Perspectives Notes - L2: The Story of His Glory
Lesson 2: The Story of His Glory - Michelle Sanchez (1/27/14)Notes by Lana
Part 1: Cat & Dog Theology (Source: UnveilinGlory – Thinking outside of the box)
· Who is the main character? 2 possibilities: God or Man
· If we say God, we still often ask: “What do God get out of us / me?”
· If we say Us / Humanity / People – “What do I get out of this?”
· Both are man-centered
· Statement #1: God is the main character of the Bible & lives to radiate His glory
· Statement #2: The average Christian today says God is the main character, but they live & act as if humanity is the main character & it often replaces God.
Eg. 1 – Why did Jesus Christ come to the earth?
Typical answer: “To die for our sins” – Man-centered
What did God get out of Jesus’ death?
· Glory, honor, praise, worship, obedience
Eg. 2 - What is our primary reason for not wanting people to go to hell?
· So they won’t suffer – Man-centered
· For his Father’s glory – God-centered
3 fold witness/ examples: Jesus, Paul, David
Psalm 30:9 (King David) – What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
· David is far more concerned about God not being praised than he is worried about dying
Romans 15:8, 9 (Paul) – For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that (NOT the Gentiles might not go to hell) / but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy!
Did Jesus focus primarily on us or His Father?
· Jesus endured the cross for the glory of the Father – John 12:27-28: “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, (NOT save these kind, wonderful, worthy people from hell, they don’t deserve it), glorify thy name!!
Doesn’t God love us?
· Why? He loves because He is the most glorious being!
· Romans 11:36 – For from him & through him and to him are all things, to him be glory forever, Amen!
Cat & Dog Theology
Cats | Dogs |
You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God! / It’s all about us! | You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be God! |
God wants to bless me! | I want to bless God! |
God serves me! | I serve God! |
God advances my Kingdom! | I advance God’s Kingdom |
God thinks the world of me! | I think the world of God! |
God lives to make me famous! | I live to make God famous! |
God bless America! | America bless God! |
God is a means to an end! (God’s blessing is more desirable than God!) | God is the end! |
What do I get out of this? | What does God get out of this? |
· Genesis 1 was created, & we were bored……It is like a cancer – always being man-centered!
· Life is not about us, but it’s about God!
Part 2: A Selfish Church
What would it look like if the church were a selfish bride?
· We would come to God not for who he is, but for what he can give us – selfish attitude – like cancer symptoms
Symptoms:
#1. Feel good theology – The Bible is like a fridge – open & pick what you want!
· Psalm 103:11 vs. 1 Peter 2: 20
· Psalm 40:13 vs. Exodus 20:5
· Jeremiah 29:11 vs. Matthew 28:18-20
#2. Get to heaven differently (Different attitudes)
· Cats: “Fire insurance policy” in Jesus – walk away from hell (Relief)
· Dogs: walk towards God (Joy)
· Matthew 13:44
#3. Obedience school
· Cats: God to obey people
· Dog: People to obey God
#4. Quiet times
· Cats: Focus on individual needs
· Dogs: Father how can I reveal your glory in a greater way?
Think about your top 3 prayer list: Is it more about us? Or God’s glory?
#5. Life is supposed to be fair
· Cats: Expect life to be fair
3 Examples in the Bible:
a) Life of Jabez – completed blessed
· 1 Chronicles 4:10 – Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me & enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, & keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. & God answered his prayer!”)
· How did God respond? 2 Tim 3:12
b) Young Girl (2 Kings 5:1-15) - made to live through hell in order to touch a gentile’s life
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels[b] of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.”
c) Stephen (Acts 6-7) – one man stoned to death
Acts 7:57 – At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.
Acts 6:8
· Which life is fair? It is the wrong question to ask
· Life was designed to be a series of opportunities to point to & radiate & reflect God’s glory
· All 3 lives glorified God!
· Whatever life throws at you, God wants to use it for His glory!
· Life was never designed to be fair, but life was designed to be a series of opportunities to radiate & reflect God’s glory. When we truly grasp & understand this, we won’t have to worry.
#6. Worship
· Cats: Worship God primarily for what he has done for them, secondary for who he is
· Dogs: Worship God primarily for who he is, secondary for what he has one for them
· Think through your favorite worship songs: Is it God centered or man-centered?
Conclusion:
· Most of what a cat knows is not incorrect but it is incomplete! - Deut 4:2 “Do not add to what I command you & do not subtract from it (in this case, the “for the glory of God” is being subtracted)
· There are 2 parts: God’s glory is revealed as God loves us & wants to bless us (We often cancel out the 1st part & only dwell on the 2ndpart!)
Step into the story of His glory
Christ’s Life Purpose
· How did Jesus state his life purpose? John 17:4 – “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
· Would you be interested in doing what Jesus did & accomplishing what Jesus did?
· Passion – ultimately comes when we understand the great story that we are in, which is for the glory of God!
Beginning at the End: Glory & Worship
A) Glory – What it is & how it flows
· God revealsHis glory to all nations in order to receive glory from all nations.
· God reveals His glory…….People are saved to serve God in worship……..to receive glory from all nations
B) Worship
Psalms 96: 1-6 (The beginning) – Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary”
Psalms 96: 7-11 (The end) – “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it”
· Missions is not the ultimate goal. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t.
· Worship is the fuel & goal in missions It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.
Biblical Aspects – For His Name & Glory
1. The faith family – This is My Name Forever
· Genesis 12:1-3 – Blessed to be a blessing
· What is Abram’s first at in response to the blessing He worships God! Gen 12:8, 13:4)
· Even better: Blessed to be a blessing to be a blessing
2. The Great Display: A people for His Name
· At the Exodus God distinguished His name from all other gods (Exodus 9:1, 13, 15, 29)
· God exalts the Hebrews before the age of the nations in open covenant (Exodus 32-33)
3. The Great Display: A place for His Name
· Solomon’s prayer – 1 Kings 8:15-21, 41-43
· The nations begin to come – 1 Kings 10:1, 5, 7, 9
4. The Great Delay: The Profaning of His Name
· Idolatry: A great profaning – 1 Kings 11:1-9
· The Exile: God’s jealous persistence for His glory – Jeremiah 17:30
5. Surpassing Hope: A later greater glory
· Prophetic vision for His glory – Amos 9:9, 11-12, Psa 86:8-9, Isa 56:6-8, Malachi 1:11
6. The Great Surprise: New Hope in the Name of Jesus!
· Phil 2:9-11
7. Your life on purpose: “For the sake of the Name” – Going & sending for His glory & kingdom
· 3 John 1:7 – “It was for the sake of the NAME that they out….”
· Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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