From Glory to Glory, Part 1 B

Ask yourself the question, do I feel pain when God is dishonored. If the answer is yes, then you're living to his glory.

Say what you mean by them talking about empathy tell you one thing for sure whoever you most has the tightest grip on your heart and if they feel pain right wing him glory. But how do you know if you're hitting the mark truly glorifying him in everything you think and say and do consider that as John MacArthur helps you establish a strong foundation for spiritual growth in 2022. How to live for God's glory. That's the title of the study. John started just yesterday now before the lesson today.

John these been a busy few days for our staff since we came back from the year-end break.

So take a moment to tell people what was waiting for us when we returned to the office here. Well, as it is at the beginning of every year. It's a mountain of mail because the greatest amount of mail comes in the last weeks of every year as people do their year-end giving so when we come back there. There's just a massive mountain of mail that's delivered to us by the post office and I have to say feel it's probably the most joyful time of the year because when we go through that mail. We not only receive gifts from tens of thousands of people around the country, but we also receive letters of thanks and you know, our people are so faithful, so diligent. This is an amazing place to work. We had a board meeting just recently and we talked about that with our board how we we have employees who been here for decades and decades and there is a joy here. There is a fellowship here. There's affection among our staff and what what are we, 60 to 70 people, you may be understaffed not massive by any means. And yet we cover the globe with the teaching of the Word of God that these people are so profoundly rewarded when we get to read all the incredible testimony so we returned yesterday to an overflow of email thank you notes financial gifts and it was clearly sacrificial and humbling in the last weeks of the 2021.

I was telling people that this is a significant time for them to give and that's exactly what happened.

We we teach the Bible and we minister to people and people do the rest. So with all the difficulties in the world with all of the challenges economically with people under mandates and things, losing jobs, and all those the sad realities we can tell you this. The Lord has sustained us again by the faithful giving of those who love the word of God that we believe God is prepared Grace to you for just a time like this that the tougher it gets in the world. The more the truth of God means that the people want something more than a superficial understanding of Scripture and so that's times are more challenging. It seems that the people listen to grist you are more generous and were so profoundly grateful.

So, by all measures were starting 2022 on solid footing. Speaking for all of us. We want to say a deep deep thank you for your faithfulness yes friend.

Thank you. Your generosity, your partnership is going to help us take verse by verse Bible teaching to God's people all over the world in 2022.

Again, thank you so much.

Now I urge you to stay here for today's verse by verse lesson as John looks at how to live for God's glory although I give you some very clear things that the Bible teaches about glorifying the Lord.

But let's begin at a very obvious point, nobody had a target without aiming at it not going to get there. If you're not moving in that direction so point number one is if you want to glorify God, you have to aim your life at that purpose.

You have to aim your life at that purpose. In other words, the very goal of your life is the glory of God. That's the focal point. That's what you are about. That's what you direct your life toward naming your life at this purpose means you prefer the glory of God above everything else but to give you a second thing it means.

It means you suffer when he suffers it means you feel pain when he is dishonored, ask yourself the question, do I feel pain when God is dishonored. If the answer is yes, then you're living to his glory. Say what you mean, but I'm talking about empathy tell you one thing for sure whoever you love the most, has the tightest grip on your heart and if they feel pain. You'll feel it right you look at that precious little child of God is given you anything coming in that life that brings pain to that little life wrenches your heart, looking at life partner God is given you whatever comes into his or her life tear up that life that you love so much. Tears your own heart out. You feel the same about God.

I do understand empathy toward God sympathy toward God. You have a heart of compassion in terms of feeling the pain that God feels when his name is reproached or dishonored Psalm 69, nine is a great illustration of this. You don't need to look at all our just quote it for you. Psalm 69. Nine. David says zeal for your house has consumed me your zeal for your house has eaten me up.

What is he mean by that will, what he means is that I am so passionately consumed with the honor and the glory of God that it consumes me. Zeal is a marvelous word. Zeal is a tremendously rich concept.

Zeal is a mixture is a mixture of passionate affection and righteous indignation.

Zeal means that there is something I love so much I hate anything that taints it stains it injures it detracts from threatens it statin mingling of the holy affection and righteous wrath.

That's what David felt. David said I look at the temple I look at your house and it had just have such passion such holy affection for what it stands for, and such righteous indignation for anything that threatens its purity.

In fact, it does so Fard said David in the same verse that the reproaches that fall on you are fallen on me what you mean by that I mean that when you're dishonored I feel the pain, but when your name is shamed.

I feel the agony that I hurt when you hurt or we live in a culture where God's name is dishonored all the time God is mocked and scorned and laughed at things are advocated and espoused and pumped out in every imaginable form of entertainment that are stench to the nostrils of God and the blasphemy to his name and shame and we can just going to take him or leave them when someone takes God's name in vain, which is an act of blasphemy is your blood curdled you feel empathy. Do you feel the shame, the pain, the reproach falling on you.

