. And the people that govern us, the nation, and they stand there in their pride.

[28:06] I was watching something lately, and the American president was saying, we live in the greatest country in the whole world. And I've heard our Australian prime minister say the same thing.

[28:18] We live in the greatest country in the whole world. It's garbage. It's pride, isn't it? Even if it is a nice country. It's about pride in country, pride in this or pride in that.

[28:29] This nation is an abomination. This nation is under the curse of God. It's under the judgment of God. It's facing the wrath of God because of the laws of this land, of the abortion, of the pride in sin, in abomination.

[28:47] This nation is running helter-skelter into the very judgment and damnation of God. This nation has got nothing to be proud about. And we think we should be counter-cultural and willing to stand out from the crowd, to say sin is sin, that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

[29:08] As much as Australia has some good things to commend it, we can't say this is the greatest country. It's actually a shameful reproach. The state of our nation, the state of those who govern us, of the laws they govern us with.

[29:21] The glory of God, in contrast to that, is meant to be something that impacts our world, that will be salt and light, and that will be such that will impact our world.

[29:33] And in every aspect of our life, that God's glory would be seen. Think of it. He wants us to be a peculiar people. In other words, He wants us to be especially reserved unto Him, to be especially His people.

[29:48] And we think of that really as we are the holy nation, as the church of God. That's what we're meant to be. And we're meant to be in our everyday. We're meant to be showing God's glory in our family relationships, in our friendships, in our job and career.

[30:02] I was hearing about a young man who's been a testimony in his workplace. We're meant to be that. We're meant to be shining the light. We're meant to be glorifying God in our everyday living, in our fellowship too.

[30:15] And fellowship is a key too. Not that the building is the focus, but the gathering together. That's important. The gathering together, that matters. We notice that as we see through the Word of God, the glory of God was manifest when the people got together.

[30:30] So that's especially an important thing for us to be together as God's people in worship. We see, for example, in 1 Kings 8, it talks about when the people gathered, it says the priests would come out of the holy place.

[30:42] It says the cloud, representing the presence of God, filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

[30:54] Wouldn't it be great if we came to church Sunday night and we can't get in the place because the glory of the Lord's filling the place? I mean, I'm just kind of picturing it what it could have been like, you know, that the glory of the Lord was filling the holy place, as it were.

[31:11] Of course, it's a picture for us as we could take it as an illustration that the glory of the Lord should fill the house. Where the people of God are, we should be filled with the presence of God, the temple, the house of the Lord.

[31:24] And where is the temple of the Lord now? It's right there sitting in these blue chairs. There's numbers of temples here today. The temple of the Holy Spirit is you. It's your very body.

[31:35] The temple of the Lord, it's you and me in the sense, there's that aspect too. But notice here, like in this example, it's where the people gathered that the glory came. And we could think of that as true today.

[31:47] When people of God get together, God does a work. God does a work because the word is here. We're hearing it. We're encouraging one another. And we're fellowshipping and growing together as a church body.

[31:58] And so can I urge you, be an active part. Be an active part. Be, as it said earlier, a people zealous of good works. It glorifies you, Lord, when you do that.

[32:09] And also be a good steward of your gifts. Again, it's been great lately to see some people stepping up. We've got people stepping up, playing instruments now that have been really not doing much before that, so much.

[32:23] It's been great lately to see some different people stepping up, stepping out, using their abilities for the Lord. That's what he wants for all of us. He wants us all to be activated, to be set to work, to be commissioned, to be exercising our callings and abilities for the Lord, to serve, to serve.

[32:45] And again, I put it to you that every one of you has an ability. Every one of you has a gift. As safe people, you've got abilities to serve.

[32:56] So don't hold back. Volunteer. It always encourages me when people volunteer. I don't want to stifle that. I want to encourage that. I'd like to see more people have that heart. And the Word of God says, as Paul exhorts young Timothy, he says, He says, We can glorify God by serving, by volunteering to serve, to use our gifts and ministries.

[33:31] And it says, notice it says, stir it up. And you could put it, fan it into flame. The gift of God. It's a sense where you get the bellows out, stir it up. Now get the poker out, stir it up.

[33:42] Get some heat going and catch flame. Catch a flame. I love how one person in the church wrote to me lately when they mentioned, I mentioned some need, and he said this, I quote, I'll show up on the day of any church function.

[33:56] All they have to do is tell me what they need me to do, and I'm into it. Now that's the heart of a servant, isn't it? Yeah, tell me, pastor, what needs doing, and I'll be there. I'll show up.

[34:08] Bloom where you're planted. Have a heart to serve. Have that heart that you want to shine as lights for the glory of God. Think of it as we come to explore some other references here.

[34:22] As Philippians 2 puts it, as Paul exhorts to Philippians, he says, as he prays for them, that we should shine as lights for the glory of God. I'm just quoting here Philippians 2.

