Confessing Jesus as Lord and Glorifying God

We glorify God by confessing Jesus as Lord. Now that's where it all begins.

If my life is to be focused in glorifying God. That means that initially I must focus my attention on the Lordship of Christ that were and/or the highest purpose of mankind. Simply put, you were created to glorify God. But what exactly does it mean to give God glory. One of the practical steps you need to take.

John MacArthur has answers today as he examines the fundamentals of Christian living, helping you understand what it means to follow Christ. It's part of a series he's titled back to basics now to show you how to fulfill your highest calling glorifying God hears John now that we closed our last study by saying we wanted to share some practical ways in which we glorify God if glorifying God is the master key to spiritual growth. What are the other keys that make up that master key.

First of all, we glorify God by confessing Jesus as Lord.

Now that's where it all began. If my life is to be focused in glorifying God. That means that initially I must focus my attention on the Lordship of Christ. Know what I mean by that.

Well, Philippians chapter 2 gives us the answer verses nine through 11 after the great passage on the current gnosis or the humiliation of Christ talking about how he became a man, took upon him the form of a servant was found in fashion as a man humbled himself became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, then the word of God says this wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth. Now listen, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Nellis, the humiliation of Jesus Christ was an act of obedience to the father. In response, the father glorify Jesus Christ and exalted him and then he calls on everything in the universe to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and then gives this closing statement to the glory of God the father.

The reason then that we are to confess Jesus is Lord, is because it glorifies God the father. Now that is the basic principle of salvation, we are to confess Christ as Lord. That is, salvation for the glory of God. I believe that most people think that we should be saved for other reasons than the glory of God.

If you ask the average person.

Why do you share Jesus Christ. Why do you communicate your fate, they'll probably say well because we want to keep people out of going to hell we want them to avoid eternal punishment. That's a valid reason but not the major one. The major reason for people to be saved is not to avoid hell, someone else might say no I I present Christ because of love, the love of Christ constrains me because God loves them and because I love them.

I tell them about Christ and that's a valid reason but not the main one and someone might say, well, I speak the gospel because I'm commanded to do that. I'm commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel make disciples teach them all things whatsoever. Christ is commanded I'm commanded or I love what I want to keep people out of hell and all those are valid and all those are biblical reasons for evangelism but they don't come to the apex. The major reason to preach the gospel.

The major reason to become a believer is for the glory of God boils down to this. To live without salvation is to deny Christ and to deny Christ is the greatest affront possible to God is the one sin that is unforgivable.

If a person continues in unbelief.

That is an unforgivable sin. In fact, that is the major sin of man. Jesus said in John 16 that he would send the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, what sin because they believe not in me the greatest sin that a man can commit is the failure to believe in Jesus Christ. Why, because that is to say that he is not God. He is not the Savior. He is not to be worshiped. He is not to be Lord and to say that is to dishonor the father in John chapter 5, for example, Jesus says so pointedly in verse 23. All men should honor the son listen, even as they honor the father he that on earth, not the sun on earth not the father who sent him. You cannot give glory to God unless you give glory to his son, who is the fullness of his glory. So listen we begin then to give glory to God when we give glory to Christ and how do you do that by confessing him as Lord and that simply means salvation is not talking about some second act he don't say, well, I've taken the Savior.

But later on I'll make him Lord Nono.

Those are two distinct things when you are saved you confess Christ as Lord.

That is, salvation in Romans 10 non-attendance as if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be say.

In other words, salvation is a matter of confessing the Lordship of Christ that he is God that he is sovereign, that he is Lord and that is a personal application of that reality. Somebody asked me not long ago if I was a Lordship salvationist.

I wasn't sure what that was. I thought you're supposed to stand on the corner play trumpet Abita drum if you're one of those. But that isn't really what he meant a Lordship salvationist he meant is somebody who believes that you must believe that Jesus is Lord, to be say. He said you believe that what I said I don't know any other way to accept Christ, he is Lord and I accept them on his terms, not mine. I don't redefine Jesus as something less than isn't taking that way is he Lord, I said to this person. He said yes I said and how do you take, you must take him as he is, if you confess Jesus as Lord. It is to the glory of God, not simply stated, no one has the capacity to go beyond that in spiritual maturity. No one can glorify God until they start right there. That's the touchstone that's where it all begin. We take this a step further.

For those of us are Christian I believe that if Christ is Lord in our lives if we received them and were born again and he rules and he does rule by the way, all our lives. It's only a question of whether we obey it, not whether he rules and as he rules in our lives. We must keep in mind that the preaching of the gospel is mainly so that he may rule another lot for his own glory.

In other words, the great sin of man is to live and not glorify God in Romans chapter 1, Paul says that we preach obedience to the nations for the sake of the name he says will preach the gospel for their sake. We preach the gospel for his sake. Third John seven he says we go out preaching for the sake of the name same thought, not for their sake, for his sake so that he might be acknowledged as Lord and that's where it begin. If you're not a Christian, you never confessed Christ as Lord. There is no capacity within you to live to his glory and utter impossibility cannot be done because that's where it all begins.