The falls on him when our society strikes its blows against God and the myriad of ways that it does you feel the pain you feel the shame or are you so insulated that you don't feel anything if you're really consumed with the glory of God. You can feel the pain that God feels when his name is dishonored certainly from a personal standpoint if that's your feeling you're not going to want to dishonor him because you're not gonna want to add to his pain. If I am my life, the glory of God then I'm going to feel the pain that he feels when he is dishonored and if I feel it deeply enough. I'm not gonna want to dishonor. This was very much the attitude of Jesus and John to when Jesus began his ministry he went to the temple. He came as the prophet said he would come to his temple. In John chapter 2 he went into the temple, and he found things he didn't like and he he found money changers and he found ox and sheep and doves and they were all being sold there to be used as sacrifices at exorbitant rates were cheating people on the exchange of currency that had take place because people came from all over the ancient world. It was a wretched marketplace run by a bunch of hypocrites and sinners, so I made a whip that accords she wove together, and he drove a lot of the temple and I'll tell you something about the formidable character of his humanity.

He was some kind of man he went into the temple a massive place filled with thousands upon thousands of people and single-handedly tore the place up and sent everybody out credible.

Here, drove them all out of the temple, all the sheep. All the oxen poured out the coins of the money changers overturned the tables for those who were selling the doves. He said take these things away and stop making my father's house house of merchandise and his disciples immediately remembered verse 17 that it was written in Psalm 69 zeal for your house is eaten me up Jesus literally put into practice what David felt in Psalm 69 it had that messianic implication, it was the passion for the purity of the worship of God to cause Jesus to do what he did. That's righteous indignation at the holy wrath. He felt the pain when God was dishonored. That's the mark of one who lives to the glory of God. There's 1/3 little subpoint that I want to mention to. If you really live to the glory of God.

If you really aim your life at that not only will you prefer him and his kingdom above everything else and suffer when he suffers, but thirdly, listen to this when you will be content to be outdone by others as long as he is glorified, you will be content to be outdone by others as long as he is glorified. In other words, your pride will be gone is a lot of pride, even among Christians can show up in the church, the wrangling's and hassles in the church and people who want credit for this and want credit for that. But if you're aiming only at the glory of God, then it doesn't matter what happens to you. You can humble yourself like Jesus didn't take on the form of a servant. You can be mocked and spit on in prison like Paul was, and it really doesn't matter because all you care about is that God be exalted.

The Lord be glorified.

I think the best and simplest illustration of this is found in Philippians chapter 1, I would draw you to that Philippians chapter 1 is such a wonderful passage in this passage, of course, as Paul writes to the Philippians.

He's in his first imprisonment not the one in which he died. That's a later imprisonment.

This was an earlier one course once he was put into prison is envious and jealous detractors. The next breed of preachers coming along had an exalted view of themselves wanted to use that as a way to push themselves up and so they were going around saying well he's in prison because their secret sin in his life. You don't know about it. But God knows about had put them on the shelf or he's in prison because he somehow convoluted the doctrines he's messed up the truth and God had to take them and put them on the shelf and and they were discrediting Paul and speaking evil against his character. He comments on that in chapter 1 verse 15 he says some to be sure, our preaching Christ even from envy and strife some from goodwill.

Having Paul was either the spiritual father, grandfather, uncle of Gentile world to me was the one God used. He was the most beloved.

His shadow was far and wide. It was cast over everything in the church at that time and there were some guys come along were very jealous.

They just couldn't deal with that their egos were big and they wanted their moment in the sun at the expense of Paul. They would take it another he was imprisoned. They would use that as a way to say God put them on the shelf and it was their day and people should listen to them, not him, and they were preaching from envy and strife and others from goodwill, other center-right perspective on Paul Newman for the man that he was in their attitudes were right. Verse 16 he says the latter those goodwill preachers do it out of love knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. They know the reason I'm in jail is not either due to sin or a failure to teach the truth but because God put me here for the gospel sake, the former however verse 17 envy and strife category proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives and they're trying to cause me distress in my imprisonment or at pain to my my chains. Another way to translate that so he says some preach Christ with goodwill toward me.

Some are lambasting me lying about me. Look at verse 18.

Here's the real key.

So what that's what what that means. So what only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed or preached in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, I don't care what they say about me.

As long as Christ is preached. This is man consumed with the glory of God. This is a man consumed with Christ doesn't matter to me.

Doesn't matter to me whether they accuse me doesn't matter whether my reputation survives as a matter what people think of me.

What matters is that Christ is preached, but my candle go out of the sun of righteousness can but rise with healing in his beams. I'm not the issue. Now there is a life aimed at the glory of God, preferring the glory of God above everything else.

