FIRST SUNDAY - WHAT IS GOD’S GLORY? Ezekiel 10:4, Exodus 33:7-19, Psalm 19: 1-6, John 1:14, Hebrews 1:3

“What is the chief end of man?” - The Shorter Catechism asks. The answer given was, “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever”. With this, we shall look at the “What?” of the Glory of God. The CAMACOP vision statement states, “We envision transformed communities with mission-driven Christian congregations here and abroad for the glory of God.” In other words, we affirm that all that we are, all that we have to do, whatever we have accomplished as a denomination, is all, for the glory of God. Glory is used in a variety of ways in the Scripture. We could look at the meaning of the word “glory” as a verb and as a noun. The verb “to glory” carries two general meanings.

1. To glory : “to delight in” The Scripture says, “Glory in His holy name” (Psalm 105:3). This word means, “to take pleasure in”, “to delight in”.

2. To glory : “to take pride in” But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD” . (2 Cor. 10:17)

Thus says the LORD : “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me.” (Jer. 9:3). These verses declare that our only boast is that we understand and know God. We glory (boast) in God.

These are the two general meanings of “glory” as a verb. Let us look at the 3 possible meanings of “glory” as a noun. I – GOD’S Glory refers to “honor and praise and reputation of God Himself”. Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the Lord; this is my name; and my glory I will not give to another; nor my praise to carved images”. God will not share the honor and praise of His name with anyone or anything. This is the most common usage.

Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!

The earth is full of natural beauty, which declares the honor and praise of God without cessation. It points to the greatness of God as Creator. It declares the reputation of God Himself. It calls for His praise and honor, and therefore, it demands worship from His creations.

Illustration: (the Wonders of God’s Creation we have seen that point to the

Creator, enhancing worship.) Psalm 19: 1- 4 – God is able to reveal Himself to all men, no matter what their race, heritage or location. II – GOD’S glory refers to “Endowment of blessing, power and life.” “Glory” is used to describe the awesome power of God. It is God’s infilling power. Isaiah 58:8 – “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear, then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” Thus, Glory of God is described as a power, which will protect God’s people. He is the “rear guard”. He marched with them during the exodus journey. He is the God that “heals” and “forgives”. Healing here refers to “spiritual restoration”, the wholeness of life. These blessings of power and life, in the context are the result of fasting and repentance. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself can share this kind of Glory to the believers. John 17:22 – “and the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one.” Jesus said He has given His glory to us as an enabling power that will produce true unity among believers. Endowment of blessing - endowment of power - endowment of life The principle of God’s blessing is that God could not manifest His blessing and glory to a people who don’t practice godly spirituality. The world is passing by the Church. Why? They don’t believe that God is in His Holy temple. God is saying, “I can’t manifest myself because of your lives.” How many of us are blocking the endowment of God’s glory? III – GOD’S Glory refers to “the heavenly dimension of His beauty that emanates from His character. This is changeable with the word “heaven”. Heaven is a place of glory. It’s the beauty of His character. It is manifested in all His attributes. It never passes away. It is eternal.

“You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory (heaven) – Psalm 73: 21.

Illustration: Just as the sun radiates energy and light, God exudes glory. God is such a dynamically blazing inferno that the radiation of His person is called glory. It is the tangible manifestation of the infinite beauty and splendor of His magnificent face.

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was

manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (heaven) – 1 Timothy 3: 16.

God’s Glory is the ultimate reality. It is the tangible splendor of His face. Conclusion What is our concept of “worshipping” the Lord? Through Isaiah, God said that true worship is not just a weekly ritual, but a daily lifestyle. It begins in a house of prayer, but it ends up in the market place. “God cannot be expected to shower his glory on His people as long as they withhold service from others.”