Glorifying Jesus 2 Thessalonians 1.11-12

Glorifying Jesus

2 Thessalonians 1.11-12

 

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Introduction

 

     This is what I want you to think about today - these words from the Apostle Paul: "that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." When I was in college I liked to sing a song written by Bob Kilpatrick titled "Lord, Be Glorified." It has a very simple message: "In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In my life, Lord, be glorified today." It's a nice song and easy to play on the guitar, however it doesn't really say what it means to glorify God. But it is actually similar to the song the angels sang at the birth of Jesus, and which we sang already in our service, the Gloria in Excelsis. It is also very simple: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is well pleased" (Luke 2.14). In either case, if we want God to be glorified in us, it is important to know what it means and how it is done. That's my goal in this message today. 

 

What Does "Glorify" Mean?

 

     Let's look at some examples of the glory of God in the Bible. Moses told the children of Israel they would see the glory of the LORD when He provided them with manna and quail from heaven (Exodus 16). A few chapters later Israel saw the firey glory of the LORD on Mt. Sinai, and then upon the Tabernacle, and later the Temple. David said that "The heavens declare the glory of God..." (Psalm 19.1). The Apostle John began his gospel by telling us: "The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (1.14). Jesus said that people would see the glory of God when He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11.40), and when He himself died on the cross and rose again for the sins of the whole world (John 12 & 17). One of the ways we glorify God is to see His great works and to praise Him for them. We see the glory of God when we see the great works of God, especially His work of salvation in Jesus. 

 

     But there is another especially important part of glorifying God. We don't just glorify Him like spectators glorifying a winning team. Remember the Blues fans singing the song "Gloria" on their march to the Stanley Cup! Because this is God we're talking about and not man; no one can glorify God and His works without being affected by God and His works in their personal life. Imagine that for a moment. Can you think of anything so great that by looking at it or reading about it, it will completley change your life forever? That's the glory of God! This is why Paul says that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in us! Paul also said, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10.31). Peter said: "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..." (4.11). To glorify God begins when we see the glory of God, but it continues when we become part of those great works ourselves.  So let's look at some of the ways we see the glory of God today, and glorify Him by being a part of those glorious works of the Lord ourselves.

     

Conversion

 

     What is the first glorious work of God that we experience in our lives? It is our conversion. Paul spoke about the conversion of the Thessalonians in his first letter. He had come there and taught them for only three weeks. But in those three weeks the Thessalonians were dramatically converted. Every day, when the people of this Greek city looked up across the sea, they saw the famous Mt. Olympus. This was supposedly the dwelling place of the gods like Zeus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. But after hearing about Jesus, and another mountain, Calvary, they, in Paul's words: "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (1.9-10). They saw the glory of God, and became part of the glory of God in their conversion! 

 

     How has that happened in your life? How were you turned from idols to serve the living and true God? For me it happened early in life when I was a baby. My Christian parents brought me to Jesus in baptism and taught me about Him every day after that. I can honestly say that I can't remember a single day in my life that I didn't know and believe in Jesus. However, that doesn't mean that my early conversion made things easy for me. I was constantly and still am afflicted with temptation. Sadly, there were many times when I wasn't living, as Paul says, "worthy of this calling." But an early conversion is always followed by God's many promises of preservation. I am so thankful for that - thankful for the countless times God has, as the Catechism says, "broken and hindered every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world and the sinful nature which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come."

 

     Your conversion may have come later in life like the Thessalonians or Paul on the road to Damascus. He was going to imprison and kill Christians when it happened - A glorious, blinding light, knocked him off his horse. This light was Jesus in His glory, and He called Paul out for his sins and gave him the gift of forgiveness. Martin Luther was baptized as a Christian, but he wasn't taught the forgiveness of sins. Because of this he feared God and entered a monastery in the hope of pleasing this "unforgiving God." This God was really an "idol" created by the scholastic theologians of the church in the middle ages. In desperation he turned to a friend who simply told him to read the Bible. There he began to see the glory of God when he read, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith''" (Romans 1.17-18). 

 

     Whether your conversion happened early in life or later, it was the glory of God coming into your life to save you from your sins. If you believe that, you are glorifying God, and His name is glorified in your life. 