Feeling the pain when God is dishonored of being content to be outdone by others to do what you do if God is glorified and you're not gonna be thrown in prison perhaps. But them can you rejoice with your whole heart when somebody else does what you do better than you do. It you can if you're consumer the glory of God. You paint you want to be the honor of Christ somebody else pays better the honor of Christ.

Can you rejoice in it you saying somebody sings better you teach somebody teach is better you pray. Somebody preaches better you write somebody writes better. You had an impact on people's life summaries had a better impact or greater or more far-reaching satellite is if you're consumer the glory of God. So the first thing then and glorifying God. Moving from one level of gore to the next is to aim your life for that purpose only to be the second just briefly we glorify God by confessing sin, we glorify God by confessing sin. The thief on the cross is a good illustration of this, he really did glorify God in his death, because it failed to glorify God all his life, but in his death he glorify God because he said this look 2341 looking at the other thief. We indeed suffer justly. What was he saying would get exactly what we deserve. What is that that's tantamount to a confession of sin were here and being crucified and it's exactly what we deserve and you see what that does is glorify God, how because it frees God from any accusation of impunity for being unkind or ungracious or unjust. They're not shaking their fists in the face of God, like those in Revelation 16 and saying what kind of God are you. Why would you let this happen to us not they say will get exactly what we deserve. We sent is what we deserve, thus freeing God to do whatever God would justly do without any accusation against them.

You see, one of the reasons you confess sin is just to restore the fellowship with God, but a second reason you confess sin is the free got up to do whatever he wants to do to you if you confess your sin to God and God chastens you, then you've acknowledge that he has every right to do it right. It's a holy reaction against your sin. On the other hand, if you confess your sin and God doesn't chasten you then you have glorify God. Also because now you're going to understand the greatness and the magnanimity of his grace by but if you don't even acknowledge your sin and only the confess your sin and of God chastens your level to shake your fist that it was a wise is happening in my life.

I understand this or God is gracious to you and I'm going to understand it all you got not even acknowledge it all you can think you deserve it because you're such a good person when you come to grips with your sin you free. Got up to chasten you and you'll know that he has a right to do it or to be gracious to you and you'll know that you don't deserve it but is merciful either case you go to glorify him for his justice for his mercy, but see if you want accept the responsibility for your sin, that he gets no glory. Either way, we live in a culture where people don't want take responsibility for the sins that not true.

Not responsible for their sin. Not responsible for anything in their lives, and consequently they do not glorify God. It does not glorify God when you blame somebody else for sin. It is only your problem. Nobody is responsible for your sin but you know your mother not your father not your aunt, your uncle not your orphanage. Not anything nobody but you is responsible for your sin consumer.

You acknowledge that responsibility than the Lord and chastening you can be glorified because of the just chastening and did not chasten you. You can praise him and thank him for the grace that he gives you because you know what you really deserve.

But men are good at denying sin right Adam started it the first sinner launched the first dispossession of responsibility and he says in Genesis 312 God the woman you gave me. Not my fault I went to bed. Single set mouse.

I didn't ask for Wi-Fi demon know what a wife was there wasn't such a thing. So this is not an answer to prayer. Furthermore you could have picked anyone you wanted why did you pick her you give me a choice wasn't like it was a beauty contest and I could pick whatever one I wanted.

Certainly not blaming me for this sin are you the woman you gave me duty blame God for so will I know about a woman certainly can hold me responsible got so I do all your responsible. I hold everybody responsible for his or her own sin and giving illustration of this, Joshua chapter 7 will wrap the thoughts up around that Joshua chapter 7 most fascinating account.

Remember when the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt through the power of God, the 10 plagues and crossed the Red Sea to drown Pharaoh's army. They then were in the wilderness. Of course they wanted for 40 years and eventually got into the promised land. The first pointed of entry in promised land was Jericho came in to Jericho and want to great family member that marched around the walls for seven days and 7×7 day and walls fell down.

They took the city God said to them now and you take the city of Jericho. Don't take any spoil. Remember that don't take anything, but there was one guy who just couldn't resist back. I've always said he was just aching to take something so I remember his name easily and he did and he wasn't alone.

There was complicity on the part of his whole family me after all.

He buried the whole pilot treasure in the middle of his tent. You could be digging a hole in the tent. Your whole family was living in without somebody know what was going on, so they were all a part of it. There was complicity in the whole family instead of disincentive obeying God. He went in there just storming in here again is a very crucial point and in God's redemptive history. After the Egyptian experience of several hundred years. They now wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Finally whole generation died off. Now they going to the promise and it's a brand-new day. It's the dawning of a new air again. And God wants to get across another message. The message is this obedience rings blessing disobedience brings cursing in a very key points and in redemptive history.

