The Majesty of God

I was moved to teach on the doxology and the benedictions first of all because of what they mean to me in my own devotional. I turned to them in my own private meditations for refocus for worship for self-examination for building up of faith and then as a result of that, I've been looking for opportunities to teach them to our church because I believe they aid to people of God in looking up and seeing the greatness of God in these succinct statements of blessing and/or doxology that are memorable and meaningful.

We take them for granted but they are there for blessing, blessing and praise by HB Charles Junior visit Lincoln here.org/teaching series to learn more. If the earth is filled with the glory of God.

We don't have to be rocket scientists to find. We don't need a microscope in order to discern a glimpse of the majesty of God the whole world.

Calvin once said, is a glorious theater of the majesty of God people have such a difficult time recognizing his hiding somewhere where does the problem lie elsewhere today on Renewing Your Mind. We continue Dr. Darcy's groceries, the holiness of God in this message.

Darcy explains that if we really want to see the majesty of God. We don't have to look far.

Several years ago I was in Western Pennsylvania and was invited to go to college in the industrial base in there, near Pittsburgh, and I had to take a bus from downtown Pittsburgh out to the campus were these events were being held and was a local.

One of these buses that went through all these depressed mill towns of Western Pennsylvania and this was a late fall day, and the bus itself was dirty and the windows were grimy and it cast a pall of gloom as one looked out the windows on this great November day and as I was riding through each of these little milk, where I saw store after store boarded up and close signs displayed outside. I had this overwhelming sense of depression and I watch the people as they got on and got off of the bus along the route and these people would get on with a stooped posture their shoulders hunched over and you could just see lines of despair etched in their faces as I watch this and this somewhat melancholy mood that I was experienced I was wondering is there any hope for these people is there any hope for these compounds. I look at the outward façade. The buildings that are decaying. The streets in disrepair and I think of all the hopes that went into the building of these towns in the first place and now we only see evidence of the K death and of hopelessness and has I was in this contemplative mood. Suddenly, we passed by a little storefront that had been converted into a storefront church and in simplistic language and a kind of crass neon. There was the cross in the window of the store. I thought that I said there is the universal symbol of hope.

So I became a word and I began to watch more closely and I discovered that I couldn't go a single city block without somewhere saying the sign of the cross and as I observed that I began to think I thought you know as I'm sitting here worrying about hopelessness, even as I am thinking at this very second somewhere in this world there's a group of people seated around the table eating bread and drinking from a cup in remembrance of Christ, and I began to realize that not a single second ticks on the clock but that somewhere in the world people are celebrating the coming of Christ into the world and the triumph of Christ over darkness over ugliness over despair.

And so for a brief second.

I had a vignette of insight to the glory of God the glory of God that could not be hidden or concealed by this façade of decay and death, and I thought about the six chapter of Isaiah where when the angels sing in antiphonal response celebrating the holiness of God, saying one to another holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. They add to that refrain these words the whole earth is full of his glory. Think about just say that there are hidden clues concealed behind doors hidden under rocks veiled from our view of the glory of God, but that the world is filled with evidence of the glory of God. Recently I read a book written by perhaps America's most famous and most talented Jewish theologian Abram has shown, in which he talks about life in America in the 20th century and he says the thing that characterizes us in the 20th century is our superficiality that we have become a people who are satisfied with skimming over the surface of life interested only with images and impressions on television, not with deep and profound truths, but with soundbites that entertain us, but don't delay us in any serious call to reflection where pragmatists we want to be practical and in our busy practicality. We go through life blind to the very depths of the reality that is staring us in the face.

The apostle Paul in the first chapter of Romans describes the situation that is common to all mankind. Paul tells us in Romans one that from the very beginning of time. From the very beginning of creation that God has revealed himself and continues to reveal himself through nature. He says in there that the invisible things of God are clearly perceived, screws the things that are made that they are made manifest by God, even God's eternal power and deity. Then he brings the whole of the world before the tribunal of God and assesses them in terms of a universal indictment because the most basic primordial sin of mankind.

