The Glory of God

Now let's pray together.

Lord God, we praise you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, acknowledging your greatness and your glory.

Acknowledging, too, that we will only ever catch a brief glimpse of all you are in your absolute perfections.

But Lord, we thank you for what we find in your word, teaching us that you are the eternal king, that you rule over all things and over all people, that you are our creator, that you are our sustainer,

that you are moving all of history forward in your intended direction until the return of our Lord Jesus, until he comes in judgment and in final salvation and establishes the new heaven and the new earth for his people.

Lord, we thank you that you are the God who is mightier than the oceans.

We have seen so much of the power of the weather in the storms that have gripped so much of Europe in recent days.

But we recognize you are mightier by far.

Lord, we praise you that your word is unbreakable, that it is the word of the king and it is unchanging.

Lord, we thank you that you are the God who is perfect in holiness.

Thank you that you never change, you never diminish in your perfection, that you remain always our holy, holy, holy God.

And we thank you that from your glory and your power and your goodness, you are able to strengthen us.

And so we pray once again that as you meet with us, that you would meet with us to do us good from your word.

That as we see something of your glory, that it would cause our hearts to worship.

That it would cause our lives to be lived under your good rule.

So guide us in our time together.

Guide us in our discussions later.

And all for your glory we pray.

Amen.

So, again, we are going to be thinking about another of our key doctrines.

This time it's the glory of God to think about it in God's word and to think about its significance for everyday life.

We'll shortly be reading from Isaiah 40, a wonderful text to think about the glory of God.

But before that, a couple of introductory questions.

First of all, what do we mean when we're talking about the glory of God?

Paul Tripp has a helpful definition for us.

He says, God's glory is the greatness, beauty and perfection of all that he is.

So it's a helpful working definition for us.

To speak of the glory of God is to make a declaration that God has majesty, that God is great.

And at the same time, that becomes for us an invitation.

As we recognize the greatness of the one true God, that we would worship him.

So God's glory, seeing God's glory, should lead us to worship.

We've already sung from Psalm 93, but we could mention Psalm 48, verse 1,

Psalms 48:1

which begins, great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.

Psalm 93, which began, the Lord reigns.

He is robed in majesty.

The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.

Psalm 95, verse 3, the Lord is the great God, great King above all gods.

Psalms 95:3

Psalm 145 testifies to the reality that one generation will say to the other,

speak to the other of the glorious splendor of the majesty of God.

So the Bible is full and our Psalms are full of the greatness, the beauty, the perfection of God.

That being the case, why do we need to see the glory of God is something that we'll think about this evening.

And one important reason why we need the glory of God is because within all of our hearts,

there is what we might call a glory war.

There is a battle for hearts and minds going on.

So one thing that is true for all of us as people is that we are hardwired or we are programmed to seek glory

and to seek something that is glorious.

God made us that way, so ultimately that we would seek him and find him and recognize his supreme glory.

But because of sin, so often we become glory thieves.

Since Adam and Eve, there is that desire within us to be like God,

to want to put ourself at the center, and so we rob God of glory.

But also we exchange the creator for created things, and we give glory to those created things.

And we might see that when our fascination and obsession is taken up with, let's say, a sports team,

or with art, or with a particular person rather than God.

But we were made that only seeing and responding to the glory of God would be what would truly satisfy us.

Because only God is eternal and infinite and unlimited in his greatness, perfection, and beauty.

And so we can chase after these lesser things, and they may satisfy for a while, but they cannot satisfy ultimately.

But there is that battle going on in our hearts, and ultimately, only God's grace in the gospel is going to win that battle for us.

Only as we see the glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus are we going to be truly captivated by God and his glory above all lesser things.

So that's one reason why we need the glory of God, because of that war that goes on in our hearts all the time.

We also need it because sometimes in our thinking our God becomes too small.

The Bible is very clear that God is unlimited.

He's eternal and infinite. He's almighty and perfect.

But sometimes, in our own thinking, especially if we lose sight of God's revelation in the Bible,

we lose that sense of the infinite gap that is between our great God and ourselves.

We bring him, as it were, down to our level.

Or, on the other hand, we might apply our limits to God.

You know, our wisdom is not perfect.

Our understanding is not perfect.

Our love is not perfect.

So we imagine God being like that.

Or we can think of God as being personal, and he is,

but we fail to see how majestic and other he is,

emphasizing one over the other.