 

Persecution

 

     How else do we glorify God? Remember how Jesus said He would be glorified in His death and resurrection? The glory of God is the opposite of the corruption of evil. When God preserves us in our faith, even when we are surrounded by evil, He is glorified in us. One of the reasons Paul wrote his two letters to the Thessalonians was because they were being heavily persecuted. You can read about this in Acts chapter seventeen. For three weeks Paul preached the good news of Jesus in the synogague at Thessalonica. Many Greeks believed, and among them was a man named Jason. Jason had allowed Paul and Silas to stay at his house. But those who didn't believe what Paul was preaching formed a mob and attacked Jason, dragged him to court, and accused him just as Jesus had been accused of proclaiming another king, contrary to the decrees of Caesar. The mob approach to things people don't like is nothing new. 

 

     What would happen if you were attacked by a mob for your Christian faith? Mobs are irrational. They aren't seeking justice because justice requires reason, debate, and democracy. Their purpose is to incite violence and to overpower their opposition by force. Mobs are the work of the devil, or another name given to that fallen angel in Revelation, "Apollyon," which means "destroyer." There is no way for a Christian to stand up against a mob. But there are two things that God does give the persecuted Christian: An insurmountable faith to be saved, and the wrath of God upon the persecutors. We need to keep these two things in mind at all times in this violent, mob-driven world. 

 

     Right now in Nigeria thousands of Christians are being killed by radical Muslims. It is a true genocide, and yet the world largely ignores it. Governments don't want to get involved. Who wants to face the wrath of the Jihad? But don't be discouraged. God gives us a faith that He preserves even unto death as we have all acknowledged in our confirmation vows. Yesterday was All Saints Day. This day was established in the 700s AD by Pope Gregory III. By that time so many Christians had been killed for their faith that no one could keep track of them all. All Saints Day remembers the martyrs "known and unknown" throughout the world. It is good for us to remember that kind of faith in the martyrs and pray for it ourselves. 

 

     But the other side of persecution is Judgment Day. While many persecutions may be ignored or forgotten by the world, not a one is forgotten by God. Paul's words are clear. He will bring tribulation and flaming vengeance upon those who persecute Christians when He comes to be glorified in His saints. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and will never see His glory. It is not our job to return evil for evil. Instead we've got better things to do.

 

Doing Good

 

     This brings me to the last thing in our reading from Paul that shows us how the name of Jesus is glorified in our lives. It is doing good. Paul calls it fulfilling "all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power." Paul gave thanks to God for the Thessalonians because they didn't go out and start a riot to destroy all the pagan temples. Instead he said they "abounded in love." Just as we glorify God by believing in Him and being converted from our idols to the living God; Just as we glorify God by faithfully enduring persecution and leaving the vengeance to God; So we also glorify God by doing the good pleasure of God and the work of faith with power. Jesus said this: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5.11). This has been the legacy of the Christian faith from its beginning. Help for the poor, hospitals, public education, universities, modern science, the ending of slavery, protection for the unborn and elderly - all of these are undeniably the fruit of the Christian faith and the glory of God in His true church. 

 

     The glory of God in us is fulfilled when a we simply ask, "How can I do good?" and when we pray to God to help us do good. We heard Isaiah say in the first lesson today: "learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause" (1.17). Psalm 34 says, "Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry" (v. 14). This is one of the simplest things we can do, and it goes right to the core of who we are by the grace of God. 

 

     The summer I got married I worked for my father-in-law on his farm. He paired me up with one of his farm hands. Here I was a college graduate on my way to the seminary working side by side with a farm hand that couldn't read or write and probably couldn't count much past ten. What could I learn from him? I learned one of the most important lessons of my life that summer. I learned how to do good. Allen didn't have many skills beyond those of a low-level laborer, but he had some virtues that I will always remember. Allen never complained and never criticized, and most of all, he never did less than he was asked to do. He always did a little more. He did the good that he was able to do as humble as that was. 

 

     Many people preach the ethics of doing good, and I'm glad for that. I'd rather people try to do good than try to do bad. But without faith it's impossible to do the good that glorifies God. Without faith in God's word we don't even know what "good" is, let alone have the power to accomplish it. But remember all that Paul has been talking about here - how to glorify God in our lives - is a prayer. He said, "Therefore we also pray for you..." Doing good is a command - a good command. But getting it done is matter of grace. And that is exactly how Paul ends this chapter, "according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." Always remember that everything God tells us to do, He also empowers us to do. That's how grace works, and also how God is ultimately glorified in every way. 

