The King of Glory

Rob Laukoter

To God Be the Glory • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 9 views

Notes

Transcript

Prayer

What is Glory?

Filipino weight lifter, Hidilyn Diaz, won first gold medal ever for the Philippines - huge win for that nation. She didn’t just win, she broke an Olympic record by lifting a combined total of 494 pounds.

After her win, officials from the Philippines and companies based there pledged to give her money, a combined total of - get this - $600,000. And a real estate company promised to give her a condo in an upscale neighborhood in Manila. She’s a star in that nation. She’s set.

Here’s question. Why would they do this? Why would they give her over half a million dollars and a condo, just for lifting heavy weights? Granted, it was a lot of weight, but still…that’s a lot.

It all has to do with glory. She was there, at the Olympics, this worldwide competition, representing the Philippines. I had to look this up, but Philippines is not a small population…almost 109 million people. In spite of that size, this was their first gold medal in 97 years of Olympic competition.

They’re loving it. Finally, someone from their country, one of their own, is the best. Best in the world. There’s glory there. And as fellow Filipinos, they are sharing in that glory.

What exactly is glory? It’s one of those words we throw around a lot. But could you actually define it?

As we dig into our new sermon series, To God Be the Glory, I want to start this morning by looking at the idea of glory itself. Like, what is it? Who has it? Why do we glorify certain people? Who should be glorified?

Dictionary definition of glory is high renown or honor won by notable achievements. A secondary definition is magnificence or beauty.

But I want to dig a little deeper into its meaning. We find that by going to Bible. In Hebrew, the word for glory is kavod. Root definition of kavod is weight. Something that is kavod is heavy. Here’s one example:

In 1 Samuel 4, Eli hears the terrible news of the death of his two sons and the capture of the ark of the covenant in a battle with the Philistines. When he hears the news, he falls backward off his chair, breaks his neck and dies. It happened, the Bible says, because he was an old man, and he was kavod. He was heavy, weighed a lot.

But kavod is also used metaphorically, and this is where is begins to represent glory. We see same thing in English, think about various ways we use word weight or heavy metaphorically.

Someone who has power or authority throws their weight around. Or, conversely, someone who doesn’t contribute is described as not pulling their weight, or dead weight. We might talk about weight of words. Or, similarly, the gravity of a situation. “Wow, that’s heavy” in response to something that’s super serious. It’s description of the weight we can feel in serious situations.

Glory has a sense of something that is weighty, important, has power, influence.

So, glory could be anything that gives us weight, importance, power.

That might come in form of, as the dictionary describes it, notable achievements - like winning a gold medal, or championship, achieving high status in your career, making a lot of money, being recognized as being the best at something.

It might come in form of ability to put that weight on others, make an impression (think about the idea of impression - it has weight, force, substance to it, presses on us). So we might think of things that have a “wow” factor to them, they awe us. It might be as simple as glory of a flower. Or on a grand scale, my brother just went to go visit the Grand Canyon. It definitely makes an impression. It’s glorious.

It’s very telling that humanity has a long history of making statues as way to represent someone, and their glory

Even what they’re made of - stone, bronze - big, heavy. When you go to Washington D.C., see Lincoln Memorial, Abraham Lincoln, larger than life, sitting in that chair, looming above. Or Jefferson Memorial, large circular chamber, nothing else in it, except this towering statue of Thomas Jefferson. As a nation, we chose to glorify those men and their accomplishments in the founding and leading of this nation.

Point of contention in our country right now, the question of statues - who should be honored and glorified and who shouldn’t be. When people think statue is glorifying the wrong person, they’ll deface it, vandalize it - in order to dishonor that person.

Glory is not just played out on a large scale, but we often seek it for ourselves in small ways…win an medal, might wear it around for a while, or post a picture of it so everyone can see your accomplishments. When I was in high school, got my letter jacket, I loved wearing that thing - got patches on it that district races I’d won in swimming…that was my glory. Guys driving cars that are designed to attract attention - paint job, how loud they are, special wheels and tires - that’s their glory. Or people, how they dress, their glory is in their body, their appearance, so they wear clothing to make sure you see it, draws attention to it.

If all this is true, what does this mean about God? Does he have any notable achievements? Any magnificence or beauty? What would we say about the kavod of God? How weighty is God?