And the result when we do that is we begin to lose a sense of worship.

And if we lose sight of the greatness and glory of God,

it can be very easy then for us to become discouraged,

for us to begin to have doubts,

for us to begin to wonder,

well, can Christ's kingdom really prosper?

Can God move in power again?

Think about our city or think about our nation?

And so we're going to come shortly to Isaiah chapter 40,

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

and that was the reality for the folks that were hearing that word from God.

And because they were exiles, and they were discouraged,

and they were fearful.

But I imagine that we can relate to that in our own time.

Two vital steps that we want to take to recover a right sense of God's glory then

is on the one hand to remove any thought of limits

when it comes to thinking about God.

And secondly, and this is where we see it a lot in Isaiah 40,

is to compare God with those powers and those forces

that we typically think of as great,

recognizing that God is greater than.

So with that in view, let's turn in our Bibles

to the book of Isaiah and chapter 40,

and we'll read the whole chapter,

and then we will think about it together.

And the words are on the screen if you don't have a copy of the Bible yourself.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling,

in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low,

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain,

and the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

A voice says, cry out.

And I said, what shall I cry?

All people are like grass,

and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.

You who bring good news to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout.

Lift it up.

Do not be afraid.

Say to the towns of Judah,

here is your God.

See, the sovereign Lord comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd.

He gathers the lambs in his arms,

and carries them close to his heart.

He gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on the scales,

and the hills in a balance?

Who can fathom the spirit of the Lord,

or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,

and who taught him the right way?

Who was it that taught him knowledge,

or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket.

They are regarded as dust on the scales.

He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,

nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing.

They are regarded by him as worthless,

and less than nothing.

With whom then will you compare God?

To what image will you liken him?

As for an idol, a metal worker casts it,

and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,

and fashions silver chains for it.

A person too poor to present such an offering,

selects wood that will not rot.

They look for a skilled worker,

to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught,

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown,

no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows on them and they wither,

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

To whom will you compare me?

Or who is my equal, says the Holy One?

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens who created all these.

He who brings out the starry host one by one,

and calls forth each of them by name,

because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

Why do you complain, Jacob?

Why do you say, Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord?

My cause is disregarded by my God?

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary,

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not be faint.

Amen.

Wonderful chapter.

We're going to begin by thinking about

six necessary comparisons

as we want to see the glory of God.

So here is Isaiah, and he's led by the Spirit,

and he's speaking to these discouraged

and anxious people of God.

And he gives these beautiful words of comfort.

Comfort to be found in the glory of God

and knowing the God of glory.

And the emphasis is on the fact that God has no limits

and God has no rivals when it comes to his glory.

So six points of comparison or contrast.

First in verses six to eight,

the glory of the word of God

compared to us as people.

What does Isaiah, led by the Spirit, say about people?

All people are like grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall

because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

It's the emphasis there.

We are frail.

We are fragile.

As people, we are constantly changing.

In some ways, we are growing and developing.

In other ways, we are experiencing loss

and we are decreasing.

And ultimately, what we discover there in verse seven

is that our breath is given by God.

Our breath is taken by God.

Our lives are in the hands of God.

But while we are constantly changing

and we are marked by fragility,

verse eight,

but the word of our God endures forever.

His word never changes.

His is the one word

that is never in need of an upgrade,

an update, or any form of correction.

So in the word of God,

we have a glorious stability

for our changing lives

and in our changing world.

So the word of God compared to people.

The next comparison to think about

so we can see the glory of God

is related to the tasks of God.

Verses 12 to 14.

He goes to these huge things of creation

who has measured the waters

in the hollow of his hand.

So there's the oceans pictured

as if they were just in the palm of God's hands

or with the breadth of his hand

marked off the heavens.

We think about the sky and all its vastness

as if God measured them so easily

with just the breadth of his hand,

weighing the mountains on the scales.

Compared with the God of glory,

all of these acts of creation

are small,

as wonderful as they are.

We may very well find ourselves

being amazed by the discoveries

that there are within the natural world,

amazed by the latest documentary

from David Attenborough.

But even as we listen to those documentaries

and we see those scenes,

we recognize that as people

there is still so much

that we have not explored,

there is so much that remains unknown,

and beyond all that

is the stark reality

that we did not create,

but God did.

