Best Gifts Ever - Week 2 - St. Peter - Pastor Bill Monday
Best Gifts Ever
Week 2 - St Peter
Pastor Bill Monday
You guys are the best people that you put up with stuff like that.
Actually, I had a request like, hey would you wear your green suit for a sermon? I'm like, nah, I don't think so and especially not today. Uh, we'll be talking about God's glory and it is overwhelming in a good way. So no need to wear anything. That would be outrageous to try to match that. Uh, in all seriousness, we are taking a look at the best gifts that we find in Christ Jesus and there are no better gifts. And that includes God's glory. God's glory given to you.
What does that mean that you should be an heir of God's glory? Well, we're going to jump into that and that message and uncover that unwrap that from John chapter 1 verse 14 before we do, How appropriate to pray to Lord God give us insight from his word and so let's pray.
Sanctify Us by the truth, O Lord. Your word is truth. Amen.
There's a guy about 400 years ago, named Galileo. And he had the audacity to come along with some scientific evidence and suggest that the Earth is not the center of the cosmos. Can you believe that? Today, that's old news. But 400 years ago, that was pretty offensive. That someone could come along and if you're taking notes just to fill in the blanks right away. To hear from Galileo that the cosmos doesn't revolve around you or me, Earth. That maybe there's something else that's central to all that God created. That was such an offensive message that they took Galileo and they threw him in prison for it.
But as you think about it, I suppose,
Well, some egos were hurt, some authorities were threatened in the day. Because nobody likes to hear that things don't revolve around you, me, us. Maybe as a parent, if you've got a child, maybe you've said that. You know, the world doesn't revolve around you. That's kind of a way to keep people humble. And to keep our focus on what this life and our universe and all creation is about. So if I were to take Galileo's finding and, and put a little spiritual twist to it, Now, you think we would come to this gift that we're considering today? Best gift ever. God's glory. Which is what John is offering up in chapter one, verse 14 as he sets the stage for the good news about Jesus. And so, here's the truth that really well, Galileo discovered scientifically. But in real truth and Grace spiritually in every way in reality,
John would say it this way, the cosmos centers on God's glory.
And I'm drawing that from John chapter 1 verse 14. It's the overarching theme for this series best gifts ever.
Let me just read those words TF, you're new to the series.
John says, The word. And we found in John 1 1. The word was with God in the Word was God. So the mystery of the Trinity beginning to be unraveled to be revealed Says that word which was with God and is God became flesh.
And made is dwelling Among Us. That's Jesus.
Now, John says, as eyewitness, we have seen his glory of the glory of the one, and only who came from the father, and the rest of the Gospel will all be about his glory.
And no one else's.
And how’s that glory, Jesus Christ? God incarnate is gifted to you.
So, by Nature we might not be so comfortable with that message. Although as a Christian people we love the idea. We love God's glory. We often have a saying Among Us to God be the glory. And maybe even sometimes you see Christian athletes. They'll point up to the sky, giving glory to God for whatever they accomplished. As Christians. That's what we like. It makes sense. We recognize all goodness comes from him and yet again by Nature. Wouldn't you agree? Huh.
What kind of gift is this? Where? It's not about me. It's about the gift Giver.
Maybe think of God's glory, in a new way. In a different way to kind of see what I'm getting at. When John is really pointing at
How many of you have ever gotten a gift and you thought
Okay, I don't think this is really, for me, I think this is for somebody else. Maybe as a spouse maybe. If a husband would give his wife a blender,
Where our treadmill? Without being asked, you know, what do you want? That is not, those are not good gifts, don't try it, right? So maybe the wife would say, well, what do you want me? Will you want me to cook for you? Cook better for you? What are you saying by this blender, or about that treadmill? What are you saying? I need to exercise. What is your problem, right? Marital conflict right there or if the wife maybe would give tickets to a show or something that the husband doesn't want to go to. As a night out. Like, oh, yay. Thanks for that. It's for you. Or maybe a new tool which like, “ah” and then, all of a sudden, a honey-do list had multiples. Wait a minute. Is this for me? This is for you.
Or maybe you, you've gotten a gift from somebody. And it's not what you ask for, but it's with a thought you should have. And then you look at it and you're like, I don't even know how this really works.
And you need someone to come along and kind of say, ah, see it works this way. What do you think?
God's glory. If I say that's gifted to you.
That gift among the five that we'll talk about in this series, probably falls in the categories. Like is this really for me or is this about him?
