sermon 3rd jan 2010

1 Corinthians 10:31
“A Verse to Live by in ‘10”
INTRO
I took a bike tube in to halfords to replace this week
-only to find that my tires were also in bad shape
-and once they checked out the bike—the brakes, the chain, the ….,
the cables, all needed replacing
-I asked if there was anything that looked good—they said—the frame is
fine
We may not be in such desperate shape tonight
-but the NEW YEAR is a moment to ask—
-what needs replacing?
-what needs to be checked? Adjusted?
-what explains some of my losses?
-what will make my life more profitable?
-what will insure that in this new year I will seize the opportunities—rather
than squander the days?
-maximize my moments—rather than waste my life?
-these are the kind of questions we need to periodically ask ourselves
-for one of the common definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over and expecting different results
-the turn of a year is a good moment to re-evaluate, reconsider, reexamine
-are there things I keep doing the same way—hoping the results will be
different this next year?
-when what I need to do is readjust
-rethink strategy—modify the armor—REBOOT
There’s no better strategy laid than the one Paul mentions in I Corinthians 10:31
-a verse that if lived out—will insure this will be a year that counts—a year
of SUBSTANCE—SIGNIFICANCE
(read)
-the language tells us it is a summary statement—in this case is pulling
everything together that has been said up to this point
-“whatever”—is translated the same in every language
-there is no more all embracing term—in Greek or English language
-from the ordinary (eating) to the extraordinary
-from the humdrum to the highlights
-changing a bike tire—changing a career
-entering a petrol station to entering a relationship
-size has nothing to do with it--do anything, everything with a view to
enhancing God’s reputation
This is God saying—I want to be in every part of your lives
-there is no division of spiritual and secular
-glorify Me in your worship—in your recreation
-when you share the gospel—when you share your frustrations
-when you bake a cake —or a move—or make love
-and if there is something we do that cannot be done for the glory of
God—THEN IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE!
-10:31 is a summation of life because living to showcase God is the
purpose of our lives—the essence of our existence
-the Bible makes this unmistakably clear
-we were made by God—for God--prepared in advance for His glory—
Romans 9:23
-this is the reason behind everything, everyone God creates
-God’s deepest purpose is to fill creation with reverberations of His glory
-God created the universe—to showcase His glory—Psalm 19:1
-to bring us to a place of awe
-Piper— “The reason for ‘wasting’ so much space on a universe to house
a speck of humanity is to make a point about our Maker, not us.”
-but this is language largely foreign to us
-living to glorify God is not our natural inclination
-the adversary’s principle strategy is to blind us to His glory—orient us towards our own!
-2 Corinthians 4:4—the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ
-sin has caused us to come short of His glory—Romans 3:23
-and this explains why we are so dysfunctional—messed up—and why so many lives are wasted
God’s salvation is concerned with restoring our sight
-when we behold the glory of God, we are changed into His likeness—2
Corinthians 3:18
-and in this healing—this metamorphosis
-we enter back in to what we were created for—to be the glory to God
-back into what we were created to do—lift high His name, extend His fame, enhance His reputation, display His excellence, MAKE VISIBLE HIS
MAJESTY!
-but what does this mean exactly?
-how do I glorify God when I am shopping at tesco—standing in line at
the bank?
-glorifying God has always been vague to me
-Piper uses an illustration that moves it from the abstract to the concrete
-to glorify is to magnify—there are two ways to magnify
1. We can magnify like a MICROSCOPE
-but microscopes make something small into something bigger
-and thinking this is what it means to magnify God is very wrong
-God does not need us to make Him bigger than He is
2. We can magnify like a TELESCOPE—and that fits—for this is what
telescopes do—
a. telescopes make something immense look more and more like it
really is
b. telescopes bring into clearer detail what is otherwise a blur
c. telescopes bring something that seems so far away appear so much closer
When we magnify God—when we glorify God—we are doing the same thing
a. a-we make Someone unimaginably great look more and more like
He really is
b. b-we bring into clearer detail a Person who can otherwise seem to
be a blur
-our lives help people see the features, the particular characteristics of God that are otherwise missed
c. we bring Someone who seems so far away so much closer,
tangible to someone’s life
Here’s how it works—when we look into the telescope of His word—we see this about God—
1. He is boundless in HIS WISDOM
-there is a depth to it that is deeper than the deepest shaft into the earth—Job 28:14
-His understanding is infinite—too vast to comprehend
-in fact—He is understanding—Proverbs 8:14
-hence—He never needs our counsel or advice
-we glorify Him when we make His wisdom look more and more like it really is
-when our lives take in His wisdom—the result of a pursuit (Proverbs 2)
-and receiving it—live lives that are wise—rather than foolish
-lives that are filled with the insights, understanding, discernment He imparts to us
2. He is boundless in HIS WEALTH
-His riches are unfathomable-Eph 3:8
-reading God’s portfolio would be to look at a document whose numbers go beyond the paper that could ever be printed
-it is like looking into a vast and endless warehouse—a Costco with no walls
-His wealth is a reservoir so deep that soundings cannot reach the bottom
-we glorify God when we make His wealth look more and more like it really is
-when we live lives that declare—our God has no needs
-when we pray prayers that declare—our God’s resources can never be exhausted
-when we treat everything as if it is His—because it is!
-when we live in a manner that says to others—what do I have that has not first come from Him?
3. He is boundless in HIS JUDGMENTS
-He is none other than just in all His ways—too just to do anything unfair
-everything He does is right—even when it is hard to understand
-He is a Judge who maintains the cause of the afflicted—who will right the wrong in the perfect moment
-we glorify Him when we make His justice more and more like it really is
-we “telescope” Him when our passion for justice reflects His passion—and people see it
-we magnify Him when we protest against injustice—when we take evil very seriously
-stand with the oppressed and afflicted
-when we extend fairness to others in the workplace
4. He is boundless in HIS POWER
-there are no limits to His might
-He does whatever He pleases—Psalm 115:3
-He never runs out, burns out—never wears down
-we glorify Him when His power appears more clearly than it does—
when we see it more and more for what it really is
-when we live lives that reflect His authority
-when our worship says to a watching world—OUR GOD REIGNS
-when we live lives that are not filled with anxiety—for we believe our
God can do anything—that there is nothing too difficult for God
-we glorify Him when we are fearless to attempt great things for God
-for we hold with an unwavering conviction the words of Ephesians
3:20-21—that the boldest prayer, the wildest thought, the most
imaginative request cannot overwhelm God’s ability to act
-finally—we look in His telescope and find this—
5. He is boundless in HIS LOVE
-His thoughts towards us outnumber the sand—Psalm 139:18
-it is so deep and wide and long it surpasses knowledge—Ephesians
3:19
-announces itself most impressively in the giving of His Son—
sacrificing Him for our sakes—John 3:16
-we glorify God when we make this love look more and more like it
really is
-when His love becomes the dominant note in our lives because it is
God’s dominant note
CONCLUSION
Want your life to count in 2010?
-the answer boils down to this—will I live to put His wisdom, His wealth,
His justice, His power, His love
-and everything else about Him on display?
-or will I live with the aim to showcase myself?
-are you willing to eat, drink, OR WHATEVER, for the glory of God?