And in verses 13 and 14,

in a sense there's a challenge.

Who else could do this?

Who else could measure the oceans

in the palm of his hand?

Who else has measured

the dust of the earth in a basket?

Who is big enough?

Who is wise enough?

Who is creative enough

to make all of this?

And of course the answer is no one.

And so the people of God

are invited in verse 9,

and we'll come back again and again

to recognize and to say,

here is our God.

He is a God of glory,

and we can see it in his great tasks.

And we see it also in contrast

with the nations.

Think again about Israel's national story.

Think about their position geographically,

always being threatened

by larger empires,

more powerful nations all around,

sometimes threatened,

sometimes taken into captivity

as they have been in their recent history.

And we can imagine them

looking across their borders,

often with anxiety and fear,

and God says,

remember,

surely the nations are like

a drop in a bucket.

They're regarded as dust on the scales.

Those enemies

that you are so fearful of,

verse 17,

before him,

before the God of glory,

all the nations are as nothing.

They're regarded by him

as worthless and less than nothing.

Think about that

when we watch the news.

The focus on the news just now,

I guess,

is on the force of Russia

and the threat from Russia.

Or perhaps if you read

from items from the persecuted church,

you get your stories of mission,

and you learn about the governments

of Afghanistan and North Korea and Iran

and their determination

to try and squeeze out Christianity

within their country.

We are invited to read Isaiah 40

and to remember that those nations,

and indeed our nation,

is not in control,

but God is.

Those nations are not setting

the course of world history.

Our glorious God is.

And so the answer to Israel's fear,

the answer to our fear,

is to behold our God

and see him in comparison

to the nations.

We can move then to verses 21 and 22.

Think about God in comparison

with the world.

And we recognize we live

in a wonderful world.

It's a vast world.

There are over seven billion people

living in the world.

There's incredible variety

and complexity in our habitats

and weather systems

and geology.

Compared to us,

we are dwarfed by the world,

but God dwarfs his world.

So verse 22,

our God sits enthroned

above the circle of the earth

and its people

are like grasshoppers.

What you find in this section

is the ease with which God creates.

He stretches out the heavens

like a canopy

and spreads them out

like a tent to live in.

Here is the unlimited glory of God.

Here is the ease with which

he created this vast universe.

And here is a picture

of his rule as king

over his creation.

I read an interview this week

with Alistair McGrath,

who writes a lot on science and faith.

And maybe you've heard him

in sort of debates with atheists.

And he does a lot on

helping people to see

that you can be a scientist

and have faith.

And he speaks about

the wonder of the natural world

as a gateway to faith.

that as Christians,

we should be looking

at the world around us

and it should be leading us

to worship.

He had that wonderful thought

that they're thinking

about the most beautiful thing

that we can imagine,

whether that's the beauty

of the Alps

or the beauty

of the Great Barrier Reef,

whatever it might be,

that glory is real,

but it's tiny compared

to the infinitely greater

grandeur and glory of our God.

And so the natural world

becomes a gateway

to worship

when we remember

here is our God

in contrast

with the world

that he made.

Moving from there,

in verse 23 and 24,

there is this comparison

between God

and the great rulers

of the world.

God brings princes

to naught

and reduces the rulers

of this world

to nothing.

And again,

there's that image

of planting

and taking root

and then he blows

on them

and they wither

and a whirlwind

sweeps them away

like chaff.

History is full of

the stories

of powerful rulers,

some achieving fame,

some achieving infamy.

There have always been

great leaders

in every generation,

in every century,

in every nation,

but the common theme,

according to Isaiah 40,

is that God

reduces them all

in the end

to nothing.

But the achievements

of the great

and the good,

the achievements

of the evil dictators

did not spare them

from death.

And again,

it's helpful for us

to remember

that while there will

always be princes

and presidents

and dictators

and dot-com billionaires

and there'll be

powerful people

in the world,

they don't determine

ultimately

how the world goes.

only the eternal,

unlimited,

glorious God

does that.

Proverbs 21,

Proverbs 21:1

verse 1,

the king's heart

is like a stream

of water

in God's hand.

He directs

as he pleases.

He is greater

than the greatest

men and women

who have ever lived.

And then the last

comparison,

and it's maybe,

I think,

for many

where we find ourselves

when we think

about the glory

of God

in the natural world.

