The Committed Christian: Bringing Glory to Our Savior. John 13:1-32 – Matthew 5:13-16 – Bible study

The Committed Christian
Bringing Glory to Our Savior

John 13:1-32 – Matt. 5:13-16

by Cooper Abrams

“Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I willexalt thee.” (Psalms 118:28)

INTRO: It is impossible to even begin to scratch the surface in trying to describe the glory of God.

1. Some small inkling of His greatness and glory is seenlooking at his creation our Universe.

a. Many people think there are other populated worlds, and scientistshave a program of sending messages’s into space seeking to hear some message from extra-terrestrials.

b. However, suppose there waslife in space. If we tried to communicate with them, and our communicationstraveled at the fastest speed in the Universe, it would take 100s of yearsto reach the nearest stars, 1000s of years to reach moderately distant starsin our galaxy the milky way and millions of years to reach even the nearergalaxies.

c. On the other hand, the smallestthings in the Universe I read somewhere was a sub-atomic particle calleda “quark”. Trillions could be placed on the point of a pin.

d. Our God made the vastness of the Universe, and the minuteness of the quarks. Certainly our Creator is a the greatand powerful God.

2. The word “Glory” is the Greek work:”Doxa”

a. Means: Brightness, splendor,radiance.
b. Furtheris means, the majesty, sublimity, splendor and might and power of God.
c. The God of this Universeis a lot greater than most people think.

3. It should also be our motive, theme,goal, reason, and purpose to glorify our God and Jesus Christ our Savior,in all that we do.

The glory of the parent, or honorof the parent is many times show in their offspring. When the parent seesthe son or daughter make some achievement in life, they are honored and glorifiedin their accomplishment. I have often watched the face of a parentwhose child made some achievement.

So God is pleased and gloried when the Christian lives a righteous and faithfullife.

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by JesusChrist, unto the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11)

A parent is dishonored and shamed by the misconduct of their children. Manyis the mother and father, live their lives in heartache and shame, becauseof the bad deeds of their children. Many a godly mother and father, crythemselves to sleep and often go to an early grave worrying over a child gonebad. They desire only the best for the child they worked so hardfor and sacrificed to raise them the best they could, and yetofthena child showsonly contempt for his parents by living an evil and immorallife. The glory and honor of a parent is in the satisfaction of seeing their sons and daughters being successful in life. I believe it is the same with the Lord. He is honored by the obedient believer who accomplished His will for their life.

How many times, have I seen theshame in the face of a parent, when ask about their children and they areembarrassed by the answer to the simple question.

4. So it is also when the child of God,lives a life that does not bring honor and glory to God.

The fact is that the majority of God’s creationdoes not honor Him, or in any way glorify Him. On the contrary, they arein rebellion and sin and show forth no glory of their Creator. To lookat the average man in the world today, you would have no idea of the greatestand glory of our Creator.

I. God is glorified in the Son. John 13:31

A. No greater act of love could God show for man inthat He came to earth, took the form of a man, suffered all the shame ofbeing rejected. And then being crucified by his own creation! Yet, God’s Glory is made perfectly clear in that He, never turnedor was deterred by man’s rebellion and gross sin, in spite of it—–He wentwillingly to the Cross, to save His rebellions creation man.

B. The greatest purpose of man in Creation wasto reflect the Glory of our God, and to live our lives show honor and gloryto Him.

C. The reason for this? Because He is deservingof our glory, because He is all majesty, power and greatness.

1. He is good–to love Hisrebellious creations.
2. Read:II Thess. 1:7-12.
V7. The Thessalonians were being pledged with false teachings concerningthe day of the Lord and the coming judgment.
V8. Paul says the day of judgment will come andall God’s glory and strength will be made clear to them that reject Him asSavior.
V9.They who reject Christ, will be forever damned to be excluded from the presenceof the Lord and all His glory.
V10.. Yet those who trust Him as Savior accept Him astheir Lord and God, will be gloried. We will be a witness to the glory ofGod, and his greatness.
V11. Because they believed in Christ, V11 says the childrenof God will be experience and fulfill the goodness of God and the work offaith and power.
V12 WHY? Why does God do all this? That God will be gloriedin the persons who is saved by God’s Grace.