Here’s our main point this morning: God is the God of glory, of all glory. He is the king of glory, he embodies glory. And because that’s true, we should take God more seriously than anything - or anyone else. God is full of kavod - he should weigh on us more than anyone else.

King of Glory

To help us see that a little better, I want us to take a look at Psalm 24:1-10

There are three sections to this psalm beginning with verses 1 & 2, which describe God’s kavod through creation.

We like when people admire nice things that we have - there’s glory to having a really nice car, or a beautiful home. We’ve had TV shows that just featured people’s homes - MTV’s cribs and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Way to show off wealth and possessions - these beautiful things belong to me.

Do you know what belongs to God? The earth, and everything in it. The world and all who live it. He founded it. He established it. This is invitation, to let the weight of God’s glory as revealed in his creation be impressed upon you.

As Jesus reminds in his Sermon on the Mount not even Solomon (who was wealthiest of all Israel’s kings - height of glory of Israel was under his reign) and yet Jesus says that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like something as simple and beautiful as the lilies of the field.

God wasn’t content with just lilies…roses…daisies…pansies…orchids…tulips…baby’s breath…list goes on and on. The array of colors and scents and varieties go on and on. All to the glory of God.

Yesterday, I had a chance to go white water rafting on the New River with a friend of mine. There were folks of all ability levels out there - and yet, everybody had on a helmet and a life jacket. And I was very glad because we went crashing down a rapid that had a drop off - the guy across from me in the raft got tossed out and I went flying back and bonked my head on the guy behind me. Every time we floated up to a bigger rapid, Scott would give us instructions and warn us of the dangers. He would take time to impress that upon us. Because there is great power in that river and if you don’t know what you’re doing, a real danger of getting yourself in serious trouble.

The power in that river pales in comparison to one who fashioned and formed it and the thousands of rivers that snake their way throughout the globe. Because the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. And not just the earth.

On my computer screen Microsoft always rotates the images that appear when my computer first boots up…the other day it was an image of one of the galaxies…had a series of letters and numbers as its name…but to just to look for a few moments and ponder about these billions of stars that are way out there beyond human eye…unimaginable number and power in those stars…Lord, you did that…all to your glory, Lord.

Psalm 24:3-6 - In next section, question arises, who’s worthy to come into presence of God? This God, who is so glorious and so great…who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

If you were granted an opportunity to visit Queen Elizabeth, queen of England (you know, if you just happened to be visiting and wanted to stop by and say hello), there are apparently quite the list of do’s and don’t’s (to be fair, these aren’t obligatory rules of behaviour, just the traditional forms that are strongly encouraged):

Here’s just a few: Arrive early, before the royal does (after all, they shouldn’t be kept waiting). Bow (just with head) or curtsy. Use proper greeting…Your majesty…or Ma’am. And you follow the Queen’s lead. Don’t speak until she does. Sit when she does. Begin eating after she does.

The queen carries a lot of weight. She has kavod, glory. Demonstrated in who and how people come into her presence.

How much more the Lord, the King of Glory! Who may come into his presence? Those with clean hands (has to do with your behavior), pure heart (right attitude), and note this one especially, those who do not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. (Hebrew here is literally, whoever does not nurse an appetite, suggestion of desire), those who do not desire an idol, a lesser god, god unworthy of glory.

That’s who’s worthy to come and stand before the Lord (that’s a little more serious than giving a bow or curtsy and using proper greeting).

Finally, the last section, Psalm 24:7-10, which is all about the Lord, the King of glory, making his appearance, he’s coming in.

Command is issued to gates themselves…lift up your heads, you gates. Be lifted up, you ancient doors. Open up, make room, he’s coming in! Don’t let anything get in his way!

It’s same dynamic as when a presidential motorcade is coming through an area…local police start blocking off every single route. No traffic allowed. Clear path. He’s coming through.

Who’s coming in? The King of kavod. The King of glory? Who is this King of glory? It’s Lord. Strong and mighty. He’s mighty warrior, mighty in battle. The Lord Almighty, he is King of glory.

Everything about this psalm is trying to impress upon you the glory of God. If Glory is all about renown, honor for notable achievements, for beauty, for majesty - for being weighty - who could possibly have more kavod than God himself?