 

Conclusion

 

     There have been many glorious events in the history of the world. The creation was glorious, the rainbow after the flood was glorious, the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai was glorious, the birth of Christ was glorious and sung by angels. The resurrection of Christ was glorious. Pentecost was glorious. Judgment Day will be glorious. But what about today? What about tomorrow? Will they be glorious? Can they be glorious? They certainly can. Pray for the glory of God in your life - in your baptism and conversion, in your enduring persecution if need be, and in simply doing good. "In my life Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In my life, Lord, be glorified today!" 

Devotions: Prayers for the Nigerian Girls Kidnapped by Boko Haram

Jesus said that His disciples would have to take up their crosses and follow Him. Beginning with John the Baptizer, Stephen, James and many other unnamed Christians in the Book of Acts, Christians did just that.

Persecution against the Christian faith was intermittant throughout the Roman Empire for the first two hundred and fifty years. The worst persecution, often called the Great Persecution, began in A.D. 303 led by Emperor Diocletian. As many as 20,000 Christians lost their lives. That horrible persecution came to an end when Constantine became emperor. Today the church remembers his life and his contributions to the church. 

Christian persecution has continued, however, and is actually increasing around the world. The kidnapping of the Christian school girls of Nigeria is just another sad episode. Today mothers, fathers, siblings, friends and relatives are praying for their release. How sad it must be for them, and how we should pray fervently to God for them. 

Paul and Barnabus healed a crippled man in the city of Lystra. The people became excited and thought that they were Greek Gods. Paul subdued their furvor and directed them to the true God and Creator of the world. But shortly after this, Jewish men who were opposed to Paul came and persuaded the people to stone him to death. Supposing him to be dead, they dragged him out of the city. But Paul wasn’t dead, and he went on preaching the Gospel and also saying, “We must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Acts 14.22)

It is a temptation for us, when we hear of terrible persecutions, to think, “this shouldn’t be happening.” We may even harbor a few hateful thoughts against the persecutors and against, in this case – their Islamic religion.  But this is not the reaction that God wants us to have. Instead, as Paul says and as our Lord said, we should expect these things.

When it comes to persecution there are really two important things that we should do.  First, we should pray for those who are being persecuted that their faith may remain strong and that they might escape torture and death if it be the will of God. Second, we should also pray for ourselves and ask that God would strengthen us and prepare us for the possibility of persecution.

Prayers for the Persecuted and the Persecutors

O Lord, in times past you gave Your people faith that endured persecution. You urge us in Your word, “Be faithful unto death.” As you command so also may you provide the faith that cannot be undone by threats, torture or murder.

O Lord, we pray for the Christian school girls in Nigeria who have been kidnapped. Be their Deliverer and Savior. Rescue them, if it be your will, from the hands of their captors. Above all preserve their faith and give them a steadfast witness to Jesus.

O Lord, we pray for men who are so swayed by evil that they would do the bidding of their master Satan, who Jesus called a murderer from the beginning. Either bring them to conversion or curb their wickedness or crush them in Your judgment to do no more harm to Your people.

O Lord, prepare us for the possibility of persecution so that it would not catch us by surprise. Help us in our times of peace to grow in grace that we might be able to stand firm in times of persecution. Amen.

Midweek Worship Service May 21, 2014

    

Devotions: Facing Persecution

Scripture Reading  Acts 5.12-32

Message

In the history of this world, those who have believed in God have often found themselves outnumbered. Many tried to shout down their faith, to repress it and to destroy it.  

Noah and his family were the last of the righteous on earth. Surrounded by wickedness and violence, Noah persisted in serving God. Peter says he was a "preacher of righteousness" in an ungodly world (2 Peter 2.5). 

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and ended up in Egypt. He had no companion in the faith as he continued to put his trust in God. 

John the Baptizer was beheaded. Jesus was sent to the cross. Peter and John were thrown into prison. Stephen was stoned, James was put to death, John was sent to Patmos, Paul was beaten and stoned. 

