Glorify God
The Bible says we are to give glory unto the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:28-29): Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
But how do we give glory to God? I mean those of us who are followers of Jesus praise God, worship Him, pray to Him, obey the Lord and tell others about how great and faithful our awesome God is. Yet, how do we give glory to God? He is the glorious One. How do we give glory to the all glorious God the Father?
Best Way To Glorify God
The best way I know how to give glory to God is to tell others about Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus was glorified in His suffering, death, burial and resurrection. Please listen to the following Bible verses: And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
If any man serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serves me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spoke to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides forever: and how do you say, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes (John 12:23-35).
God Glorified His Name And Would Do So Again
God had glorified His name through the miracles that Jesus performed, through the miraculous conception of Jesus with the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary. Furthermore, God was going to glorify Himself again by Jesus taking on the sins of the world as He hung on the cross.
Not only in Jesus’ death and burial was God glorified, but also through His resurrection. God was glorified by raising Jesus from the dead after three days. God is glorified by Jesus Christ the Lord. Jesus also said that He would draw all men unto Himself. It all points to the cross. God poured His anger out over sin upon His own sinless Son while Jesus hung on the cruel cross.
You either repent and surrender your life to Jesus, thereby nailing your sins to the cross or you still bear the guilt of your sins. Either way brings glory to God. Your repentance and trust in Jesus brings our risen Lord glory and God the Father glory or if you die in your sins, your eternal punishment will bring glory to Jesus Christ the Lord and to God the Father. They are that Holy! Even suffering forever and ever never repays one little white lie, let alone all your sins. But your suffering the righteous wrath of God brings God glory and also brings Jesus Christ glory.
Glorify Your Son
John 17:1-6: These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gave them me; and they have kept thy word (John 17:1-6).
Jesus says Father God, glorify Me that I might glorify you. Folks, it isn’t about you or me. Yes salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone, but the cross is really between God the Father and God the Son. The Father asking the Son to be obedient unto death, even death on the cross and Jesus the Son being obedient to Father.
The Father And Son Glorify Each Other
They both glorify each other. The sinless Son of God dying as the perfect sacrifice for guilty sinners was a transaction between the Father and the Son. The benefit of that transaction is eternal life for those who repent from their sins and surrender their lives to Jesus. Eternal life is knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. How do you know God? You only know Him, really know Him when you repent and submit your life to the Lord Jesus.
Without repentance and faith there is no salvation. Those who have never done this do not know God no matter how much they think otherwise. We’ve heard some crazy stories from people how God spoke to them through nature and various other methods. But God speaks to us through His word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Jesus is the Word. The Lord Jesus is grace and truth. He is the light of the world. Yes, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Come to Jesus tonight – through repentance and faith in the Lord.
The very best way to glorify God is to lift up Jesus Christ the Lord. Folks the problem is that we’ve all sinned against God. All sin is rebellion against God and He is so Holy that He cannot look upon sin in His glory. God is Holy, righteous and just. Because He is Holy, He must punish sin. God punished sin in the past, He punishes sin today and He punishes unrepentant sinners for all eternity.
Only Eight Souls Were Saved
Think about it, only eight souls were saved from the world-wide flood. Only eight! I’ve heard conservative estimates that there were probably around 3 million people on the earth at the time of the flood. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. The whole time he and his sons built the ark, Noah was witnessing to people. Instead of repenting from their sins and believing Noah that God was going to pour out His righteous judgment on mankind, they laughed at Noah instead. The laughed him to scorn.
Oh, but you better believe there was no laughing as people were pounding the ark, begging Noah to let them in when the torrential rain poured down. But you see Noah couldn’t have let them in even if he had wanted to because God shut the door. Noah built the ark per God’s instructions, but God shut the door. What God shuts, no man can open. Jesus is the ark, He is the only way of salvation, but you have to come to Him while the door is open. Once you die in your sins as an unrepentant sinner, it will be too late. The door of salvation will be closed to you forever.
Yes, God punished sin in the past and He still punishes sinners. Some people mistakenly think that God was a God of wrath in the Old Testament and a God of love in the New Testament. If you read the Old Testament, you see both God’s love and His wrath. God wiped out every single human being and all of the animals except for those aboard the ark. That one act shows both God’s righteous anger over sin and His amazing love to provide the way of escape for Noah, his family and the animals on the ark.
God’s Love And Wrath In The New Testament
In the New Testament, God showed His love by sending His only begotten Son to suffer in the place of guilty sinners that repent and trust Jesus. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Again, it shows God’s hatred toward sin and His wonderful love. But please know that Ananias and Sapphira were killed by God for telling a lie. For telling one single lie!
All unrepentant sinners that have died since Adam and Eve walked the earth, are suffering the torments of eternal damnation right now. In Luke 16:19-24, Jesus says the rich man died, buried and in Hell, lifted up his eyes saying that he is in torments in this place. The rich man will be tormented for all eternity. God hates sin, but please notice that it isn’t the rich man’s sins being punished in Hell. No, the rich man is suffering eternal torments for his sins. He is suffering God’s righteous wrath and will do so for all eternity. God will punish unrepentant sinners forever – that’s all rebellious sinners.
God’s Great Mercy And Grace
Oh, but God in His great mercy and grace offers eternal life to those who repent from their sins and surrender their life to Jesus. You don’t have to die in your sins and go to Hell. You can be saved. Jesus came to save His people from their sins. The Lord Jesus also said that His sheep hear His voice. Do you hear the Savior calling tonight? If not, this sounds like foolishness to you. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
But if God is drawing you to Himself, if He is convicting you tonight over your sins, your lying, cheating, stealing, lusting, coveting, blasphemy, sexual immorality, don’t reject such a great of salvation. Recognize that you are a sinner and your sins have offended the great God of Heaven and earth. Your sins have separated you from God and you have made yourself an enemy to Almighty God.
Admit that you are sinner; cry out for God to save you. Repent from your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Confess the Lord Jesus with your lips and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.
What Does It Take To Go To Hell?
We’ve all sinned against God. The soul that sins, it shall die. You can’t change that. What does it take to go to Hell? Absolutely nothing. Just keep barreling down that broad path to destruction that you are traveling on. If you die in your sins, if you die with Jesus being your Lord and Savior, you will suffer the flames of Hell for all eternity.
But God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Even though each and every one of us have sinned against God, Jesus never did. He never lied, stole anything, lusted or coveted. Jesus always did the will of God the Father. Yet, He was bruised for our iniquities, by His stripes we are healed. Jesus paid the sin debt that He did not owe. He took the punishment of guilty sinners. God poured His anger over sin upon His own sinless Son. Jesus died, was buried and rose from the grave the third day.
Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan and God offers eternal life to each and every person that repents from their sins and surrenders their life to Jesus. Is God drawing you through the power of the Holy Spirit. If so, repent and believe the Gospel. Call upon the name of Jesus and be saved. All Heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents and trusts Jesus. Submitting your life to King Jesus is a perfect way to glorify God.
(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on August 3, 2018)