We talked last week about how frustrating it’d be if you tried to use a lawn mower as a boat motor.
It represents how people might misuse others because they don’t care about the purpose God made for the people in their lives.
We also talked about how we might allow destructive people into our lives because we don’t realize the purpose that we were made for.
We weren’t made to try to satisfy or make others happy.
We were made for God’s glory, just as everyone else in our lives was made for God’s glory.
So, we dove into what it means to Embrace Glorifying God – Part 1
1. Embrace Glorifying God as the Purpose of Everything.
2. Embrace Glorifying God as His Rightful Expectation.
3. Embrace Glorifying God as the Purpose of the Gospel.
The verse of scripture that should cause us to think deeply about this subject is -
* Isaiah 42:5, 8 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it… 8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
I don’t know about You, but I have no plans on going toe-to-toe with God over something He’s made clear He won’t compromise on.
In any situation where I find myself trying to glorify myself, I want to get that right ASAP.
This morning, we have a very creative title,
Title: Embrace Glorifying God – Part 2
Today, we’re turning to what it looks like for Harvesters to intentionally glorify God.
What does it look like for those who know Christ as their Savior and seek to grow in Christ?
Glorifying God with our lives
But this isn’t automatic.
It’s a choice we must make regularly – even moment by moment.
Living to glorify God rather than ourselves is the characteristic difference between what the Bible calls walking by the Spirit or walking by our flesh.
The opportunity that we have to glorify God in any given moment can be represented by this picture.
We have two options: a vending machine and an altar of worship
If you’re unfamiliar with these concepts, I hope you will be by the end of this message.
These s represent the choice that we have as followers of Christ.
They’re also kind of a Harvest thing– this picture is some of what makes Harvest a little different.
I believe they represent why people who visit us on a Sunday find us to be a little different than what they were expecting
The Christ-honoring, self-sacrificing spirit people find when they worship here doesn’t come from Harvesters being a unique group of sweet people.
It doesn’t come from leadership threatening and ensuring everyone is in line.
It doesn’t come from a 6 ft, trim, full-head-of-hair, tanned Adonis of a pastor full of charisma.
Anything of spiritual value that people find in us comes from a people being surrendered to the Lord and living for His glory rather than using people and opportunities to meet our needs.
It comes from living at God’s altar rather than treating life and people like a vending machine.
This morning, we’re looking more at the personal application of what it means to “embrace glorifying Gods”
The first concept that I hope to establish is that you’re called to -
1. EMBRACE YOUR PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING GOD.
Here’s where I want to show that we are saved to bring glory to God.
1 Corinthians 4 explains how it’s the glory of God that brings a person to salvation
And it’s missing the glory of God in the gospel that keeps a person from coming to salvation
Here’s how it describes the person’s salvation in relationship to the glory of God, and it does so by explaining why a person doesn’t trust Christ as Savior.
* 2 Corinthians 4:4–6 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
According to these verses, the unbeliever doesn’t come to salvation because they're blinded.
And they’re specifically blinded to the gospel, which is the glory of God in Christ.
When God does open a person’s eyes, it’s the knowledge of the glory of God in Jesus Christ that they see.
’m pointing this out because it’s easy to think of salvation as a purely man-centered decision.
We look at an eternity in hell or an eternity in heaven.
And we simply decide it’s a no-brainer which place we want to retire to when we die.
Once we decide, we assume it’s time to continue our lives unchanged.
The gospel is about God’s glory in redeeming people who are learning to live for His glory.
And it’s the glory of God that draws people to salvation in the first place.
It’s also the glory of God that we’re called to live for after we’re saved.
we see that we’re called to be offerings of worship for God’s glory in –
* Romans 12:1–2 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The whole gospel message of Romans is to lead us to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices.
This way of living results from God transforming our thinking rather than us being conformed to the thinking of the world around us.
The world around us lives their lives to satisfy themselves and meet their own needs.
But we’re called to live our lives as an act of worship to God and to trust Him to meet our needs.
the of an altar of sacrifice doesn’t come out of left field in Romans 12.
I think there’s no clearer picture of biblical worship than the altar of sacrifice (mainly thinking of a burnt offering).
When someone offered a sacrifice to God in the Old Testament, they would lay something of theirs on the altar, and it would burn up.
And they would trust that it brought God glory.
God has always called His people to worship Him by bringing their offering to Him for His glory.
Illus – [Altar of Sacrifice]
As early as Genesis 4, we find Cain and Abel offering sacrifices of worship to God.
Think of Noah and Abraham bringing offerings of worship to the Lord
I share these to show how even before Israel’s sacrificial system, the altar of sacrifice was a way God was worshiped.
Glorifying God has always been about laying what we have on His altar of sacrifice.
