Whose Glory Are We Seeking?

 17th May 26
Acts 1.6-14 
John 17.1-11

Since I’ve been here, we have spent time considering who we are as a church congregation, how we relate to God and what we want to do in the future.   I have encouraged everyone to ‘look forward’ rather than wistfully look back at the past, perhaps with rose-tinted glasses… 
Looking forward to:
•    Continuing to do what’s good.
•    Considering what we might want to change.
•    Asking what we could only dream of doing.
But
•    What are the good ideas?
•    Even if something is a good idea, should we do it?   How can we be sure that this is the right time, the right place?   There is no point in trying to replicate what others do in different settings.
Well, the prayer of Jesus read to us gives us some principles we can apply that can help us as we develop our thoughts:

The passage read from John tells us that Jesus’ aim was to bring glory to God.
For context, we need to cast our minds back to the events just before Easter to set the scene for this passage.   We’ve had the triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey into Jerusalem.   John records Jesus saying his goodbyes, just before he is arrested.   Now, He comes to pray:

  • Firstly, he prays to God for Himself, showing how he had glorified God by achieving the task of showing people how to have eternal life, and asking to have his own glory reinstated.
  • Secondly, he prays for protection for his disciples, those who had believed in him but would be left behind in an unbelieving world.
  • We didn’t read the full passage, but He also prayed for believers who would follow, particularly for unity amongst them.

There are a couple of principles I want to highlight from His first prayer that might help us decide how to develop the church life here.

The first principle I want to look at is - Jesus’ aim, his desire, his purpose was to bring glory to the Father – to do His Father’s work - to put His Father first.   

We can know how to develop the life of the church here by putting God first.

John starts his gospel with a very clear and strong statement of who Jesus was - Just as Jesus was fully human, he was, and is, God.   Jesus had put aside the glory he was entitled to and was obedient to his father.   His crucifixion was the ultimate example of his obedience.   His glory was seen at his resurrection and again at his ascension.

What about us?

Does anyone recognise the question “What is the chief end of man?”   It’s the first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism – written in the 1640s.   Presbyterians in particular used it to teach doctrine.   
It’s in question-and-answer form; there are 107 questions, the first is:
“What is the chief end of man?” (and if it were written today, it would be more inclusive and say ‘and woman’)
Answer: “Man’s (and women’s) chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

The reason God made us, our primary reason for being on this earth, is to glorify Him and enjoy Him.   Our purpose is to do, to act, to live to glorify God, not ourselves.
Jesus was the ultimate role model for this.

So, a healthy question to ask ourselves is, ‘Are we seeking God’s glory, or our own…’   …in our lives?   …in our church?
•    When we consider what we do as a church, what we should keep doing and what we should change, are we thinking about the glory of God, or our own glory?
•    Are we thinking about what He likes or what we like?
•    What we think is important, or what He thinks is important?
•    What we think he wants to happen, or what He has said he wants to see happen?
The answer to these questions will show what our underlying attitudes and motives are.
God is not here to do our bidding.   The church is not meant to be our plaything, full of activities that make us comfortable, that look good – all of which we ask God to bless.
 

This church is to be what God wants it to be. Aiming for anything other than this is:
•    At best, a waste of time:
•    At worst, idolatry.
 

But how do we know what God wants?

The second principle I want to look at is - Jesus brought glory to God through knowing him.   We can know how to develop the life of the church here through our relationship with God, through knowing Him.
Jesus started his prayer with “Father”.   It can seem over-familiar to think that God can be addressed in this way, but Jesus uses this term regularly, showing the intimacy He has with His Father.   Later in, v11, he says “Holy Father”, acknowledging God as both awesome, yet close.
It’s also how the Lord’s Prayer starts; the prayer Jesus gave in answer to the request “teach us how to pray”.   We start with “Father”, “Our Father”.

In the passage, Jesus said that eternal life is ‘knowing God’.   Just imagine that... a life knowing God, having a relationship with him.   A life that is transformed to one of obedience to God, and living in a loving relationship with others who also know God.   We can have this life, this eternal life.
We can ‘know God’ through Jesus’ death on a cross, where we celebrate the things that separate us from God – often called sin – are dealt with.   Our relationship with God is restored, and we are no longer dead but alive.
It’s so exciting that we’re not just tolerating this life, waiting for some vague reward ‘in the clouds’ when we die.   Eternal life is about knowing God.   Now.    It’s not just something that is hoped for in the future, but a present experience.    It’s about having a relationship, or fellowship, with God now; a relationship that death will not destroy.   We live this life spending time with God.

I remember one of my college lecturers recalled his time as a vicar.   Whenever he was asked by a love-struck couple to marry them, he always replied 
“Tell me the three things that annoy you most about each other”.   (I think I would balance it by “...and tell me the three things you like best about each other”!)   But the idea is that if you can’t think of anything, then you don’t really know the person well enough to marry them.
When we know someone, we know what they want.
When we know God:
•    We know what He wants. 
•    We will understand the things that make him smile and the things that hurt him.
•    What’s important and what’s not so important.

Relationships take time to develop, and they don’t just happen on their own.   It might seem obvious, but knowing someone and having a relationship with them includes talking to them.  Jesus is doing this here, talking with his father, God.   
Praying is vital if we want to know what’s important to God, knowing his heart for this church.   
•    As individuals.
•    And as a church.
Every other Tuesday we come together to pray, 6.30pm in The Lounge.   Wouldn’t it be exciting if so many came to seek God’s heart that The Lounge was too small to meet in, and we had to move into the Chapel? 
Jesus lived in a small area; he never travelled to Rome or Athens as later apostles did, certainly He never came to England or even Swanland!   He did not experience marriage, the struggles of parenthood, the challenge of middle age or the limitations of ageing.   He didn’t heal everyone in Palestine, but He brought glory to his father by finishing the work that God gave Him to do (v4). 

What work has God Given us to do?
We can’t reach the whole world or meet every need, but as a church, here and now, we have work to do.   The work He sets.   Not to bring glory to ourselves, but to God.

Jesus knew his time had come.   His crucifixion and resurrection were close, and he knew he would be leaving, but he promised not to leave his followers alone; He would send his Holy Spirit to bring power to the church, to continue His work.
The church celebrates this next Sunday at Pentecost.

This passage shows us Jesus’ example, that the first priority is to glorify God.   Whatever we do, whether it is worship or witness, it is not to promote any human organisations or inflate our egos; it is for God’s honour and glory.  As long as we are obedient to Him, then we, too, can give glory to God.
Secondly, we can know the heart of God, what he wants, by growing in our relationship with Him.


So, where should we look for guidance regarding our motives?

What sort of attitude should we cultivate?

What sort of people should we aim to be?

Jesus is our example.


His aim, his desire, his purpose was to bring glory to God - to put God first.
When we put God first, when we know his commands and are obedient to them, then the life of the church here will grow and develop, and God will be glorified.

Revd Kevin

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