Thirst Student Ministries

It's Not About Me, by Stuart McCray - April 1, 2007

I really like this time of the year the best. I can wear shorts if I want or even pants and not be too hot. The weather is just right for me! Plus, I also really love these times in the church year, like Christmas, Easter and Pentecost (but mainly Christmas and Easter) they are so AWESOME. These should be times during the year for reflection, celebration and a cause for real joy in the character of God as shown in the face of Jesus Christ.

But, and here is my "soap box", I also don't like these times of the year and it's definitely not because of the season in and of itself. I mean, today is Palm Sunday; today we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion. Thursday is Maundy Thursday; which is the feast or holy day on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. On this day four events are commemorated: the washing of the Disciple's feet by Jesus Christ; the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper (communion, which we will be taking later); the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and finally the betrayal of Christ by Judas. Friday is Good Friday, which is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary. And that leaves us with next Sunday which is Easter; Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which is Biblically believed to have occurred on the third day after his death. All of this was prophesized to happen along time ago. This entire process, had to happen just the way it did for God's word to be the TRUTH, which it emphatically is.

The reason I have a hard time (while at the same time loving the season) with these special times throughout the church year is that my heart becomes saddened and broken for all the lost and/or spiritually confused that come to church, during these times of the year.

This is one of the major times in the church (and really more specifically next week on Easter Sunday) when people come in and "play" Christian during the year. You see for the exact opposite reason that I said I love this time of the year (for reflection, celebration and a cause for real joy in the character of God as shown in the face of Jesus Christ) is that there are others that get "into" these times of the church year to get their "Fire Insurance Ticket" punched . I say Fire Insurance because some folks think the reason that they should believe in Christ as their Savior is so that they won't go to Hell. So it is more or less "insurance" from the "fire" or Hell. Some folks come and get their "Salvation Ticket" punched or their "Good Person Ticket" punched or even their "Entrance into the Place Called Heaven Ticket" punched .

But most likely they aren't coming because they desire God above all things and that they want to marvel in His Glory. So at the end of the day, they are coming for some sort of "me" factor. They are coming because of the self serving reasons such as getting their "ticket" punched or any of the other million "me" reasons they might have.

But sadly, I bet you that their heart is not into coming and truly worshipping the Sovereign Lord who is over all things. And since their desire is not to come and marvel in His presence, it hurts my heart.

It hurts my heart to think of the lost and spiritually blind that think that they are OK with having cheap Grace and a cheap Faith where God (Christ) is not truly Lord of their heart nor Master over their being…but He's a ticket that get's punched off in their busy lives of food, drink, work, and fun…you name it. *A side note on this hurt in my heart for the lost. This conviction that God has given me about their state of depravity (or spiritual ruin) causes me to pray. Pray to God for their true joy to be in Him above all things. In John 6:44 it says that no one can come to spiritually know Jesus Christ as their savior unless the God who sent Christ draws that person to His side. Don't ever forget that it is the Lord GOD who brings about salvation in the soul [!]. It is not from your fancy words or powerful sayings or by anything else but by God's sovereign grace that they will come to know him as Lord.

What I want to focus on today, on Palm Sunday, is us getting into the right mind set that we should have for this season. So I want everyone to say this with me…

Hold on, wait, wait just a minute I am being informed that we have…a commercial break [?], what's that, a commercial break? OK? Well let's go to the commercial then.

Well that was unique wasn't it?!? You know what, I had a point I wanted to make and now seems like the best time for it…"It's Not About Me"! Will you say that with me one more time, "It's Not About Me".

I think that goes against everything that our culture tells us and tries to teach us. Burger King tell us to, "Have it Your Way" and Sprite says, "Obey Your Thirst" and, I'm not sure who this is, but it goes "You're the Boss".

Now I know these are basic examples but the list could go on, and I'm sure you know many more than what I gave you, but simply put, we are a self-focused culture. Will you agree with me on that?

But do you realize that in God's culture, He calls us to be focused solely on Him, solely on HIS GLORY and Him receiving all the glory? Again, the Christian faith goes against the grain of our culture even in the simplest form of thought.

I want to share with you a piece of scripture from Isaiah. [Isaiah 48:11]. Isaiah 48:11 can sum up God's unending plan for humanity, for all time and can also sum up any and everything that God does.

Here it goes, Isaiah 48:11; "For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned (or corrupted, desecrated or dishonored)? My glory I will not give to another."

Here is the truth about God; God is in the business of glorifying Himself and Himself alone. You see God has done all things to glorify Himself. All things were done in a manor that has given HIS name, HIS character, HIS divine nature glory. Again in Isaiah 48:11 God says, "My glory I will not give to another."

I want to share four things with you that we sometimes try and take too much credit for. Four things in which God does completely so as to get all the glory. The four things are God receiving the glory in the creation of man; God receiving the glory in salvation ; God receiving the glory in prayer and God receiving the glory in man's ability . I think you will see a common thread by the end of this message, that God being glorified is brought about because of His purpose and will being displayed .

God Receiving the Glory in the Creation of Man
First off God does receive the glory in creating and governing of and over the creation of man. I suppose to start off; the question should be asked "Why did God create in the first place? Why was anything created and most specifically why were we created?" Theologian A.W. Pink says, "God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to create. That He chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on His part, caused by nothing outside Himself, determined by nothing but His own mere good pleasure; for He 'works all things according to the counsel of his will,' That He did create was simply for His…glory (The Attributes of God)." Pink is saying that there was no need for God to create, the act of creation birthed out of Him from His own pleasure.

Daniel 4:35 says this; "...he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" God has a plan and a purpose for humanity, for His creation and this plan, this purpose is wrapped right up into what we read as "his will".

God says this about you and your purpose in being created; "Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:4-7)."