[34:34] Paul tells the Philippians, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

[34:44] Again, you don't work for your salvation, but you work it out. Work out your salvation. Make it such that you'll have a workout. I know that some of our number like going to have a workout. I know I should probably join them as well, but this body's pretty trim and terrific, but no, but I think spiritually so, spiritually so.

[35:03] We need some, I'm a bit out of condition. You know, can you identify with that? I'm a bit out of condition. We need to get into the gym. I like how Paul says to Timothy, exercise yourself unto godliness.

[35:15] It's got the sense, and apparently the word is, it's literally go into the gym, the gymnasium. Gymnasium, exercise yourself unto godliness. And so we see that, work out your own salvation.

[35:27] Work it out. You know, your body's going to one day be in the ground, in a box, and, or in dust. It's just going to be, so don't worry about your body so much.

[35:39] Worry more about your spirit. I mean, we should glorify God in our body and in our spirit, but what matters most is our spirit, isn't it? I'm not discounting, look after yourself. We'll read on.

[35:49] I'm losing track here. For it's God, which work within you both, to will and to do, of his good pleasure, do all things without murmurings and disputings, that you should be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, even in this crooked and perverse nation of Australia, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.

[36:14] Friends, it's saying here that we should shine as lights in the world. Think about it when you're in a workplace, in a heathen workplace, as most of them are, that you should be a shining light.

[36:25] You should be a testimony for the glory of God. We should be like Paul, who is willing to spend and be spent. It says of Paul that he was poured out like a drink offering.

[36:36] It says in Philippians 2, 17, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. He's talking about really how he should be offered, like an offering, a poured out offering, as a poured out life.

[36:51] Our life should be a poured out life, to be spent, to spend and be spent for the glory of God. He says, I want to be offered, I want to be offered up like a sacrifice for the glory of God.

[37:04] Think about it, how can we put that into practice in our own lives? Will we honour the Lord such that we glorify Him? Or will we just walk in the ways of the world and just be one of the crowd?

[37:16] What about when we're in the pressure cooker of life? Is it the glory that's going to come out? Is it going to be like the tea bag where the hot water brings out something good? When we're in the hot water of life, that we're going to bring out something good, that glory will come out.

[37:31] That when the testing times come, God's glory will still be shining out. Even when the hard times come, God's glory will be reflected. We see that our Lord healed ten lepers in Luke 17, but it says that only one of the ten returned to give Him glory.

[37:46] It says, as He remarked, that only one gave glory to God, one of the lepers of the ten. What about you and me?

[37:58] Do we think about returning the glory to God? What has God done for you? He's ransomed you out of darkness and brought you into His marvelous light. He's taken you out of that hopelessness of a hell-bound life and He's given you liberty.

[38:15] He's given you salvation as a free gift. He's given you a life worth living. He's given you eternity in view and in the present. And yet it says, when some were blessed of the ten, only one returned to give Him glory.

[38:32] Do you give glory to God with your life? Or are you like the nine? They didn't bother to give glory to God. Let's not take the blessing of God for granted. What about us? Do we care to give God the glory for what He's done for us?

[38:46] Do we think about the privilege that we have to be saved people, to belong to Him, to be a purchased possession, to be a vessel, an earthen vessel that's filled with the excellency of His glory?

[38:59] Do we glorify God by living out biblical principles with our lives? Do we live with integrity such that if people really searched and they had hidden cameras they'd see, yeah, He's fed Inca.

[39:12] Seek to please God. Seek His will. To sum it up, glorify God. Glorify God. Where? In the everyday life, whether you eat or drink. In other words, it's that wide, isn't it?

[39:25] It's life wide. It's your whole life. It's all of your life. And it's in the secret life too. Where do you glorify God? In the secret life. So let your fasting be in secret.

[39:37] You're praying. You're giving. So that God gets the glory. Not anyone else sees. God sees. God gets all the glory. God sees you in secret. So glorify God in your work life, in your home life.

[39:51] Be true. Be genuine. Be salt and light. With your neighbours too. And in your church. It's wonderful when you think, as John 17 records, as really, it's truly the Lord's prayer.

[40:06] You know, we know our Father which art in heaven, they call that the Lord's prayer. But really, John 17 is the Lord's prayer. It's the Lord's prayer for us. John 17, he's praying for us. He's saying, it says, to those who will believe on me in the future.

[40:19] He's talking about they may be one. And he's saying here, verse 22, and the glory which they gave us me, I have given them. So there's a sense where the glory of Jesus is given to us.

[40:31] We see the glory of God is given to us. And it says in verse 24, he says, Father, that they may behold my glory. That they may behold my glory.

[40:42] The church of God is meant to be a God glorifying people. The Lord says that his glory, the glory of the Lord is given to us. So when you think about it, this world cares nothing about the glory of God.

[40:56] This world cares nothing about the truth of the gospel. This world cares nothing about salvation. And the majority are doomed and damned. I know we were talking Saturday and there was someone arguing with us, well, if what you're saying is true, then pretty much everybody's going to hell except for only the isolated ones who actually trust Christ as their saviour.