And if it is for me, how does that really work? What does God's glory give to me? Do for me in this life. Or an eternity. Help me understand John. So, John comes along in the scriptures and helps us understand What is this gift? God's glory. What does that mean for us?
To understand that we should take a look at how John defines glory and a couple different respects. And we'll look right to John's eyewitness, testimony of Jesus. Who defines it for well.
So let's get right back to some other aspects as we look to define God's glory. We're going to take a look at John chapter 5 verse 44. Just one way that Jesus himself uses the term glory. Now, in this aspect of John's Gospel, Jesus is in the thick of things in his ministry, he's popular enough. Glory has been given to him and yet it's causing people to be offended. Because he suggesting things like Galileo. Hey it's not about you.
It's about some difference about God's glory. Well, the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day and even the Roman leaders would feel the same way. They wouldn't like what Jesus had to say. So in John 5: 44, Jesus points out the reason.
It has something to do with glory.
Jesus says, “how can you believe? Abide in me. Since you accept glory from one another, But do not seek the glory that comes from the only God.
See how Jesus uses the term glory there.
And the opposition, the enemies of his ministry who would reject him. He's saying look, here's the reason why you won't listen to me believe in me as I offer, God's glory.
It's because you have enough glory of your own and you just keep passing it back and forth between yourselves. When you look at the rest of the gospels and you see the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees, all the religious leaders, and how they operated that it was very much the case. They would pat each other on the back. And their religious discussions and the rebinical teachings and the tradition of the elders and they would say, oh, you're so righteous. No! No, you're so righteous. No, no, you're right. I know I'm righteous. You're righteous too. We're so much better than the regular people, aren't we? I'm being sarcastic a little but put that was the essence. And they were so full of themselves. So full of Pride that they came up with hundreds of more laws on top of gods because God's laws were too easy to fulfill for them. And so they could Lord it over other people and they would give praise and glory back and forth to one another.
Jesus. Had a problem with that.
Jesus had a problem with that because truth be told That kind of Glory does no good. Not in this life, nor in relationship to God. That glory is empty and it fades away man's glory.
So Jesus is offering a greater glory, the glory that alone comes from God, the only kind of Glory that lasts.
All right, we're talking a lot about Glory. Maybe we should Define The Bible's way of this word at least in part. So if you're taking notes, this is how Jesus is using the words Glory glorify.
It's the honor that's dew God. For his work. Which gives way to his reputation.
This is the way I define it for our conference and sympathen eighth grade. When we're talking about the second commandment honoring. God's name is reputation, keeping him first, the first commandment, it's all about protecting his glory. The honor that belongs to him alone, the praise to God alone for what he alone can do. For his reputation, which No one else compares to
In fact, we use that Definition of Glory in our circles, too.
If you think about whoever the goat is, and whatever Sports.
Discipline or whatever, you like, whether it's football or a basketball. If you think Michael Jordan is the goat or LeBron James, or if you think Tom Brady was or, whoever is now
It's to praise that's due to such athletes. Because of what they've accomplished because their reputation.
Which, by the way. That's fading, isn't it? Did you notice that? Tom Brady, he still retired, right.
What good is he now? As far as football goes, What has he done lately? His glory is fading. So so same thing with Michael Jordan or any other celebrities that have come and gone.
Jesus is offering something that's greater and that starts with God. What is God done? And you'll notice that, that never Fades that glory. So we desire to praise Him above all others.
Yet, that is only half of the definition, the rest of how Jesus defines glory actually transcends anything, we know in this life,
There's nothing like it and this is really the heart of the gift that God gives in Christ Jesus. So hopefully I peaked your interest once again, return to Jesus thoughts. And see how else Glory is discussed and defined.
And John chapter 17 verse 5. These are the last words of Jesus before he would well experience the most humiliating form of death on a cross. So, within 24 hours after saying this praying this, he would be in the grave.
Says, real intense. These are last words. Last will and testament of Jesus. He says this and prayer before the disciples, He says, father. glorify me in your presence. With the glory I had with you before the world began.
Now notice that Jesus is not saying, father, Give me some praise.
With a kind of praise. That it had before the world began with you.
That would almost seem like, Jesus kind of a glory hog, almost like he's just one of us a sinner.
Well, we understand what he's really praying for. When you see how Glory is talked about in the rest of scripture.
Jesus in this last prayer before he faces, the most humiliating thing, he could death on a cross, even hell itself.
He's saying father before all of this starts, After it's all over.
Lord gift me.