You see God created you and intended you for HIS GLORY through His purpose and will, "bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, who I formed and made." So you see God does receive all the glory in the creation of man because this was his purpose in created man. He created you to give himself glory.

God Receiving the Glory in Salvation
Oh, yes, God receives all the glory in the bestowing of salvation to His children. 2 Timothy 1:9 says that it is God, "who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,"

Did you see it? Did you see the "key" in this verse? God receives the glory in salvation because the "holy calling" to be saved by the blood of Christ was from "his own purpose".

God has a purpose in salvation and it is not to get the "ticket" punched. It is to, spiritually know the only true God, and Jesus Christ who he sent (John 17:3) and to bring glory to himself by Him personally bringing your salvation about. If obtaining salvation had anything to do with you and me, and what we could willfully do, then it would no longer be by grace [!]. And this notion is emphatically unbiblical. Romans 11:6 says; "But if It (salvation, this holy calling) is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works (or exertion or performance or righteous deeds); otherwise grace would no longer be grace."

"Saved by grace." Those are the most beautiful words to a sinner's ears. Grace is the sweet sovereign favor shown by God to someone who does not deserve any favor at all, but actually deserves the very opposite, wrath. It is in grace that God has worked to deliver us from eternal punishment and give us His very best in life, eternal fellowship with Himself.

So, we are saved through God's calling purpose and by His sovereign grace and not by works; therefore the Word tells us that, "no one may boast" and there by giving God all the glory and credit for our salvation.

God Receiving the Glory in Prayer
God does receive all the glory through our prayers to Him. In John 14:13, it says; "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." God is most glorified when his children pray to Him. And why is God most glorified when his children pray? The answer in part is found in John 15:5.

Jesus is telling his disciples that they must abide in Him at all times and at all times He must abide in them if they are to do anything spiritually good at all. Jesus tells them that, "apart from me you can do nothing."

You see prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. Prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that He will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as mighty. And thereby glorifying Him supremely.

God Receiving the Glory in Man's Ability
God does receive the glory in man's ability to do and will. In the book of Philippians we read in chapter 2:12-13; "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

So Paul gives the "saints" (as he calls his fellow believers) in Philippi a command to actively do something in verse 12. He commands the believers to "obey...as you have always obeyed, . . . much more now." And this obedience is described in terms of "working out our salvation."

He pronounces to them that they have a responsibility to the active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification, that is being made into the image of Christ. He is also telling them that this active pursuit is done in awe and reverence, not panic and alarm.

Then in verse 13 Paul gives the substantiating reason we are able to work out our own salvation at all and that is, "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." You see beneath our working and doing is God giving the willing and giving the doing.

R.C. Sproul says this about "God who works in you." - "Paul reassures the Philippians that they do not will and work on their own, but their wills and their actions are the very arenas where God's own power is working." And John Macarthur say this about "to will and to do." and "good pleasure" - "God energizes both the believer's and his actions. The Greek word for "will" indicates that He is not focusing on mere desires or whimsical emotions but on the studied intent to fulfill a planned purpose. God's power makes His church willing to live godly lives. God wants Christians to do what satisfies Him."

So you see on one level you are commanded to work and do but on a much deeper level, God proclaims that it is He who works in you to be able to will and work things out.

Think of it like this, your doing or working or willing, whatever you want to call it, is the car and God is the engine enabling you to be able to work or will and or do at all, period.

Again did you catch what Macarthur said? He said that God was focused on a planned purpose. God has a willful plan and purpose and He works in us to will and work for, "his good pleasure." so as to get all the glory in man's ability.

The Importance of and Application of This Doctrine
I want to give you the importance of and four "application points" of this doctrine. I want to start off by giving you the four applicable things that this doctrine should cause you to do. The first thing it should do is to put our entire focus and attention solely on the Lord. It should cause our attention to have a singular focus on God's infinite glory.

The second thing this doctrine should do is to humble our prideful hearts. With the need of abiding in Christ, and with the understanding that we can do nothing at all pleasing in God's eyes without Christ abiding in us, our hearts should be humbled. If we understand that the only reason we can work and willfully do is because it is God who first works in us, to work and to will with his purpose in mind and for his good pleasure, we should be humbled. This doctrine should give you a solid foundation in the concept that God is sovereign, or in simple terms, that God is God, that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. And finally this doctrine should also bring us to a point of worship and praise of God. Since God is God by being sovereign, He is made worthy of our praise and worship and therefore, is to be delighted in.

So now I want to give you the importance or value of this doctrine. This doctrine (or teaching), that God receives all the glory in and for all things is so immeasurable to us as believers. To repeat what God said through the prophet Isaiah; "My glory I will not give to another." Again God is in the business of glorifying Himself. I knew this doctrine to be biblical for a long time, but I found great insight in this from John Piper. He says about this subject; "God is unique as the most glorious of all beings and totally self-sufficient, He must be for Himself (meaning doing all things to glorify Himself) in order to be for us. If He were to abandon the goal of His own self-exaltation, we would be the losers. I think we will see this if we ask the following question.

...What could God give us to enjoy that would show Him most loving? There is only one possible answer, isn't there? HIMSELF! If God would give us the best, the most satisfying, that is, if He would love us perfectly, He must offer us no less than Himself for our contemplation and fellowship."

So you see the value in this doctrine that God receives all the glory in and for all things is simply that. God receiving glory is the foundational piece of all that we have hope for, in being Christians. God must receive all the glory if He is to be God, and if He is to be the Holy One. And God as shown in the face of Jesus Christ GLORIFIED, is where our hope stands.

So I hope that in this season of Easter you will reflect, celebrate and marvel in the character of God as shown in the face of Jesus Christ who has, does, and will receive all the glory in and for all things and can say with all joy that, "It's Not About me".

<< Return to Sermons