Christians should not be surprised that there is opposition, disdain and outright hostility to the proclamation of the Gospel. Christians should expect it.

They should also not become angry or discouraged. In Psalm Twelve David says there are those who say, "With our tongues we will prevail." Yet he also says, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth" (vv. 4, 6).

Paul faced fierce debates in the synagogues that sometimes turned violent. But rather than scream, rant and rave as the world does, Paul was calm and sure:  "Let God be true and every man a liar" (Romans 3.4).  Peter responded to those who threatened him: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5.29).

Christians have always known that when you have the truth you don't need to preserve it with abusive threats and physical violence. You just need to believe it, tell it, and live it.  It stands on its own, and we stand with it by God's grace.  Amen.  

Hymn

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

Prayer

Dear Lord, save us from all the enemies of the faith:  Our own sinful flesh that prompts us to be spiritually lazy; The sinful world around us that either entices or threatens us to turn away from You; and Satan, who is the beginning of all evil. Help us to stand with those who have stood before us - faithful to You and Your word. Help us to love our enemies as You love them. Grant that through our faithful witness they may be saved.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Advent Family Devotions December 13, 2012

St. Lucia

Opening Prayer:  Dear Jesus, thank You for coming at Christmas to save us from evil. Amen.

Scripture:  2 Timothy 3.12-17

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Message:

     As we get ready to celebrate one of the happiest and most joyous events in the life of Jesus – His birth at Christmas – we also should remember that most people who were alive at the time of the first Christmas did not love Jesus or welcome Him.

     You remember that there was no room for Mary and Joseph when they went to Bethlehem. No one would even give up their room for Mary to have her baby.   Mary had to lay Jesus in a manger.  As we continue reading further about the first Christmas, we remember that King Herod was very angry about the birth of Jesus, and he tried to kill Him. 

     Many people would try to argue with Jesus and try to hurt Him.  Finally Jesus died on the cross.  But His dying became our salvation.  Just as Jesus’ birth was a great miracle, so was His resurrection from the dead.  Jesus conquered all the evil of this world with the power of God’s love. 

     All the disciples of Jesus would eventually suffer persecution.  As they taught about Jesus, some would believe, but many would reject His love.  They would get angry, and they would hurt the disciples.  But they were not afraid.  They knew that God’s love in Jesus was stronger than any evil of this world. 

     There have been many Christians who have suffered for their faith. Today, in some parts of the world, Christians are remembering a girl named Lucia.  Lucia lived in Italy about three hundred years after the time of Jesus.  She was a Christian.  A man wanted to marry Lucia, but she didn’t want to be married.  He got angry with her and betrayed her to the governor.  The governor tried to make Lucia worship the emperor instead of Jesus, but she would not.  For this Lucia became a martyr.  Since her name means “light,” some Christians began to remember her faithfulness by making wreathes of candles that they wore on their heads. 

     In our Scripture lesson today, St. Paul wrote to Timothy and encouraged him not to be afraid of evil people.  He told him to keep on remembering God’s word and doing good works.  That is still important advice for all Christians today:  Remember God’s word and our salvation in Jesus.  Keep doing the good works that shine the light of God’s love in this world.  (Good Shepherd Chapel Message, December 13, 2012)

Prayer:  Lord of Life, help all the people of the world who are being persecuted for their faith. Help me to remember Your word, Your salvation and help me to do good works so that the light of Your love might be known in this world. Amen.  

Hymn:  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Click here for the melody.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:  Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel Shall come to Thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain 

A Prayer for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

The Iran Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence given to a 32 year old evangelical pastor in Iran. Youcef converted to Christianity from Islam when he was a teenager. The Christian Post reports that he is now being returned to his hometown in order to repent. What happens from there we can only hope will lead to some good.

Dear Lord,

Please be with Youcef, his family, church members and friends. Support everyone's faith in this terrible trial. Give him strength and wisdom to resist all temptations and to remain faithful to Christ.

If it be Your will, let him live and be free to preach the Gospel. If he continues to be imprisoned or even killed, let his faithful witness reach the saved and lost alike and turn them to Christ.

I pray that his tormentors would either be converted themselves, curbed from carrying out their plans for evil, or crushed by Your wrath.

In Jesus' name, Amen.