He goes to the stars.

To whom will you

compare me

or who is my equal,

says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes

and look to the heavens.

Who created all these?

He who brings out

the starry host

one by one

and calls them forth

each by name

because of his great power

and mighty strength

not one of them

is missing.

Nothing,

on the one hand,

can make us feel

smaller

than standing

under a canopy

of stars.

But perhaps

nothing too

reminds us

of the glory

of God

than that same

night sky.

Even the language

of galaxies

and light years

serves to put us

in our place

as people.

Our galaxy,

the Milky Way,

were we to leave

to this very moment

to try and get

to the center

of our galaxy,

it would take us

25,000 light years.

And a light year

is moving at the speed

of 186,000 miles

per second.

Scientists tell us

we can see on average

6,000 stars

with the naked eye

as we look up

if the night is clear.

For each one

of those 6,000 stars

there is for each

of them 20 million

that we cannot see.

There is glory

but it's tiny

compared to the glory

of God.

God who brings

out the stars,

who sets them

on their course.

God who names them

including the trillions

that we will never see

and his power

keeps them shining.

So again,

our telescopes

function as powerful

tools for worship

as they encourage us

to see

behold

our God,

the God

of glory.

So when we

look

and when we

see the God

of glory

what happens?

Is it we get

a new lens

through which

to view life?

So we watch

our news

or we read

our newspapers

and

where

perhaps our

natural tendency

is towards anxiety

or sadness.

We're invited

to turn

those stories

and those situations

and those nations

to God

in prayer

and to remind

ourselves

of the God

who sits

enthroned

in glory

who is

working out

his purposes

even when we

struggle to see

how that can be.

It changes

how we look

at the natural world

whether that's

sunsets

or whether that's

the flurry

of snowflakes.

They are opportunities

for our praise.

Opportunities

for us

to have conversations

about God

as creator

about the reality

of intelligent design.

reflecting on

the glory

of God

and the fact

that he is

unlimited

should give us

comfort as we

consider our

uncertain future

each day

because it's not

uncertain to God

and so there's

an invitation

to learn to rest

and to trust

into who he is

and to his

governing

and caring

for us.

To see

the glory

of God

I think

is to change

our prayer

lives as well.

In the one

hand

we will praise

as much

as perhaps

we say

please.

We'll just

want to

worship

but also

as we understand

who is our

God

it's going

to encourage

us to ask

more boldly

in our prayers.

Sometimes

our prayers

are too small

because our

God is too

small.

Our God

and his

grace

are not

small

and so

we are

invited

to pray

boldly

and with

confidence.

And when

we consider

the glory

of God

it should

also

be shifting

our priorities.

Why are we

here?

What's life

all about?

Sometimes

we lose

sight of

our primary

calling to

glorify the

God of

glory.

So there's

a question

for us

to ask

ourselves

regularly

how can

I see

and enjoy

the glory

of God?

How can

I give

God glory

in this

moment?

So there's

those six

necessary

comparisons.

But we're

going to

look briefly

at three

necessary

corrections

that we

find in

our text

as well.

So Isaiah

again inspired

by the Holy

Spirit is

using the

smallness of

human language

trying to

put the

hugeness

of God's

glory to

us so

that we

can catch

a glimpse

of it and

he does

that for

good reason.

There are

three questions

well there's

more than

three questions

but we're

going to

look at

three questions

in our

text to

show us

why over

and over

again the

people of

God are

being invited

to behold

their God

and to

see his

glory.

The first

question by

way of

correction we

find in

verse 18

and verse

25.

To whom

will you

compare me

or who

is my

equal

says the

Holy One.

God

is God

doing

through

Isaiah

there?

He's

speaking

to that

human

tendency

that we

have

either to

apply our

weaknesses

and our

limits to

our thinking

about God

or looking

at verse

18 to

make lesser

things equal

to him

in the

establishing of

idols in

our hearts

and in

our lives.

And so

we need

that question

with whom

then will

you compare

God so

that we

would recognize

truly that

God is

incomparable,

that God

truly is

unlimited,

that his

love for

his people

is steadfast

and constant,

that we

don't judge

God's love

by the measure

of our

fluctuating

love,

that his

wisdom is

complete and

absolute,

past,

present,

future,

there is

nothing hidden

from God,

that his

power is

absolute,

that he has

no rivals,

there is no

one who's

going to come

along and

set God's

plan off

course,

and that

his ways,

all his

ways,

are good.

