THE GLORY OF GOD

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Bible Text: Colossians 1:16

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.


INTRODUCTION:
The glory of God isn’t just a feeling, an event or an Old Testament experience, it is everything contained in the character of God.

DIMENSIONS OF THE GLORY OF GOD
How do we describe the glory of the indescribable One?
For the purpose of this session, we will be dealing in Three (3) dimensions of the Glory of God:

The Glory Of God In His Jealousy: 1 Corinthians 10:19-22
Jealousy would be defined as being intolerant or un-accepting of rivalry or unfaithfulness. God is passionately intolerant of rivalry and unfaithfulness, so God is jealous. He is a jealous God and strangely enough it is out of His jealousy that we see even better how glorious He is. God’s glory is seen in His jealousy.
Jealousy is a strong emotion that also gets its power from passion. If there is no passion, then there is no jealousy.
Since the beginning of the world, we have belonged to God. He imagined us; shaped us; molded us; and gave us life. We are His creation and we belong to Him. Out of His love for us God gave us a choice so that we might choose Him. We didn’t. We choose ourselves. We chose to try and make ourselves like God rather than to submit to the authority of the one true God.
God’s jealousy comes out of love.
God is the greatest thing in the world. Nothing is greater than Him. Nothing is better than Him. God is jealous because you are replacing the greatest thing in the world with something that is not as good. Whatever you might try to fill your life with, it is not as good as God.

The Glory Of God In His Being: John 1:1-14
Man was made to give glory to God. Of all of the things in this world nothing or no one is more deserving of glory than God.
1Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
God existed not just in the beginning but before there was a beginning. Before there was time, before there was life, before there was a sun, or moon, or stars, before there were heavens, before there was the earth, there was God. God has always existed. He is not created, He is not finite. He just is. God is… In this trait He is unique from everything else in the world.
Understanding the greatness of God is essential for appreciating how great He is.
Understanding how great God is, how He has had no beginning and exists outside of time shows us just how great His sending His Son to earth was. God is not bound by time yet He entered into time for us. He sent Jesus to this world to be born. To live. To die. Jesus who had always existed did not just submit Himself to a beginning, but always to an end. He lived a finite life. The infinite clothed Himself with mortality. The glorious God covered Himself with the ordinary.

The Glory Of God In His Love:1 Corinthians 13:1-14
This is such an important aspect of the character of God. If God didn’t care about us, the only reason to glorify Him would be out of fear of what would happen if we didn’t. God is an amazing God. He is all powerful and all knowing. He can do literally whatever He wants. No one could oppose Him and nothing can stop Him.
God’s love is not dependent on anything. It has no conditions. It has no limits. It just is. God’s love for you is unconditional. You do not have to be popular, successful, talented, rich, busy, or even average. It does not matter how poor you are, how many mistakes you have made, how many times you have failed, or how many friends you have. It does not matter what you do, it doesn’t matter who you are, God will always love you. Nothing you can do will change that. Nothing you can do will take that away because the love that God has for you is not based on who you are but on who He is. God loves you because you are you and He made you.


WAYS TO TAP GOD’S GLORY

The glory of God isn’t just a feeling, an event or an Old Testament experience, it is everything contained in the character of God.

1) Look for the Glory ( Acts 7:55)
Just like anything in the kingdom of God, it takes faith to see a manifestation. The glory of God is a visible power. In the Old Testament, the glory appeared as a cloud, smoke or fire. This visible power is also known as Shekinah glory, which is the Hebrew name given to the presence of God dwelling on the earth.
The nation of Israel saw the glory when God came down to meet them on Mount Sinai. Exodus 24:17 (KJV) says, “The sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount.”
I Decree and Declare, we will see the Glory of God manifest in our lives in Jesus name.

2) Pray for the Glory (Romans 8:18)
You can see and experience the glory of God, but you must diligently ask and seek for it to be revealed. When we pray the glory into the earth, miracles, signs and wonders will occur in the Church and in our own personal lives.
When Moses saw the glory of God, he asked, saying, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18, NKJV). When believers gathered together in a spirit of unity, seeking the Lord, the glory appeared in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, and sat on the head of each person there (Acts 2:1-4).
Father, let Your glory be revealed to me and in me.

3) Prepare for the Glory (Romans 5:5)
If you want to experience the fullness of God’s glory, you must prepare your spirit.
How? By walking in love. It takes faith to receive and operate in the glory and faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). That means the glory of God will increase in you in direct proportion to how you walk in love.
So, to increase the amount of the glory in your life, you must walk in love. Put simply—more love, more glory.
Father, give me the grace to walk in love and adequately prepare for your glory.

4) Walk in the glory (2 Corinthians 3:18)
The glory of God looks for a dwelling place. The original house for the glory of God was the tabernacle. But under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit builds a temple in every believer.
When the believers experienced the glory of God at Pentecost, they didn’t just go back to living normal lives. They emerged from that place as separate from the rest of the world and as light in the midst of darkness. They went out and started turning the world upside down for Jesus. They preached the gospel; and worked miracles, signs and wonders; and the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). That’s the glory we need to be operating in!
Father, Because my body is your temple, front today, I begin to manifest your glory on all sides.


WAYS YOU CAN PUT GOD'S GLORY ON DISPLAY
1. Confess sin
When we confess sin, we are putting on display His glory by declaring His righteousness.
2. Forgive others
Our God is a forgiving God (Ps 130:3-4; Mic 7:18-19). When we forgive others, we are proclaiming His compassion and eagerness to forgive. It has been said that we are never more God-like than when we forgive.
3. Trust God
If God does all things for our good (and He does), then demonstrating our trust in Him puts His nature and character on display. We reflect who He is.
4. Produce fruit
Jesus says: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8). Living a life that adorns God’s attributes puts His glory on display. When His communicable attributes are reflected in our lives, it not only produces fruit, but it glorifies God.
5. Give thanks
Psalm 50:23 says, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies Me.” Expressions of gratitude to God sets His glory on a pedestal. Thanksgiving directs our focus on the One who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
6. Pray
Like giving thanks, prayer shines the spotlight on God’s attributes of goodness and omnipotence. The Lord encourages and invites us to, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will rescue you and you will glorify me” (Ps 50:15).


CONCLUSION
God is in a class by himself. He has infinite perfections, infinite greatness, and infinite worth.”
“The glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness. It is the going-public of his holiness.”
“The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.”

Overall, the glory of God is used in a variety of ways in Scripture. It can refer to God's greatness, His honor, His beauty, His power, and His light. In every case, the glory of God acknowledges the Lord's supreme strength and our need to both acknowledge and serve Him.

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