According to Paul, for which all of us are guilty and for which none of us has an excuse is that we hold this truth of Revelation in a spirit of godlessness. We hold it down we repress it we bury it. We incarcerate so the apostle says that the wrath of God is revealed against the whole world and the reason why God is angry is because we repress and suck press the glory that he makes manifest even in nature itself and he says it is our propensity to exchange the truth of God for a lie and begin to serve and worship the creature rather than the creator, that's our natural inclination, which is an inclination to idolatry to affix our gaze to the things of this world and never acknowledge how the things of this world drive our attention beyond this world, to the glory and majesty of its creator.

The fundamental sin according to the apostle is that we refuse to honor God. As God, neither are we grateful so what Paul is describing their similar to what the psalmist says when he says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth his handiwork. All of these things merely echo what the Angels are declaring within heaven itself that the whole earth is filled with his glory. If the earth is filled with the glory of God.

We don't have to be rocket scientists defined we don't need a microscope in order to discern a glimpse of the majesty of God the whole world. Calvin once said, is a glorious theater of the majesty of God, but we walk in that theater as men and women who were wearing blindfolds and we will hopefully put the blindfold on.

We close our eyes and will not look at what's right in front of our faces. The manifest clarity of the majesty of God's all around us. Unlike the Jewish theologian Peschel indicates that somehow we become inoculated to it in your two we've lost our capacity for amazement, we have trivialized the theater of divine glory and walk through it impervious to its wonder and to its now I want us to see here. The contrast between our response to the manifestation of the glory of God and to what Isaiah describes takes place in his vision as he hears the seraphim crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.

The very next thing that he says in this text is extraordinary.

He says in the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out in the house was filled with smoke. I hear.

Isaiah is peering into the heavenly temple, and as the voices are crying of the holiness of God. The doors of that inner temple of heaven, themselves, are suddenly shaken at their foundation and move spectacle of divine glory. I went into a maximum-security prison several years ago with Lem Barney who for many years worth an all-pro defensive back for the Detroit Lions. We were both at the time on the Board of Directors of prison Fellowship and we went in the inside of this prison, and Lem stood up before hundreds of hardened men. Tough men and like a little boy he began to sing a child's saw others Lord yes other help us to live for the I couldn't believe that this professional football player would have the humility to sing such a simple tune and he began in his own way to speak to these men of the riches of Christ and of the glory of God and in the middle of his address. He stopped and asked the man he says does that turn you on and there was no response, and he paused for a moment and then he said gentlemen, this doesn't turn you on. You have any switches and everybody one and I thought that's right. If we can't get excited about the glory of God. Something wrong, something malfunctioning in our soul because here in this text, when the glory of God is made plain and manifest in his holiness is radiating through the sanctuary. The doors and the pillars of the temple are moved that these things are in animate objects. Doors do not have spirits. Doors do not have souls. Doors do not have minds, but even these objects made of wood or metal were moved by the presence of God. And this comparison is one that the prophets make repeatedly is that that they say that we who refused to be moved by the greatness of God.

Don't have as much sense as animals. The ox knows his crib and so on, and they talked about how the animals the donkey the horse and so on.

They do by nature what God has willed them to do and they have more sense to respond to their creator in obedience, then we need to explain this poll was taken a few years ago in the United States asking people who had stopped going to church why they stopped going to church. This was not a survey of people who would never gone the church. This was a survey conducted to make inquiry to those literally millions of people who at one time or another, were involved in the life of the church and then became dropouts and in this particular survey.

The number one reason that people gave for stopping their attendance at church was the church was boring. The second most frequent answer that was given to the survey was that they regarded church is irrelevant. I when I read the pages of Scripture, particularly the pages of Old Testament one ever an episode is communicated where people have that momentary glimpse of the on veiled glory of God.

