God's Glory Part 2

My motivation for Reading City Church to exist for God's glory is fear. I fear my God. I know that may not be a particularly appealing way to speak of God but if in this moment, you pull out your Bible or click on a virtual one here, and do a search for the words "Fear God," you will see what a crucial aspect this is to our relationship with Him, to our worship, our wonder, our decisions. You will see this in the Old and New Testaments alike. This is not a paralyzing fear that fills our hearts with dread. This is a life-giving, inspiring kind of fear and from it, wisdom is born.

Paul writes of Jesus in Colossians1: 16-17

"By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things hold together."

It is for His Glory that you and I were created (Isa 43:7). Jesus submitted to a human death for God's glory (John 12:27-28). The Holy Spirit poured out God's forgiveness beyond the Jewish people for His glory (Rom 15: 8-9). He acts for the sake of His glory. And in case we miss it, God bluntly proclaims

"For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off...For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another" (Isa 48:9,11). 

King David and his people are dealt with harshly by God because he counted the numbers that made up the army of Israel (2 Sam24). Why? Because he began to take pride in what he thought was his might, as if he built this army. Knowing there will be a price to pay for this action, he cries out to God,

“I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

We see this same idea in God's warning to the Hebrew people as they are getting ready to leave years of wandering in the desert, a time in which they knew of their full dependency of God for their survival. Now they were headed into a land of plenty and God warns them,

"You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant... " (Deuteronomy 8)

And yet, the temptation is very strong indeed for pastors and churches to be deceived and to steal some of this glory ourselves as we begin to take pride in our accomplishments, successes, and notoriety. 

But God will not give or share His glory. He is fiercely protective of this glory. This is a good thing. He is the only One whose motive is pure and is purely good. Humanity of course, contains a great capacity to love but we are, as well, a mix of pride, ego, selfish desire, jealously, envy and deception. Sooner or later, if it is our glory that is at stake, we will make a big mess of things in trying to protect it.

On the other hand when, out of fear of God, we learn  what it means to die to self in order that what we do, we do for His name and glory alone, I find God moves more freely and quickly - knowing that He and not we, will be glorified.