John 12:27-28 “Now is my soul troubled. And

what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this

purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a

voice came from heaven: I have glorified

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake

of your steadfast love & your faithfulness!

God’s Chief Concern?~

Isaiah 48:11 & 42:8~

His own glory – He is most taken with being God & all that means.

I. Review – opening statments1. You can break a rule, but you

can’t break a principle.  However, if you fail to observe a principle, you can & will break yourself against it.

2. If we wait to develop a theology of crisis till our crisis needs a theology you will not have a theology when crisis comes

I. Review – opening statments3. What is theology?

A system of thinking about God

Every definition of God we hold to has to be true for every age &

every station & circumstance of life

I. Review – opening statments4. God is most glorified in us when

we are most satisfied in Him 5. When He is all we have we will

find He is all we need 6. For He is working for our good &

His glory.

I. Review – obvious statements1. If God’s greatest concern is His

own glory – There will never be a mistake in history or your life.

2. If God is God & the only one worthy of glory then if He were to have any greater concern than that glory He would be an idolater.

I. Review – obvious statements3. If God’s glory is the aim of the

universe’s existence then we have no greater security.a.History serves Godb.Christ came to glorify the Fatherc.Forgiveness flows from this truthd.Your good – His glory is the goal

e.Eternal security rests heref.Our personal worth rests here.

I. Review – revealing statements1. To show us He cares2. To tell of Himself & salvation3. To tell us all of life works for His

glory4. To tell us past – present &

future’s being worked to that end 5. To affect how we view ourselves

& God

I. Review II. Reasoning

Exodus 20:3“You shall have no other gods before

me.

Isaiah 2:22Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is

breath, for of what account is he?

Isaiah 40:15, 17Behold, the nations are like a drop from

a bucket, & are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the

coastlands like fine dust…. All the nations are as nothing before

him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing & emptiness.

Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man

who trusts in man & makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from

the Lord.

Psalm 146:3Put not your trust in princes, in a son of

man, in whom there is no salvation.

Romans 8:29To be conformed to the image of His

Son.

I Corinthians 10:31Doing all to His glory.

Matthew 5:16That they may see & glorify God

I. Review II. ReasoningIII. Reverence

Isaiah 37:35For I will defend this city to save it, for

my own sake & for the sake of my servant David.

Isaiah 43:25“I, I am he who blots out your

transgressions for my own sake, & I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 48:9-11“For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I

have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my

name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

Job 38:1-3

Job 40:1-9

Job 42:1-6

Isaiah 57:15For thus says the One who is high &

lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high &

holy place, & also with him who is of a contrite & lowly spirit, to revive the

spirit of the lowly, & to revive the heart of the contrite.

I. Review II. ReasoningIII. ReverenceIV. Responses

If God’s chief concern is His own glory then it will remove all doubt as to

His sovereign guidance of all events & it tells us who is in charge

Romans 9:19-24Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding?

Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”

When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same

lump of clay to make one jar for decoration & another to throw garbage

into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger & his power, he is very patient with those

on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.

He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to

whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we

are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews & from the

Gentiles.

2 Timothy 2:20-21Now in a great house there are not only

vessels of gold & silver but also of wood & clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if

anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for

honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for

every good work.

We are rewarded not for what we didn’t do we couldn’t do – but for what we did with what we had in the place

we were placed.

Many vessels

One Potter

Some of gold & silver – Some of wood & clay

Proverbs 16:4The Lord has made everything for its

purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Lamentations 4:2The precious sons of Zion, worth their

weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a

potter’s hands!

Isaiah 29:15-16Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, & who say, “Who sees us? Who

knows us?” You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as

the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or

the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

Jeremiah 18:1-11

~He is the Potter – we are

but clay

Isaiah 29:15-16Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, & who say, “Who sees us? Who

knows us?” You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as

the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or

the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

I. Review II. ReasoningIII.ReverenceIV. ResponsesV. Reactions

"Not the victory but the action. Not the goal but the game. In the deed

the glory."

I. Review II. ReasoningIII.ReverenceIV. ResponsesV. Reactions

"Not the victory but the action. Not the goal but the game. In the deed

the glory."

Proverbs 18:1Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound

judgment.

Proverbs 19:3When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.

Ezekiel 33:17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own

way that is not just.

Psalm 10:6, 11He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I

shall not meet adversity.” …He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

James 3:14-16But if you have bitter jealousy &

selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast & be false to the truth. This is not

the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual,

demonic. For where jealousy & selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder &

every vile practice.

James 1:5 & 3:17-18If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask

God, who gives generously to all without reproach, & it will be given

him…. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy & good fruits, impartial & sincere. And a harvest of

righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

When God is all you have left – you will find that He is all you need

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.