God's Glory, His Priority

2 Chronicles 7.1-3 Mount Pisgah God’s Glory, God’s Priority
11/26/06 Allen R. Hunt
I. I walked into the sanctuary this Tuesday – heart heavy, spirit sad
Mind filled with as many questions as answers
We had lost little Ashley – jus barely 9 years old, after 9 months of leukemia
We prayed, we sang, we shared Scripture
And then her grandfather made his way to the microphone
He wanted to share Ashley’s favorite Bible story with us
Thought it was odd that she never let anyone read this to her – she always insisted on reading it to anyone who was around
So he began to read from a children’s Bible like this
(Cross to ascension)
As grandfather finished, his eyes welling with tears, he remembered each time Ashley had read this story to him, when she was done, her eyes looked into his
At first they were questioning eyes – turned into knowing eyes
She knew, little Ashley knew

Cannot speak for anyone but myself – but at that moment, the sanctuary was thick
I could barely see, could not move – I was transfixed
At that moment, all around me was a cloud – this place was filled with the glory of God
A 9 year old girl, speaking through her grandfather, had reminded me – yet again
“It’s not about me; it’s not about now”
Stunning, simple, and clear
“It’s not about me; it’s not about now”

II. Presence of God, His glory around us has a powerful way of reminding us of that
Because we humans can get complacent – get too comfortable in this body, in this life, in this world

Happened to Uzzah – he had grown up around the ark – in his father’s house
Abinadab had been holding the ark – waiting for the moment David wanted to bring it back to Jerusalem
Uzzah and brother Ahio around the ark all the time – in storage in their home
Ark was familiar – so when David came for it, he marched in parade with Ahio at the front of the ark and Uzzah on the side of the cart pulled by oxen
Singing, dancing, when the oxen stumbled – and cart shook and ark wobbled
Uzzah – more out of instinct than anything but also because he had been around the ark every day, just so familiar – reached out and grabbed the ark of the covenant, the presence of God among Israel, and when he touched the ark, God struck him down right then and right there
People of Israel were stunned – but they learned an important lesson that day
You do not mess with, do not take for granted, do not manipulate the glory of God

III. Oh, the glory of God
Exodus 24.16-18 – Glory of the Lord settled on Mt Sinai
6 days cloud covered – 7th day God spoke to Moses
To Israelites glory of Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of mountain
Glory - His weightiness and heaviness
Ezek 1.26-28 – He looked like glowing metal – as if full of fire
Brilliant light surrounded him – like rainbow on cloudy day, so was radiance around Him
His splendor and beauty
Isa 6.3 – Saw Lord seated on His throne – heavenly host saying to each other
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
whole earth is full of His glory.”
Doorposts and thresholds shook – temple filled with smoke
Isaiah “Woe to me!”
Glory of God - His majesty and mystery
Luke 2 – shepherds – Glory of Lord shone round about them
Jesus – Mark 9 – Clothe became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them - Transfiguration

God’s glory – His weightiness, heaviness, splendor, beauty, majesty and mystery
Above all things
God is eternal – this world is not
God is holy – we are not
God’s glory is majestic and weighty and beautiful – and it is His alone
Glory of God is unmatched

Psalm 19 (The Message)
God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren’t heard,
Their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
Unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome
For the sun – a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
Leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
Racing to the tape.

That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
From sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
Warming hearts to faith.

The revelation of God is whole
And pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
And point out the right road.
The lifemaps of God are right,
Showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
And easy on the eye.

God’s reputation is twenty-four carat gold,
With a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
Down to the nth degree.

God’s word is better than a diamond,
Better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
Better than red, ripe strawberries.

IV. God’s glory is unmatched
Had such a keen overwhelming sense of that glory as I sat here during the funeral
Nothing compares to God’s glory
God’s priority = to reveal His glory
To make His glory known
All that God does is to do just that

He shared His glory with the Israelites – in the tabernacle
Presence of God moved with them as a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire at night
Reminder in front of the ark of the covenant of God’s presence with them always

Then Solomon built the Temple – permanent residence for the glory of God
Temple is built – no more tabernacle – now a 90’ x 30’ home for presence of God
Temple is furnished, the ark is set into place once and for all
Glory of the Lord breaks out and settles in the temple in our passage this morning
It is awesome – Solomon prays, and the glory of God is manifest in powerful way

But God was not done revealing His glory, that is exactly why Jesus became human
He is the radiance of God’s glory (Hb 1.3)
And He reveals the glory of God to us humans
John 1.13-14 – Word became flesh and pitched a tent among us – and we have beheld His GLORY – Jesus is the new tabernacle – the moving, presence of the glory of God
Why Jesus’ arrival announced with fanfare of angels and very glory of God to shepherds
All that God does is to reveal His glory
Not about me, not about now
All about God, all about His glory, all about revealing that glory

And God desires to reveal His glory in you
2 Cor. 3.18 – And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s GLORY are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing GLORY, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
If ever you had self-esteem issues, let them be obliterated once and for all
You reflect the Lord’s glory
You are made in His image – and in Christ Jesus, His Spirit lives in you
You are being changed with ever-increasing glory
Changed from glory into glory til in heaven we take our place, til we cast our crowns before Thee lost in wonder, love, and praise
The glory of God is unmatched – and it is His alone

V. That is why we worship
Free ourselves from selfishness – and thinking it is all about us
Get ourselves properly centered – on who we are (children of God)
Properly positions us before Him – not about me
Why we are – to declare His glory – all about Him
God is the star of this show
Glory to Him forever and ever – not about now
Worship - to remind ourselves that it is not all about me, not about now
About God

And there is coming a day – when the cycle will be complete
Tabernacle of tent to the Temple of God; New Tabernacle of Jesus to new temple of you
Day is coming when there will be no temple, and no tabernacle at all
Now we see in mirror dimly but then we shall see face to face
New heaven and a new Jerusalem
God Himself will be our temple – we will be with Him and in Him
And there will be no need for light – for the glory of God will all light we need
Day is coming – and that is why we worship

To practice, to get ready
To be in the eternal presence of the matchless glory of God – that is where we are headed