We’ve done this with our voices this morning, lifting them to the Lord as an offering of worship.
And I believe that everything that we have has been given to us to use for God’s glory.
This idea doesn’t mean that we need to give all our money to His gospel work or use our every moment doing evangelism or helping old ladies across the street in Jesus' name.
It means we see what we have as being given to us for God’s glory.
And we allow Him to direct us in how to use it.
So, we’re designed to glorify God by surrendering our efforts and possessions to Him and trust Him to meet our needs.
Do you see God’s glory as the purpose of your life and everything in it?
What is an ability, effort, or treasure that you understand as being given to you to honor God with?
What is an ability, effort, or possession that you think is for your personal use?
Where do you look for security, meaning, happiness, fulfillment, joy, or comfort?
What do you think would make you happy?
On your death bed what do you think would sum up your life as worthwhile?
I assure you that you should be building your life around glorifying God with your time, talents, and treasures.
So, if we’re focused on glorifying God with our time, talents, and treasure, what about providing for ourselves?
The fact is that we all have a lot of God-given needs.
We all need security, appreciation, intimacy, accomplishment, adventure, pleasure/comfort.
And God expects us to pursue meeting these needs according to the boundaries He put on them.
These boundaries come in the form of His commands.
Obeying God with our lives is a significant way that we glorify Him.
Sadly, satisfying our desires can become too important for us.
Or we can become disconnected from glorifying God with our lives.
We know that pursuing these desires becomes a problem if we are willing to sin to satisfy them or sin when we don’t have them satisfied.
So, if we are to embrace our purpose of glorifying God, we must -
2. BE ON GUARD AGAINST EVERYDAY IDOLATRY.
Just as the altar of sacrifice represents biblical worship, every sinful practice could be described as idolatry.
Biblical worship involves offering God our talents, time, energy, and resources.
Idolatry can be summed up as offering these to someone or something in hopes they will meet our needs,
God has always taken idolatry very seriously.
The very first of His 10 Commandments addresses mankind’s idolatrous hearts
We read in –
* Exodus 20:3–4 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved , or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
It’s not hard to understand how an idol could directly contrast with biblical worship.
Instead of offering what we have to God and trusting Him to meet their needs, idolaters provide what they have to an idol, hoping it will meet their needs.
And the scriptures tell us that people pursuing idolatry end up destroying their lives.
Jonah warns that enjoying one’s relationship with God can’t exist with idolatry when he states -
Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
Idols are fickle masters
Their untrustworthy resources for meeting our needs
Jeremiah warns us not to be like the children of Isreal who lost their value in their idolatry
Jeremiah 2:5 Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
1500 years later, the command remained as we can read in -
1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
But were John’s readers tempted to set up a shrine in their homes with little statues in them?
I don’t’ think so.
The Amplified Bible helps us to understand the broad range of what can be a modern-day idol, as it states
“Little children, keep yourselves from from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life.”
Martin Luther states “whatever your heart clings to or relies upon, that is your god.”
And even if it’s not a physical idol in our lives, idolatry is still in total contrast with worshiping God.
As Kyle Idleman states in God’s At War, “Idolatry is the tree from which our sins and struggles grow.”
So, I don’t think any of us has an idol in their home to whom they bow down.
But you probably have a person or an activity you're using for your purposes – hoping they will meet your needs eventually.
the better picture of idolatry isn’t a statue but a vending machine.
What’s your typical relationship with a vending machine?
You're hungry or thirsty.
And you want a little satisfaction even though you’ll pay way more than at the grocery store.
So you look over what you think might satisfy.
Finally, you pull some change from your pocket or swipe your card in the reader with anticipation.
Instead of real satisfaction, you end up with a sugar high or a stomachache
Or (heaven forbid) the snack gets hung up.
So what do you do? – you shake it or pound on the machine
Many of you know where this is going because you know this vending machine illustrates idols in our lives.
They’re people or opportunities that we have decided might meet our needs.
Some make an idol out of their work in the hopes that they will feel successful or appreciated.
Couples make idols of each other, hoping the other person will give them intimacy or security.
A young lady might give herself to a young man, thinking that it will make her secure.
Or she might gossip about others hoping it’ll make her a part of the click.
A young man might lift weights thinking that it will get him noticed by others
Or he might join the locker room talk hoping to find acceptance.
A parent might be anxious or frustrated with their child’s academic achievements
They might feel like all the help they’ve given them should be more appreciated or amount to better grades.
A young lady might choose what she wears, hoping boys will pay more attention to her.
I can remember establishing this principle with my daughters.
While watching TV together, a commercial came on with a scantily clad woman on it.
And I changed the channel.
I asked my daughter what was wrong with the woman's behavior.
I was happy to hear her say, “She’s not using her body for the Lord.”