With this thing glory. That I shared with you before I came into this life in such a humiliated way.
Lord restore to me in flesh and blood as a human being God's son. But son of man, restore to me in this nature. That glory.
She's a thing.
It's not just a word of praise or honor. But it's a thing.
Now that becomes clear too, as we again compile some other passages to see that Jesus is talking about something that he really has to Define. And it's an amazing gift for us. And so in John 11, 40.
Go back a few weeks in Jesus ministry before he made that prayer. Jesus is actually at the grave side of a dear friend, Lazarus. And his two sisters, Mary and Martha are grieving and they're wondering, where were you, Jesus? If you'd been here, maybe my brother would not have died.
So, Jesus starts talking about Glory. He says it this way. He said, To marry and Martha. Did I not tell you? That if you believe you will see the glory of God.
What makes sense to say? Well just you'll see the Praises and honor that's due him.
But actually the thing. From whom or from, which all these amazing things like the resurrection of the dead can happen.
See, it's a thing.
And this is consistent through the rest of scriptures. This is what Isaiah had been talking about when he prophesied. He saw the glory of the Lord. It's what Moses 1500 years before Jesus desired to see to experience. More than just praise and honor, but a thing.
And so go back 1500 years before Jesus and see Moses. He's leading the Israelites out of slavery. Through miraculous Works, which caused us to praise God, the parting, the Red Sea, all these devastating plagues, but a rescuing of a enslaved people That they might be free. After they're taken to Mount Sinai and God makes them his special people by Covenant of the Commandments and so on. Moses is so caught up in the moment so overwhelmed by God's goodness that he says he makes this bold request. He says, Exodus 33.
Show me your glory, I pray.
And God said, I will make all my goodness. It's another word for Glory. I will make all my goodness pass before you but you cannot see my face for no one who sees my face can live.
In other words God says, look, I will cause my glory to pass by you in a filtered way. So that you don't die, Moses. Because any sinner in this sinbroken world that sees my glory cannot live.
Yes, I will show you my goodness. My glory. And that's where he puts him up in a cave and a cliff. And he passes by an always Splendor and Glory Moses sees, God, literally in the Hebrew, the afterparts, it's kind of his backside. Not the fullness of his glory.
See, it's a thing.
And it makes all the difference in the world. And I'm going to show you how practical having God's glory in your life is.
Me too. But first, let's define the other half of what it means to talk about God's glory. We get to find it this way. God's glory is his actual Essence.
Magnificence, unfiltered presence. You see friends. That's what John saw when he said, we saw the glory of the one and only God's Essence in flesh and blood his magnificence.
Yes, somewhat filtered.
We saw them in concrete form. In his name is Jesus.
And so this is what we're receiving.
It's not only all the works that God has done and his reputation, which causes us to give him glory.
But it's the source from which all these things are done. And that is what we're receiving.
So I could say it this way. If we summed up and illustration from the Bible, Psalm 19: 1 and 2 says this.
The heavens declare, the glory of God. The skies is handy work day after day. They pourth forth speech night after night, they reveal knowledge. I don't have to convince you of that we as as people who follow Christ and understand that God is the maker of all things that everything centers on him. When we look at the Mountaintops their majesty, we get a glimpse of the Majesty when we see the sun and all it's brilliance that we can't even look at very long. We get a glimpse of the light. Can you imagine seeing that?
Bear and his strength and eagle and its focus. And I side, we can see God's omnipotent power in a glimmer. We can see his omniscience. And just one of the animals that he created. We can see every tree points heavenward every whip of the wind. It's not a chaotic. It's it's all directed God. God has a purpose. He's moving his creation to something. And at the center is his glory who he is his Essence magnificence. Is unfiltered presence.
So, all the works of creation point us upward.
But then God came down.
That glory.
And he gives us. With his presence.
So I've heard of Define God's glory.
We would say Jesus is God's glory and he's yours. And you are his.
And it's permanent.
That can't be taken away.
That's everything for people who are transitory.
When we consider everything we have in this life, it'll be taken away.
Which causes us again, just clinically define what God's glory is compared to man's? God's glory in Christ Jesus, it's intrinsic. That means it's part of his Essence. Even when he comes born as a baby in a Manger and lives, a terrible horrible impoverished life, and even when he's put up on a cross, You can't take God's glory from him. He is the glory of God. And that glory has a way of taking something as horrific as a cross in making it our salvation.
That's what God's glory does. To people who are defeated who are down and out, you can never lose. If that's gifted to you.