God punctuated that reality here is one he told don't take anything. Don't take anything and Aiken and his family did. And it has to be confronted. So we come to chapter 7 verse 19 Joshua said Aiken, my son, I implore you give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel in the house you going to do that how you give glory to God of Israel takeout, give praise to him and tell me now what you have done and do not hide it from me what you think official sent.

In fact, some of the translations even say that.

Confess your sin. Don't hide it so he said look, confess your sin and give glory to God. How does it give glory to God. Well, if you'll accept responsibility for your sin that nobody is going to accuse God of being unholy when he judges you, I was the point so he says, confess your sin. Verse verse 20 Aiken answered Joshua and said, truly, I've sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did my Solomon spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar 200 shekels of silver in a bar of gold 50 shekels in weight. That's a fortune and I coveted them, took them, behold, there concealed in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath. 20. Did I like the specificity of his confession know you didn't say I demonstrated a moral weakness.

He didn't say I had a moral failure. He said I sin the end. This is exactly what I did and even told him what order the stuff was stacked in so Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent, behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath that he was accurate just the way said they took them from inside the tent, brought Joshua and all the sons of Israel, they poured them out for the Lord to have them in some containers just dumped it out Joshua and all Israel with him, took Aiken the son of zero this over the mantle bar of gold, the sons and daughters as oxen as donkeys. A sheepish tent all the belong to him, brought him down to the valley of a core or the value of trouble and just resent why some of us Lord will trouble you this day and all Israel stone them with stones in the burn them with fire. After they stone them with stones all this is a big fire is a lot of things burn in her folks.

Lots of people lots of animals lots of stuff we raise over them a great heap of stones. It stands to this day in the Lord turn from the fierceness of his anger for the name of that place is been called the Valley of a court of the state. If I do been in that little deal that they walked away saying you know, obedience is better. It's a better choice.

Obedience is wiser now is the whole message every time a person disobeys God doesn't kill them, but periodically make his point is done that at crucial junctures in Israel's redemptive history and even in the beginning of the church. As I mentioned with Ananias Safari to remind us that it's all about blessing and cursing those who will bear blessed those who disobey are cursed and you see if if Aiken hadn't confessed that sin and God just wiped out that whole family. Somebody might say what kind of a God or you will why would you do that and the in the pagan neighbors might say boy you got a terrifying fearful God just wipes out people and families and animals, but when he confessed that he had sinned against God than what everybody would have to say was this is a God who is so holy he will not tolerate sin. And that is the reputation that glorifies God right and that of course sets up the whole significance of the atoning work of Jesus Christ, you can see that what Jesus Christ did on the cross was appease the wrath of God by satisfying his justice for us. You want to glorify God. The name your life with that purpose in confess your sin, and confess it specifically so that when God chastens you, he will not be impugned for being unjust, and when he shows you grace. He will not be forgotten for his mercy near my vindicator. God's righteousness. Nehemiah 933 and said are just and all that that is brought upon us.

Genesis 4416 so Judah said what can we say to my lord, what can we speak and how can we justify ourselves. God is found out our sins. Daniel said I was speaking in praying and confessing my sin.

Simon Peter saw Jesus fell down at Jesus feet Luke 580 said the part for me. I am a sinful man, oh Lord publican beating on his breath said, Lord, be merciful. Me, a sinner. Luke 1813, Paul said.

First Timothy one. I am the chief of sinners see when we commit our sin that glorifies God because it puts on display his holy wrath against sin and he puts on display. His sweet merciful grace for the sinner you want to move from level of glory. The level of glory and become more and more like Christ.

You want to become all that God wants to be the name your life at glorify God and confess your sin what's bound prayer father again. This is so practical and so basic and helpful for our lives. We pray that you will apply it to us, Lord, we pray that you will grant us grace to be the kind of people you want us to be to live to your glory to ask that ubiquitous question that constant ever present query will this bring you glory may be the controlling question in our hearts we know Lord, one other thing to that no one gives you glory who doesn't confess Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God confessing you is Lord of the glory of God's word all starts if we don't confess Jesus is Lord, and there can be nothing else we could do to glorify you. You said this is my beloved son, listen to him. If we don't do that, we dishonor you from the start.

I pray Lord for those here who have not glorified you by confessing Jesus as Lord, who have not accepted your testimony concerning Christ would not accepted his sacrifice on their behalf who have rejected your son thus spurned your grace and spurned your love and mercy. I pray that this may be the day that they would confess Jesus is Lord and thus bring you honor and bring you glory for the gift of Christ on their behalf. You're listening to Grace to you with John MacArthur's first study of 2022 is titled how to live for God's glory and friend with the new year in mind, let me tell you about a grace to you at that can help you spend more time in God's word. This year it's called the study Bible, and it's free to download at our website. It comes with multiple Bible translations and thousands of free resources that help you apply Scripture to your life to get the study Bible app.

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