Honestly, I was probably making an idol of my daughter at that moment as I was feeling very accomplished as a dad.
Understand this: the very same person or effort could be an idol or a situation of making an offering to God.
It all depends on whether we’re approaching it surrendered to God’s glory & purpose or approaching it as an opportunity to meet our needs in that moment.
And when we’re plugging God’s gifts into that vending machine (determined to satisfy our needs), and the needs aren’t met, it’s like that snack that got hung up.
We get angry, feel hurt or used, and get frustrated that we put ourselves out there again without results.
Timothy Keller said – “What you idolize, you will eventually demonize.”
This misuse of others is why couples in whirlwind romances or rebound relationships sadly can end up despising each other.
Each is looking to that other person to meet the needs that only God will meet.
“What you idolize, you will eventually demonize.”
So, What is something that you tend to make into an idol
Food – Are you seeking for it to fill you with satisfaction/comfort that it wasn’t created for?
TV – Are you wasting your time with it, looking for it to lift your spirits in a way that it never could?
I can be this way with Facebook Reels or YouTube Shorts
Friendships – Are you investing in them to be appreciated and loved, hoping that won’t leave you feeling lonely?
Is there someone in your life for whom you’ve been doing what you do to try to make them happy with you?
Answering these questions can help us to Be On Guard Against Everyday Idolatry
Let’s bring these ideas together and understand how we can allow God to change us.
At this point, I want to challenge you to
3. GLORIFY GOD BY SURRENDERING RELATIONSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HIM.
* 1 Corinthians 10:13–14, 31 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry… 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I think it’s neat to see these well-known Bible verses in relationship with each other.
All the temptations that we face have a way out.
That way out involves seeking God’s glory rather than trying to meet our needs.
What the Corinthians are warned about idolatry has a direct connection to the issue of whether they were going to eat meat that had come from the pagan temples.
The Apostle Paul gives them some instruction on it but tells them they are free to make their own God-honoring choice.
And he closes with a profound statement of what truly matters.
And it’s v. 31 - So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
What we do is to be done as an offering of worship to God, trusting that He will meet our needs.
This is different than doing the same for a person, hoping they will meet our needs in response.
In Ephesians 5:1-2 We see this as our example in Jesus
* Ephesians 5:1–2 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Jesus didn’t die just for our salvation, but first and foremost, He gave Himself as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God
Think about it.
In the most consequential event that took place in our world, Jesus was ultimately giving Himself as an offering of worship to God – not for us.
Our efforts being used as offerings of worship also comes up in -
* Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Does this mean that a person doesn’t go to work? – NO
It means they do what their boss says as an offering to God.
Whether their boss appreciates them enough or gives them that raise doesn’t matter.
They do their best for the Lord and leave their needs in His care.
we also see this altar of worship mentality in Paul’s letter to the Philippians thanking them for their support in -
* Philippians 4:18 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
Notice how their efforts are described – an offering of worship to God.
and in 2 Timothy 4 Paul himself described His very life as being poured out to God’s glory -
* 2 Timothy 4:6–7 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The secret to being satisfied at the end of our lives isn’t getting our just rewards but knowing that we’ve treated life as an opportunity to please God with our time, talents, & treasure.
So, at any given moment, you’re either treating people and stuff like a vending machine or an opportunity to worship God at His altar of sacrifice.
Even now, as I preach to you, I can do it for God’s glory or my own.
I can speak to you in the hopes that you’ll worship God or appreciate me.
The difference between the two is a matter of my heart.
How your heart is set determines if I will look to God to meet your needs or plug your efforts into that person or thing to see if I can get your needs me.
And if your frustrated with the person or situation, it’s a sign that you’re in it for yourself rather than for God’s glory.
Like that vending machine you’ve been plugging away, and they're not paying out.
But repentance is possible.
It looks like this –
Seek forgiveness from God for trying to meet your needs by your efforts or by manipulating others.
Turn from living with a heart set on serving yourself and ask God to set your heart on serving Him.
You might think, “JD, it sounds like repenting from idolatry could be a full-time job.”
I don’t know if I’m just a special case.
But I find that, at any given moment, I can think of at least one area in which I can repent and better glorify God.
So Yes, it’s a full-time job.
Or, as Brad Bigney writes, “Detecting and destroying idols is an ongoing battle.”
So, here’s some questions to ask yourself:
Where do you look for security, meaning, happiness, or comfort?
What success or relational win do you believe would make you happy?
At your deathbed, what would make your life worthwhile?
Ultimately, as followers of Christ, we don’t live our lives for what we can get from others.
We’re called to surrender our lives to God as an investment in eternity for God’s glory
What seems like a loss for God’s glory today, can reap an eternity of reward for His glory.
And we won’t regret anything that we offer up to Him today for His glory when we see Him face to face to face.
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