Luther once

wrote to

Erasmus

to say,

your thoughts

of God

are too

human,

and Isaiah

40 is

written to

warn us

against that.

Isaiah

40 should

have that

purpose of

renewing our

mind to

see God's

glory so

that we

wouldn't

compare him

with anything

within his

creation.

Second

question to

think about,

verse 27,

why do you

complain,

Jacob?

Why do you

say,

my way

is hidden

from the

Lord?

My cause

is disregarded

by my

God.

So the

circumstances

of God's

people are

causing them

to doubt,

causing them to

think, well,

either God

can't see,

God can't

know,

God can't

care,

he's forgotten

us.

Maybe those

are questions

and feelings

that we

relate to

in our

own personal

lives,

maybe we

look at our

national

condition and

we think,

has God

simply

forgotten

us?

And the

response of

Isaiah 40

is again

to draw

the minds

of those

hearers and

those readers

towards the

glory of

the Lord,

the person

O God,

the powerful

God,

the covenant

making,

covenant

keeping God,

the one

who will

not and

cannot

abandon

his people,

to a

saviour who

will never

abandon

his sheep.

We need

to understand

that while

our circumstances

can cause

us to fear,

there is that

bedrock

certainty that

our way is

never hidden,

that God is

working his

purposes out.

for us,

in the time

that we

find ourselves,

we go to

the cross

to recognise

that and to

take heart

in that,

and we

understand

there,

Jesus,

the perfect

sinless

Son of

God,

went to

the cross

and felt

that sense

of being

abandoned

and forsaken

by his

Father as

he became

our sin

bearer,

carrying

our sin

and guilt.

why?

So that as

he faces

the punishment

that we

deserve,

we will

never be

condemned,

we will

never be

forsaken.

Our sin

is paid

so there

is nothing

that can

separate us

from the

love of

God that

is in

Christ

Jesus.

So even

if we

feel it,

there is

a truth

that we

need to

know that

our way

is never

hidden

from our

glorious

God.

Third

question that

helps to

correct our

thinking.

Verse 28,

do you

not know,

have you

not heard,

the Lord

is the

everlasting

God,

the creator

of the

ends of

the earth.

He will

not grow

tired or

weary,

and his

understanding

no one

can fathom.

Of course

the idea

of God

being

everlasting,

God

being

eternal,

is hard

for us

to process

and we'll

never get

our minds

around it,

but we

need to

hold our

grip on

that reality

that God

is everlasting.

Especially

to think

for ourselves

as the

people of

God

about his

everlasting

love.

The

everlasting

God has

everlasting

love for

his children.

God's love

for us

is eternal,

it has no

beginning,

it has no

end.

When we are

trusting in

the Lord

Jesus Christ

as our

saviour,

we have

always and

we will

always enjoy

the glorious

love of

God.

Our

creator,

the

all-powerful

one,

the all-wise

one,

is there

as our

loving God

to give

us strength,

to renew

our strength.

And so

we need to

remind

ourselves,

and Isaiah

40 is so

helpful of

this,

we need to

remind ourselves

of the

majesty of

God,

the beauty

of God,

the perfection

of our

God.

As we

fight against

that sin

in our

lives where

we would

make God

small,

or we

would take

glory from

God because

we give

it to

other things,

it's that

powerful

antidote

against

idolatry

and against

discouragement

and fear.

We need

to see

who our

God

is.

two

necessary

comforts

as we

close,

the two

bookends

to this

wonderful

chapter.

And we'll

get there

in a minute,

but before

we go

there,

just to

remind

ourselves,

in verses

10 and

11,

we have

this

surprising

and wonderful

image.

See,

the sovereign

Lord comes

with power

and he

rules with

a mighty

arm.

So here's

the God

of glory,

the God

who is

king,

the God

with all

power,

and what

does he

do?

He tends

his flock

like a

shepherd.

He gathers

the lambs in

his arms

and carries

them close

to his

heart.

We're used

to the

idea of

all-powerful.

We don't

tend to

think that

those who

are all-powerful

are also

fully loving.

Perhaps

we're used

to loving

someone,

but we lack

power to

help them.

But here

is the

God of

glory and

he is

powerful

ruler and

he is

tender

shepherd

saviour

at the

same

time.

