GIVE GOD HIS GLORY 

I CHRONICLES 16:28-29

          This portion of scripture is written just after David has brought the Ark to Jerusalem.  Remember that the Ark which represents the presence of God had been in the hands of the Philistines.  But according to I Samuel 5:7, the Philistines could not stand the power of God in their midst so they put the Ark out of there land.  The Ark ends up in Kirjath-jearin in the house of Abinadab.  It was there for 20 years before David made his first attempt to bring it to Jerusalem.  It was at that time that they used improper means to transport the Ark and Uzzah ended up dead.  David went back to Jerusalem, got his act together and came back 3 months later to bring the Ark to Jerusalem in the proper fashion.  I Chronicles 16:1 says “So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.”  Having brought the Ark to its new resting place, David in verse 4 appoints a choir that has the responsibility of ministering to, i.e., singing praises of worship to God whose presence dwells in the Ark.  But then verse 7 says, “Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.”   So verses 28 and 29 which we read earlier were a part of the song that David offered in worship to God when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem.

          In this song David says “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name.”  So the title of today’s message is “Give God His Glory”. 

          Now the first thing that I want you to note is that this is not a suggestion.  David spoke these words as the King of Israel and he commands the people to give God glory.  Not only is his authority as king behind his words, but David here offers a strong, forceful command.  He says twice to the people “give glory to God”.   You would think that the people of God would not have to be commanded to give God glory.  It ought to be automatic just based on the fact that he is worthy.  But David here commands the people to give God what he is due, give God what  he has earned, what he is worthy of receiving.  People today, even saints of God, must still be told to give God His glory.  David says it is due him. Why?  Well it is due Him for His wondrous works.

MATTHEW 15:31

          After Jesus had healed a many people in Galilee the people began to glorify God.  They recognized that God had come to earth in the form of Jesus.  They worshipped the God who cared enough to come and provide their needs.  At this time the people of God had been a long time without a prophet and thus a long time without a word from God.  I am sure they were wondering if God really cared for them.  Sure they went to synagogue and prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But where was this God and why was he not hearing them?  When they see the wonderful works that God does through Jesus, they again have hope.  They know that God has returned to them and they glorify him. 

          I think one of our problems is that God has spoiled us.  We think that he is supposed to do certain things for his children and therefore we are not as appreciative as we should be.  If God was to show us what life without Him is like we would gladly glorify him for the lives that we now have.

          Glory is due to God because of his mercy.

ROMANS 15:9

          As Gentiles we should glorify God for the mercy that he extended to us in providing the plan of salvation.  God’s promise was to Abraham and to his seed.  He would have been well within his rights to provide only for the Children of Israel.  However, God’s love for all mankind caused him to extend mercy to all.  When we recognize how unworthy were we really are and that God was not obligated to us in any way, we should be eager to glorify him.  When we consider that many times we still act like ungrateful, spoiled children, pouting and rebelling because we cannot have our way and yet God continues to show us mercy, forgive us and continues to love us, it should be automatic to worship and glorify God.

          God is worthy to receive our glory because that is why we were created.

REVELATION 4:11

          All things were created for the glory of God; to bring him pleasure and glorify him.  Since mankind is the highest form of creation made on earth, our worship and praise should be of a higher magnitude than any thing else created on earth.  Our songs sung unto God should be more melodious than that of the early morning bird.  When we clap our hands to God it should sound better than the clapping of the ocean’s wave against the beach.  When we wave our hands to God it should be with more passion than palm trees swaying in the wind.  Proverbs 16:4 says “The Lord has made all things for himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of evil”. What this means is that God has ordain a purpose for all that he created.  Even the wicked will show his ordained purpose in the Day of Judgment.  God has created man to glorify him and to bring God pleasure.  We are the crown of God’s creation and thus we should glorify him above all else that is created.

          As we face troubles, persecutions, disappointments, etc it is not always easy to focus on glorifying God.

