HOW CAN WE GLORIFY GOD?

INTRODUCTION-- Psalm 96:1-9 "Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song: Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth. 2 Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; Show forth his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; But Jehovah made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength. 8 Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth."

1. Another writer of the Psalms said, "I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy lovingkindness is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the skies. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth." (Psalms 57:9-11).
   
   1. But God already excelled in glory. "Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all." (1 Chronicles 29:11).
      
   2. Other Psalms confirmed this.
      
      1. "Jehovah is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens." (Psalms 113:4).
         
      2. "Let them praise the name of Jehovah; For his name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heavens." (Psalms 148:13).
         
2. The question, then, is, "How can I glorify a God, whose glory is already at its peak, and cannot rise any further?"
   

LESSON-- To glorify God is to honor him (both the Hebrew and Greek words carry this meaning).

1. There are some actions which Christians can do to glorify God, directly.
   
   1. The recognition of the mediating services of Jesus, as the Son of God. John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
      
   2. The bearing of fruit for God. John 15:8 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples."
      
   3. The offering of sacrifices of thanksgiving. Psalm 50:23 "Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way aright Will I show the salvation of God." (Compare 2 Corinthians 4:15 "For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.")
      
   4. The unity of brethren glorifies God. Romans 15:5-7 "Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God."
      
   5. Keeping our bodies pure. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20 for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body."
      
   6. Diligent Christian behavior. 1 Peter 4:7-11 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: 8 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: 9 using hospitality one to another without murmuring: 10 according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; is any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
      
   7. By defining our way of life by our name, Christian. 1 Peter 4:15-16 "For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters: 16 but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name."
      
2. Christians can also cause indirect glorification of God.
   
   1. By letting our light shine. Matthew 5:16 "Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
      
      1. In the same context (Sermon on the Mount), Jesus says, "Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 6:1
         
      2. Jesus apparently found the proper way to do this. Matthew 9:2-8 "And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven. 3 And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, and take up thy bed, and go up unto thy house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority unto men."
         
   2. By following the confession of our faith in the Gospel with deeds of benevolence. 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 "For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; 13 seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; 14 while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift."
      
   3. By seemly and moral behavior. 1 Peter 2:11-12 "Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul; 12 having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."
      

CONCLUSION-- Our whole spiritual existence is for glorifying God. Ephesians 1:3 14 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: 5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: 7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trepasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 10 unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say, 11 in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will; 12 to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: 13 in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, --in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory."

APPLICATION-- Which action glorifies God?

1. Seeking closer associations with brethren---or neglecting, forsaking, and being indifferent to them?
   
2. Taking advantage of every opportunity to generate direct and indirect glorification of God---or being indifferent to our opportunities.
   
3. Diligent good works for the Lord---or continual selfish indulgence?
   

APPEAL--Are you satisfied that your life as a Christian abounds to the glory of God?