It's quite different than our glory. The glory of man, in a fallen world. It's it's accidental.
In a scientific way, that that's saying that it's not a part of you, that's essential.
In other words, whatever you brag about, or whatever you're praised for, As a sinful broken human being. It's not essential to your nature. It can come and go.
Maybe I could say it this way. Real practically how many of you would like to be a king or a queen? Would you like to be kings and queens? Wouldn't that be kind of cool. Thank you. And I'm just like, yes. I wouldn't mind having some power. I wouldn't mind having some riches and some Fame, some Authority make people listen. And so if we gave you a crown,
In a robe. In each of you got a scepter and we gave you people, that you could rule over. How cool would that be?
But that glory, that is here today, like the flowers in the field looks so beautiful. What about tomorrow?
What about the next day? We take that Crown away, we take your robes away, we take your sceptors away, there's no people for you to rule over and we put you next to some Beggars. And in urine rags.
Glory's gone.
And isn't that what this life is about?
How great are you at work?
How great are you at home?
Who are the people that you admire in this life?
What is their greatness?
Doesn't it all go away?
What lasts in this life?
Holidays are coming up. Our family, we kind of do karaoke. And I I like to think I have a good voice. But my family will say, otherwise, But anyway, I'll sing my heart out and into the out. I'm trying to just get people to go to bed so we can just all go to bed. That's, that's my goal. So I actually say this, sometimes maybe this is a little dark. But if I sing like song of a singer that that's passed away whether it's Elvis or Michael Jackson, that can't believe I sing. I'll do that sometimes. I actually conclude the song where everybody's like their ears is just like holding their ears like oh did he really sing that? Wow, he can't hit those notes at all whatever. So I will actually say well, at least I sound better than they do now.
Yikes.
It is true. Right now, I'm a better singer than Elvis. I'm a better singer than Michael Jackson whomever. There's no longer with us. Where is their glory? And oh, by the way, before I puff myself up too much, where's my glory going to be?
It all ends in the grave, doesn't it?
Except.
Except if God is your glory. If Christ is yours.
And this is where it gets real practical.
This is telling question, do you want Glory that lasts? Friends, do you want to be remembered Beyond this life? Because truth be told if it's just us 100 years. Nobody's going to remember you They might not even remember your children.
They won't remember all that gave us glory and all the praise that we traded with one another.
But in Christ, God will remember.
If you have the glory of God by his grace and you're a dear child of God, then what you do lasts it matters. And this is by proclamation of God. This is the gift of God's glory to you. It's bottled up in Christ and it's yours.
You're no longer like the flowers in the field that are here today, but gone tomorrow.
In Christ. Jesus in him. You matter and what you do impacts eternity and God will remember and that's all that matters.
I'll share with you from scripture. Where this becomes truth. Second Peter 1 4.
Says God has given us is very great and precious promises.
So that through them, you may participate in the Divine nature, God's image his glory,
That you would look more and more like Jesus to finally in heaven.
Some have said it this way when God, the Father looks at you,
9:59 AM
Jesus, he might say, well, what's the difference?
That's the glory that is yours already.
That like Jesus. Now we pray Lord.
Restore to me the glory you shared with Christ before the creation of the world.
Make me shine like you. Forever, Endeavor. Make what I do matter?
He says in Christ, I will
A couple other passages that show this Matthew 25, 40. Daniel 12 3 think of this on the last day because you're in Christ Jesus. Even though you might feel like a beggar throughout your life and wonder from day to day, what's it matter? On the last day God because you're in Christ will say to you
To remember all that you did.
I do.
In my precious son. Well done, good and faithful servant. That little cup of water that you gave to someone the least of these when you were 15. And again, when you were 32, And that person that was sick that you visited in your 40s. And that person that was in prison in your 50s. That you also went you you saw me I don't forget what you do for me.
Well, Don.
You look just like a child of God and that's what Daniel was thinking of.
Daniel chapter 12 3. He says, people who get God's glory, who are wise
Oh, in the end, they're going to shine like the stars forever and ever.
They're going to look just like God.
Because you're participants now in his Divine nature. And that can never fade away.
And that's all because of Christ. His perfect life for you, his death and Resurrection.
How cool is that?
How cool is that? That whatever you put your hands to, in this life, in the name of Jesus, it will last
And you're very soul will too.
Even though we might find ourselves in the grave one day, one day will live forever.
That's God's glory friends.
The best gift ever.
Amen.