You cannot say I deny Christ, he is not my Savior is not my Lord and then proceed to try to grow spiritually or proceed to try to glorify God. Another way you are slapping God in the face at the very most vital point if you dishonor the sun, you dishonor the father so glorify God and begins as Paul says in Philippians 2 with confessing Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the father. So we say that salvation is a necessary beginning for spiritual growth.

The fact is, you can grow until your born now second truth. The second thing I want to share with you along this line is this, we will glorify God. Firstly by confessing Jesus as Lord and secondly by aiming our lives to obey his Lordship.

Secondly, by aiming our lives to obey his Lordship. When we allow God to clothe us with the purple robe of his righteousness. He is glorified when we open our hearts and receive his son. He is glorified when his spirit takes up residence in our lives. He is glorified when we call Jesus Lord. He is glorified. But then there's a second corollary, having received the Lord we are to respond to his Lordship. The key verse I want you to understand and this is first Corinthians 1031 it says this. Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

No matter what you do, do it all to the glory of God. The idea then is that that becomes a pervasive attitude no matter what I do is to the glory of God. But my focus must be me. Certainly this is the way that Jesus lived in John chapter 8 and in verse 50 Jesus says this I seek not mine own glory. There is one that speaketh and judges back in verse 49. I honor my father. Jesus said I'm here for one reason, not my glory. When his glory. And that's really what were saying you're going to grow spiritually, you're going to focus on his glory. When that becomes the pervasive element of your life so if I'm doing my life at this if I am to submit in obedience to the Lordship of Christ. There will be an attitude of humility that will be the death of pride we must beware of self worship we must aim always and only at God's glory. What does that mean to say that I submitted obedience to his Lordship to say, I aim my life at that to say whether right or drink or whatever I do it all the glory got just exactly what does that mean, let me say it this way and I'll just give you few subpoints right here. First of all, it means that you will give God glory, no matter what the cost matter what the cost. That's a pretty heavy statement, but that's the essence of what it means to submit to his Lordship to aim your life at his glory, you will glorify him no matter what it cost in John 12. In verse 27 Jesus said this now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I under this hour. What should be my prayers. I anticipate the cross God bail me out. This is the hour for which I came father, glorify thy name and there came then a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. God, he says humanly. I like to get out of this. This is an incredible price to pay, pain, anguish, sin, bearing what father, glorify your name.

No matter what it cost me see now that's what it means is you learn to live your life content to do God's will, at any cost. Content to glorify him no matter what the price you will be fulfilling that second great principle of spiritual growth. That second great key you'll be unlocking that area of obedience to his Lordship give another illustration by having you turn to the end of the book of John. John chapter 21. Here we run into this situation with the apostle Peter will be coming back to this very same incident in our story because it illustrates several great truths of spiritual growth. Peter has been earmarked by God since before the foundation of the world for very important function.

Peter is to be the key to the first 12 chapters of the book of acts is the key in the apostolic preaching of the cross is the church is born in Jerusalem and moves out around the world used to be a dynamic and gifted leader and so it's very important that he be firmed up rooted set in place for the task to which God is calling but unfortunately Peter is a little flaky put in a contemporary term and it's very hard for Peter to make a commitment. He's got all kinds of verbiage.

He just doesn't hang in there. Every time he was given a test. He flunked if he was a seminary student. He would've long been gone, and yet the Lord knows that this is a very needed man. And so even though he hasn't. He has helped Peter in the past he's gone out of his way to show him his power to walk on water is fed him at the point of the feeding of the 5000. He was there at the transfiguration, has heard the great confession and really came out of his own mouth, but from God's heart are the Christ, the son of the living God. Peter is been on some tremendous adventures with Christ where he is seen displays of power even in the garden as the soldiers came and when Jesus spoke they all fell over backwards like dominoes. I piercing some great things. Amazingly enough, is even seen the resurrected Christ in the upper room and by this time of John 21 had a personal audience with the resurrected Christ and yet after all that he still flaky. He still it. I think he felt inadequate. I think he looked at himself and said Peter every time you've ever been given a test you blew it. Who's to say your past one now. And Jesus said to them Peter you going to Galilee and go in a mountain and wait while Peter is there in chapter 21 was getting itchy tunic and is not to be listed on the side of that.

How much longer is kind of a hyper guy to start with and it's kind of tough to just sit up there and wait. He's been waiting and waiting and waiting, and Christ hasn't appeared, and so finally he says in verse three. I'm going fishing I'm going back to what I used to do.

I never did believe myself in this ministry deal.

Anyway, I bombed out every time I had an opportunity is one thing I can do it it's fish and I'm going back and he was a leader of course.

And so all the other six guys like a bunch of rubber ducks came down the same hillside and said we are going to so they all waddle down, got in the boat. Peter was a leader.

That's the whole point God will use and what happened in verse three. They entered into the boat. The Greek says, which may indicate they went back and picked up Peter's own boat he was going back to his old profession and they were all going with them.

They were always fishing buddies, but the blues one thing they couldn't do it was fish because the Lord reroute every fish in the sea of Galilee, so they couldn't catch him to get his point across, so we fished all night and caught nothing.