D. One of the clearest truths the Scripturesteach is that a Child of God is to live his or her live to show forth theGlory of God.

1. The lost man orwoman who rejects the mercy and Grace of God, is not a credit to God anddefames Him. God is Holy and righteous, yet the man who refused God’sfree gift of forgiveness, so much as spits in the eye of God.

2. Satan would desire that a man be fooled into thinking that if he does some work, some rite or ritual that satisfies God and merits him a place in heaven. Nothing if further from the truth. God sent his Son to Save men FROM sin! Not to white wash it, ignore it, condone it, but to destroy it and remove it from a person’s life.

The true child of God who truly believes is faithful andfights sin in his life. No man can receive the Grace of God and redemption and remain in satisfied ina life of sin. It is completely contrary to God’s holiness and Righteousness that the Child of God receive the Grace of God and live in sin as he did before. Hebrews 12:4-13 plainly teaches the truth that God chastens His children when they sin in order that they overcome sin. 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 and 1 John 5:16-17 clearly teach that if one of God’s children refuses to repent and continues in sin that God will take his life to stop his rebellion. He is saved, but he will lose all reward at 1 Corinthians 3:15 states.

Eph 6:5:6….we are not to be men pleasers So many want all the blessing and salvation of God and yet want to continue to get all the world has to offer.

II. The Conclusion; God wants all to be saved and all to glorifyHim.

A. Philippians 2:9-11… Thisa real event that will happen in time! All shall bow and confessthat Jesus Christ is the very son of God, to the glory of God the father.Some intheir lives as they believe and acceptGod’s grace and salvation.Sadly some will box their knee before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Great White ThroneJudgment. They will be justly judged by their works and then cast alive intothe eternalLake of Fire. (Rev. 20:11-15)

B. So many Christian also today, live lives withseemingly little commitment or even concern to live as Christ would directthem.

1. Being faithfuland obedient to the Word of God today is not important to many.
2. There is a feeling thatone can be saved and receive God’s Grace, and after that everything elseis optional!
3. Hebrews 10:25.. Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together…YETmany are unfaithful in attending church. Everything else comes first.
4. God commands usto give generously to the work of God, yet few do. We look at our bank accounts,write a small little sum and think we have pleased God. Yet the Scripturesare clear, God only receives that which comes sacrificially from the heart.
5. Matthew 28:19-20,All Christians are commissioned to tell the good news of the Saving Gospelof Christ, yet few ever, some never tell others about God’s Son and HisGrace.
6. I Cor.4:2. “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”

Yet, many feel like it is someone else who should do the work of the Lord. Many is the time I hear the words ” Well, its time someone else do this or that”. Or I’m tired and I need a rest., etc. They fail to read Ephesian 4:1-16 which clearerstates that God gives every child of His a talent to be used in servingthe Lord. In verse 1 admonishes believers to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.Every believer is called of God to live a godly life of service.

What if your preacher did that, a preacher is called of Godfor a particular service, and he is to be faithful to that calling, yearafter year for a lifetime. Yet, everyone in the church according to I Cor.12, is given talents to use in their service to the Lord in the church and theirdaily lives, and many never even seek to see what the talent is.

Many feel its a short term affair. We need someone inthe nursery, every service and meeting and all could do it. It may not benice or easy, and yet it needsto be done. We live in an area where there aremany children, parents are lost and it would be a better situation he theycould come and listen undisturbed to the service.

C. Wishing someone else willdo the job, is of no value.

1. Be willing to do what is necessary yourself. Some have been critical as to whywe don’t have better youth programs and etc. They have grand plans for USto do, yet folks you can’t do these things if folks are not committed tothe Lord and faithful to the church and its activities.
2. It takes everyone, committed and dedicated working to together to the common goal to Glory our Lord and God, and faithfully doing and seeking His will in all things.

Question: Will you do it? Will you glorifyChrist by your life ? If someone saw the way you live could they seeChrist in you and desire to have him too? Do your realize thereare those who are watching you.

(This message preached March 10, 1996)

Revised 9-18-2007

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