And out

of that

loving

kindness

he's given

us this

beautiful

chapter.

A

wonderfully

encouraging

comforting

chapter.

And let's

look at the

bookends

just as we

finish our

time.

Verse

one.

Comfort,

comfort my

people,

says your

God.

There is

comfort in

knowing the

God of

glory.

Here is

God and

he's coming

to his

dispirited

people and

he's revealing

his glory

to them.

And he is

reminding them

and comforting

them with the

reality of

his redemption.

That he has

come to

renew their

strength,

to give

strength to

their faith.

Verse

five.

The glory

of the

Lord will

be revealed.

And here

is where we

are invited

to rest.

To rest

in this

God of

infinite glory

who holds

the church

in his

hands.

We are

precious to

him.

He loves

us and

he loves

us always.

And so

the glory of

God is

intended to

comfort us.

It's

intended to

give our

faith

backbone.

As we

live on the

margins like

the people in

Isaiah's day,

as we can

perhaps feel

forgotten,

as we can

easily be

discouraged,

we need to

find comfort

from knowing

the God of

glory.

That's one

bookend.

The other

bookend,

verse 31,

those who

hope in

the Lord

will renew

their

strength.

Our

hope,

where does

it come

from?

Our

hope rests

in the

glory of

God,

in the

God of

glory.

Unlike

us,

God is

unlimited in

his power,

in his

wisdom,

and in

his love.

And in

our God

there is

this promise

of strength

for today

and bright

hope for

tomorrow

because this

is our

God.

The God

who moved

heaven and

earth to

save his

people in

the sending

of his

son will

ensure that

he gives

us the

strength that

we need

to soar

and to

run and

to walk

all the

way to

eternal

glory with

him.

One final

word,

to go back

to verse

five where

we read

and the

glory of

the Lord

will be

revealed and

all people

will see

it together.

When is

God's glory

most fully

revealed?

The gospel

writers tell

us this

passage is

fulfilled in

the coming

of Jesus.

Luke chapter

three.

It's the

testimony of

John.

We have

seen his

glory, the

glory of

the one

and only,

full of

grace and

truth.

The glory

of the

Lord is

revealed in

a new

way in

the coming

of the

Lord Jesus.

Jonathan

Edwards,

that Puritan

theologian,

wrote a

little

treatise on

why did

God create

the world.

And his

wonderful and

kind of

startling

observation is

that God

created the

world that

Jesus Christ

his son

would have

an outlet

for all

the love

in his

heart.

That he

would have

the opportunity

to pour

out his

love on

his church.

And that

makes sense

when you

think about

how is the

climax of

God's glory

revealed?

world.

It's

revealed in

Jesus,

the perfect

sinless

son of

God dying

on the

cross to

complete God's

plan of

salvation,

to bring

his people

into that

eternal

fellowship

of love.

So that in

the coming

of Jesus,

in the

ministry of

Jesus,

God's glory

goes further

and shines

brighter than

it ever

has done

before.

The glory

of God

is revealed

in Jesus.

And so

with Isaiah

and the

people of

his day,

we're invited

once again

to behold

our God.

So let me

pray about

that and

then we'll

sing and

then after

that we'll

have a

chance for

those of

us who

are able

to stay

to discuss

together the

glory of

God.

So let's

pray together.

Lord, we

thank you

for this

part of your

word.

and we

thank you

for the

way it

reminds us

that you

are a

God without

limits and

a God

without rivals,

that you

are a God

of great

glory,

that you

are the

God of

almighty

power,

but at

the same

time the

God of

tender,

loving

care.

We thank

you for

the way

your glory

is revealed

in the

natural

world.

We thank

you that

your glory

is revealed

in your

word.

And we

thank you

that your

glory was

revealed in

the coming

of the

Lord Jesus

our Savior.

Thank you

for your

glorious love

demonstrated to

us in

his sacrificial

self-giving

death on

the cross.

And Lord,

we pray that

you would

help us to

keep your

glory in

view,

hope and

confidence and

comfort.

We

recognize

all too

easily that

our hearts

are pulled

away from

you,

that we

are captivated

by lesser

things.

So Lord,

please renew

our hearts

and our

minds as

we consider

your far

greater glory.

we pray in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

So we

will close

singing together

the hymn

Behold Our

God and

let's stand

together to

sing.

Amen.