There is a wide variety of human responses that are record some people rejoice and they exclaim a sense of thrill and elation for having been present. Having seen this manifestation of glory. Other people are stricken with a somber mood of silence and they stand a lot, but the one reaction that is most common is a reaction of frozen fear shepherds on the planes outside of Bethlehem, in the dead of night suddenly witness the most spectacular sound and light show that the world had ever seen. When suddenly there is in the heavens.

Heavenly host, and the glory of God shines about and the Scripture say what and they were sore. That's the normal reaction to any visible manifestation of the glory of God.

But however the reactions may differ among human beings to the holiness of God. One thing I never ever find in Scripture is someone who is board in the presence of God, or someone who walks away from an encounter with the living God, and says that was irrelevant. There is no encounter but human being could ever have. That is more relevant to daily life, then meeting up with the living God.

If people are Lord in church on Sunday morning. What that tells me is that somehow the presence of God. The character of God, the God who really is is not made manifest their had a woman come to me one day who was bitter and angry and she was angry with her minister and I said what's the matter, she said, I'm so angry at my minister asked her why she said because I've come to the conviction that he systematically does everything in his power to conceal the character of God from us on Sunday morning he so afraid that someone might be offended if someone would not like to hear that God is holy, or that God is sovereign, or that God is capable of wrath that he never talks about that he has disarmed God. He has D find him taken away his claw on his tooth is taken away anything that might be fearful and so that God now becomes innocuous and wearable, bored to death. You were not created to be bored by the glory of God. You have to be spiritually dead. To be bored by the glory of God, for God's glory fills the world.

When is the last time you noticed it in our Coram day of thought for this day. I would like us to think about the question how practical is pragmatism. How practical is it really to go through life being so concerned with the busyness of the moment that we never stop to penetrate the surface. When we understand it, just below the surface are a thousand points of light, not political light not socialite the light of the radiance of the glory of God.

There was nothing more practical. Nothing that changes our practice more radically than coming face to face with the glory of a holy God.

The evidence of it is all around. If you haven't seen it.

Perhaps you been blind and it's time to take the blindfold off and open your eyes to the truth of the glory so every detail of creation shouts the glory of the creator doctors will mention Psalm 19 today and it really bears repeating.

The heavens declare the glory of God in the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Glad you joined us today as we wrap up a weeklong master class on the holiness of God. It's one of Dr. Sproles most requested series and we have been pleased to bring it to you.

All we care on Renewing Your Mind would like for you to have a copy of the book by the same title.

Contact us today with a donation of any amount and we will send you the 25th anniversary edition telephone number is 800-435-4343 could also give your gift to make your request online@renewingyourmind.org that is the last day were making this offer available is not available in stores. I have a copy of it here and I must say it is beautiful.

It's hard bound in silver with embossed lettering and that you will enjoy having it for your own library or it would make a great gift to call us today with your donation again.

Her phone number is 800-435-4343 and or web address is Renewing Your Mind.org the holiness of God is a hallmark of Dr. Sproles many years of ministry and as legionnaire enters its 50th year. We are so thankful for the thousands of people who have let us know how they've grown in their understanding of God's holiness from RC's teaching people like L from Oregon first started listening to RC in 1997 I believe it was it was a long time ago I was struggling through the word had been learning Arminianism, which wasn't squaring up with the word and I was very confused. I started digging into the Bible for myself and I thought I was insane until I heard Dr. stroll on the radio teaching the holiness of God and everything was becoming crystal-clear and the first book that I read of his was grace unknown, which tremendously help me and Renewing Your Mind is been a blessing in more ways than you could ever imagine. And the staff that teaching the conferences, everything is just been so wonderful.

I am very grateful. We appreciate L letting us know that it is a great introduction for the programs will present next week we will feature some of RC's earliest messages that we've never aired before. Plus, Dr. Steven Nichols joined us to talk about the new biography on Dr. stroll. Please make plans to join us each day for Renewing Your Mind