PSALMS 118:28

          Recognizing who God was to him, David declares to God “I will praise you, I will exalt you.”  Sometimes we have to will ourselves to do what is not easy to do.  We have to resolve that in spite of how I feel, whether I like doing it or not, whether it feel comfortable or not, God is still to be glorified, and I must be the one to do so.  David said in Psalms 86:12 “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.”  As Christians we must be determines to glorify God each and every day of our lives; from this day forward and forever more.  

  How can I as an individual glorify God?

PSALMS 50:23

          God says that we glorify Him by offer praise to Him.  In fact glorify itself means to show forth the praise of another.  When we speak forth the praises of God, telling others of his goodness, then we glorify Him.

JOHN 15:8

          Jesus said that God is glorified when we bear much fruit. Notice that he did not just say fruit, but that he said much fruit.  If I speak of the goodness of God to others, I will eventually begin to bear fruit.  You see in God we have and can offer what every broken and destitute heart on this earth desires.  God offers love.  Not the kind of love that is judgmental and unaccepting.  Not the kind of love that is conditional and based on what I can do for you.  But God offers genuine, unconditional love and when people truly understand that they will seek to know him who can fulfill their love need.  Are we giving God his glory by bearing much fruit?

I PETER 4:10-11

          God has given to us all gifts that we are to use to glorify him.  Some of us are doing a lot of talking but most of what we are saying is not directed by God.  We have to minister with the ability that God has given us.  A horn is not a drum and if the musician tries to make the horn sound like a drum he will only mess up the music.  If you are to be a mouth piece for God then make sure you know what God wants to say and how he wants to say it.  What we say for God must glorify him and not us.

PHILIPPIANS 1:11

          It is not only what we say, but also what we do that must glorify God.  Our actions, the fruit of our lives must be righteous.  In other words, if we are to glorify God, when others look at our lives they should see lives that line up with the Word of God.  Don’t think that the sinner does not know what is right and what God expects of us.  They know when our actions are exalting and glorifying God and they also know when our actions don’t represent God.  Children of God, we must give God his glory by living righteously in this wicked world.

I PETER 4:12-16

          Sometimes living righteously might require that we suffer.  Sometimes people are going to pick at us.  They will call us names.  They will try to aggravate us and even accuse us falsely.  We are told to rejoice at these times, because our choosing to take such treatment glorifies God.  We are to make sure that we are suffering because we are doing right and not because we are doing wrong.  Sometimes in suffering to do right, we must deny ourselves, our wants, our attitudes, and even our desire to retaliate.  But denying ourselves should come easier when we recognize that we are doing it for the cause of Christ and the glory of God.

ROMANS 4:20

          Abraham stood strong in faith and thus brought glory to God.  When we stand, facing our obstacles and trusting in God to bring us through our trials in a manner that is pleasing to him, we bring glory to him.  Those who know that you are a Christian are watching to see how you handle adversity.  They are watching to see if you will cheat, steal; give in to fleshly and sexual desires.  They are looking to see if you truly trust God to keep you, to deliver you, and to make provision for you.  They are testing your words by your actions.  They are at the same time testing God by watching you.  Let’s be like Abraham and stand strong in faith at each obstacle presented to us that we too may give glory to God.

I CORINTHIANS 10:31

          This scripture is very clear.  God is to be glorified in everything that we do.  We must stop and take time to evaluate our actions our lives, the things that we do and determine if we are in any way participating in actions that do not bring glory to God.  Some of us have actions that jump right out and slap us in the face and say you know this is not pleasing to God.  Everyone that you are around or come in contact with sees that you are not glorifying God and so do you.  Still others have those hidden sins.  Understand that though they may be hidden from me and the other members of this church they are not hidden from God and it is not hidden from those who actually see what you do or hear what you say.  Understand this.  When you participate in actions that do not glorify God you kill your witness with others and bring a stigma on the name of Christ.  You become a hindrance to building of God’s kingdom and thus do not glorify God.  You reduce your fruit bearing capacity which reduces your ability to glorify God.  You show your faithlessness and thus do not glorify God. 

          In everything that we do we are to glorify God.  As Christians we are called to glorify God.  I encourage you today to seek to Give God His Glory.