Lord appeared in the morning had a confrontation with Peter checked out his love and will get to that text later and then when Peter told him three times. He loved him. He comes back with this in verse 18 verily, verily, I say entity when Taoist young thou Goethe's thyself and walk us where the wood is now just stop for a minute, Peter.

You pretty much had it your own way you called the shots put on your own belt and when we want to go girding up yourself was a picture of preparation for a journey whenever you want to do what you want to do.

You did it but when you shall be old that's going to change you will stretch forth your hands and that very phrase is used in extra-biblical literature to speak of the crucifixion, you're a stretch forth your hands. Somebody else is going to gird you and take you where you don't want to go verse 19.

Watch this spoke he, signifying by what death he should there comes glorify God now noticed Peter would come to the point in his life where he would glorify God by dying how because he would be willing to pay any price before he would deny the will of God, even death. That was news to Peter as every other time he faced death.

He reneged on his testimony. On one occasion when they confronted him with the fact that he was a follower of Jesus Christ. He cursed and took God's name in vain and swore that he was not made an oath that he never kept. So you see, this is news to Peter what the Lord is saying is Peter there's gonna come a day when you will die for me and in dying. Glorify me why because that will be my will and you will be content to die for my sake. That's where was Paul or me to live is Christ and the die is gain. If I live I live on the glorified iodine to the Lord.

So whether live or die in the Lord's, what's the difference on the Lord's you see to aim my life at the glory of God.

Now that I'm a Christian to focus on doing whatever I do. Whether it's eating or drinking, to the glory of God means that if it has to be death for his sake, let it be, let it be. I think of the tremendous story of the missionaries throughout the history of Christian missions story after story after story becoming one great composite story of people willing to die for Christ. I think of Hebrews chapter 11 the heroes of the faith who are listed there, who died in the great anticipation of glory, and resurrection, of whom the world was not worthy.

There was no price too high for them. I think of Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake for their faith. Singing praises to Jesus Christ. I think of savanna role of the great preacher in Italy who had preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and the system took him and burn them at the stake again and again through history, there been those willing to do anything for the cause of Christ. Always go back to the story of John Peyton a great missionary who went to the New Hebrides. He graduated from school and he was sent to the New Hebrides with his wife and there were only mandating cannibals therein. They landed on that little place. The little they had a roller dinghy because the ship went by, didn't even go to the shore and he rode the short and speak the language you know anybody all they knew people had come there and never returned it become somebody's lunch and so they got on the shores pretty tough.

You know to get on the shore of a place inhabited by cannibals is language. Don't speak and figure out how you start right immuno portal sign that says, Sunday school class Sunday at 930. We welcome you all doesn't really the way you do what you do, you don't know the language. Don't of the people in your threat of life hangs over your head.

I remember reading in a particular book something of the story of that and later on, the chief was of the tribe in that area was saved and he came to John Peyton and he said to Mr. Peyton, I want to ask you a question. He says in those early months that you were here, he says. So who was the Army that girded your place of dwelling every night and protected you. God's holy angels, apparently even became manifest and that protecting time, but Peyton stayed there after a few weeks his wife gave birth to a baby. The baby died a few days later she died. He slept on the graves for three or four nights to keep the navies from digging them up and eating them stayed there alone. He stayed there for 35 years. He says in his biography that at the end of those 35 years. I don't know of one native. It hasn't made at least a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. He went there with all the great hopes. The only thing ever. Love really in the world was his wife and in the cherished baby had to sleep on their graves and all alone.

He stayed but God used them because he was content to do God's will, no matter what it cost him and that's what it means to aim your life at his purpose.

If your chart your own course.

If your sin.

Lord, here's what I'll do. And here's what I want.

If you're saying what I got all outline here if you're not willing to pay the price of a little bit of embarrassment if you're not willing to pay the price and humility of being defamed, dishonored by the world. If you're not willing to pay the price of a little less possessions in this life, then maybe you'll never know what it is to be content with his will at any price, and maybe we'll never really know what it is to grow spiritually because you will not be aiming at his glory. It's one you are consumed with his glory, and not your own comfort and not your own.

These are not your own plans and your own will and you're listening to John MacArthur the Bible teacher each day here on grace to you is also Chancellor of the Masters University and seminary and today's lesson is part of his series outlining the ABCs of the Christian life. It's titled back to basics, John. I love what you said today about being content and trusting in God and I know you would say that if you have trust like that you can't be passive, that sort of faith calls us to proclaim our faith to a lost and dying world.

And so, talk a little bit about the responsibility that we as believers have, to preach the gospel and now that's not just the duty of a pastor or missionary for the basic realities of being a believer is you know that were all called to fulfill the great commission and proclaiming our faith should be the overflow of joy the overflow of love. The overflow of gratitude.

So it's not something that is unnatural for us. It should be the vote. The very first thought that we have wet whenever we open our mouths to speak to a nonbeliever there ought to be. The reality there that I need to tell this person if the conversation leads that way about what the Lord is done in my life. Though the Bible talks about the redeemed being the proclaimers of of salvation, so we all are called to do that. This is what grace do you exist to do proclaim the truth all over the world to equip believers to be effective witnesses and of course we can't do any of this without partners who support us.

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