That’s what this passage is trying to make clear. He’s the King of kavod. No one deserves more honor and glory. No one comes close. He’s in a class all by himself (doesn’t take long to take roll in this class).

This is why we are to take God so seriously. Because he is King of glory.

In every way imaginable, he is greater. His power. His creativity. His goodness. His love. What he knows. His beauty.

We will travel hundreds of miles to see majesty and glory of creation (Grand Canyon, ocean, making our way to top of mountain, spend some time gazing at a waterfall). We’ll spend hundreds of dollars to watch athletes perform in glorious and amazing feats of strength and skill or the best of musicians performing at what they do so well.

And yet, when it comes to the King of Glory, the Lord strong and mighty, how much time and effort and attention will we give him? The most glorious one of all, the weightiest, the one we should take most seriously?

Not to do this out of sense of guilt, I’m supposed to. But because we’ve recognized how glorious he truly is! We pursue all those other things because we want, in some way, to experience that magnificence and beauty, to share in that glory (just like Filipinos with their gold medal winning weightlifter, Hidilyn Diaz). How much more should we want to experience the kavod of the King of Glory?!?

Challenge - Take God seriously, He is King of Glory

Let the “weight” of God’s glory weigh on you

Example of that experience, our tour in Belize of ATM, cave of the stone sepulchre. Our guide, Basilio, from time to time, would stop and invite us to imagine what it must have been like for the Mayans, well over 1,000 years ago, to come into the caves and do all things they were doing (not so much their sacrifices, but their other accomplishments) - how far they ventured with just torches for light, fact that they aligned all their sacrificial elements in relationship to north-south-east-west.

He wanted to impress that upon us, their achievements, which were remarkable. To point that we’d go wow!

This is invitation from Scripture as well, as you stop to meditate upon it…to slow down, consider, what is this revealing to me about God and who he is…to let yourself be impressed. To let his glory make an impression upon your heart.

It’s not something we have to force or make up, God is King of glory, we simply need to be attentive to it.

My experience, Romans 5:17, For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

How much more…God’s abundant provision of grace…the gift of righteousness…reign in life…all because of Jesus!

The second challenge follows right along.

Second practice for this week: Express your wow to God! Worship God. In worship, we expressly glorify God.

Psalm 29:1-2 - Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

As you reflect on his greatness revealed in Scripture, worship him! As you experience beauty of God’s creation, worship him (talking walks in evening…). As you take a bite of something delicious, worship him! When you encounter great power - white water rapids, thunder and lightning, worship him! When you experience the delight of other people, worship him! Carry a praise song or hymn with you throughout the day, singing quietly in your heart (or out loud, if you’d like)…worship certainly shouldn’t be just Sunday mornings!

Inspiration - Let me finish with this...

C.S. Lewis had great insight into our problem when it comes to things we desire, things we think will bring us glory and joy

C.S. Lewis says it this way, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward…promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

His point is this…we settle…we think we’re going to find what our hearts most desire in lifestyle of leisure or great success or sexual relationships or lots of wealth - pleasure we think it will provide us, security it offers.

He says we’ve settled, we’re desiring lesser gods. It’s child who wants to keep on playing in the mud in the middle of a slum because he has no what he’s missing out on. We settle for these weak desires. We’re half-hearted.

All the while, God is the vacation on the white sand beach and crystal blue ocean that we could be experiencing. We could be experiencing the richness and glory of God himself - if our desires were stronger.

C.S. Lewis: “He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.” Having everything else adds nothing more to having God alone.

One of the central themes we keep coming back to again and again in our spiritual formation is the need to change our narrative, change way we think (which tends to be the way world thinks - in order to embrace Jesus’ narratives, to think way he does).

Dallas Willard puts it, that it begins with our minds being enthralled with God. See God, see him as King of Glory, Lord Almighty, God of all power, God whose love is full and never-ending and so for us, God is smartest being in all universe, abounding in creativity (just look at world around us). Abundant provisions of his grace (he just keeps giving and giving and giving)…our good and beautiful God.

This is my hope and prayer for us, is that we wouldn’t settle for mud pies in slums. That our desires would be so much stronger than that. We would settle for nothing else than best of best. The weightiest of them all. The King of Glory.