[41:18] And we said, yeah, that's true. That's true. That's what the word says. It says that broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. Many there be that go there out, but narrow is the way that leadeth them to life.

[41:29] Few there be that find it. Friends, we've got the great joy to be amongst the saved. I trust that you are one, that you are the saved tonight, that you can behold his glory, that think of the glory of God, think of the best blessings he's given to you to save your soul.

[41:46] You could be in heathen darkness, you could be far, far away from God, but he's given you that liberty, that joy, that gift tonight. Behold the glory of the Lord and give him all the glory.

[41:58] May you know the glory of God is living temples that he fills. We see Paul talked about how Christ in you is the hope of glory. He talks about the riches of the glory.

[42:10] Think of the riches, what he's given to you. There's great, there's a great treasure trove that you're eternal millionaires in the sense that the riches of his glory is given to you.

[42:22] The one who is the maker of heaven and earth, the one, the father of glory, the one who owns a cattle on a thousand hills, he's your father and he has given you the riches of his mercy, of his grace, of his glory.

[42:39] Shouldn't you praise him? Shouldn't you bless him? Shouldn't you glorify him? And shouldn't you be aware and conscious that Christ in you is the hope of glory? Can you acknowledge him today? We see in Ephesians 3 of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, verse 16, he says that that God would grant you according to the riches of his glory, the riches of his glory.

[43:01] It talks about knowing Christ, that being grounded in him. It talks about the love of Christ. To know the love of Christ. To know the love of Christ, that's the riches of his glory, isn't it?

[43:13] To know his love, to be filled with the fullness of God and it says, unto him, ultimately it says, unto him be glory in the church. Paul prayed about the riches of his glory.

[43:25] He prayed about the church of Ephesus to be strengthened in the inner man by the Spirit. He prayed that Christ might be dwelling in their hearts by faith. He talks about the love of Christ, of the filling of the fullness of God.

[43:38] He talks about the power working in us and he says, he sums it up, unto him be glory, unto him be glory in the church. Friends, we've covered some ground here tonight just in part.

[43:49] There's many scriptures. The glory of God is a theme. It's right through the word. You could see, I don't know how many, many references there are to glory, to glorify. You could do further word study on that theme.

[44:01] Just to wrap it up in capturing where we've come, where we've travelled tonight, he is due glory. He is due glory. Unto him be glory.

[44:12] He's due that glory. And he exclusively is due the glory. The glory is not to be given to another. The glory is to be given unto him. And we are all to do, all to the glory of God.

[44:25] So that our whole life should be in mindfulness of what can I do to give glory to him? Whether I eat or drink, whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

[44:41] We see examples where we can lose the glory. Israel lost the glory. The temple was deprived of the glory. We see Samson lost the presence of God and he didn't even know it.

[44:56] And friends, we can see that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. We can see that we should let our light shine. That men will see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

[45:08] And friends, the good news is even if you're feeling tonight like, wow, that sounds almost too hard to achieve that. That we're saved as his workmanship.

[45:19] We're created unto works. And he's created us such that we'll be changed from glory to glory. And he's called us to shine as lights in the darkness of this world.

[45:31] Friends, I urge you tonight as we just close it here that we'll know he is due glory. And you're the ones who do the giving of that glory unto him.

[45:45] He wants you to be God glorifying people. He wants you to be mindful of the glory of God in every action, whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do.

[45:57] So think of that. When you make decisions for the future, is my deciding doing something for the glory of God or is it not? Is it detracting from his glory? You know, that's a big consideration, isn't it?

[46:09] In every decision we make. Of course, there's manifold decisions where that may not be an aspect, but we think really our whole life should be a living sacrifice unto him.

[46:23] Let us pray. Lord God, we thank you that you are the glorious God and unto you is due all glory from all nations, from every tongue, every tribe, every kindred.

[46:35] We should all be ones that would say, glory, glory, glory be unto you. Unto him, the lamb, unto him be glory. Unto you, Lord, be glory in your church.

[46:48] Help us, Lord, not to miss the boat, to miss the point, to be as some that seem to have lost the glory where the glory has departed and they might have an empty church or a church filled with frivolities and trivialities and no word to speak of.

[47:06] Lord, the glory has departed. Lord, we pray help us to not be such a church. Help us to be a people that will be minded to give you glory.

[47:17] We pray that each one here tonight might know what it is to be saved, that Christ in us is the hope of glory, that Christ in us by faith as we trust you. It says you dwell in hearts by faith.

[47:30] Lord, we pray that each one might have that trust to say, Lord Jesus, you died for me, for my sin. I trust you. I trust you. Lord, we praise you for that, for every heart, every home.

[47:41] Lord, as we go through this week ahead, this year ahead, may it be that we'll do all, do all to the glory of God. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.