How to Glorify God, No Matter Who You Are | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

We're going to take a pause in Mark today. So we won't turn there. We'll continue in that series and the weeks to come. But today, I want to I wanna answer a particular and important question that applies virtually to every single person here. And it's very likely that this question is something that has bounced in your mind on different occasions since you became a follower of Christ.

And it's even possible for some that this question was not just a visiting thought, but something that you have wrestled with to the point perhaps of discouragement or even frustration because you've never arrived to a satisfying conclusion. And it could be that, the question that I'm going to present to you is no longer a source of reflection to you because, I hope this is the reason, you have arrived to your answers through the word of God, which is a wonderful possibility because we live in a time and we live in a nation where you can have access to the complete revelation of God's word. But it can also be that this question is no longer something you consider anymore because it's been buried. It's been buried by busyness. It's been buried by distractions.

It's been buried by the responsibilities you have inherited throughout the natural course of your progression in life. But my prayer is that this message would, for you, if you are here not having answers to what I'm about to revisit, this message would dig up that consideration, dust it off, and that it would be crowned once again upon your affections and your priorities as a follower of Jesus Christ. And more than that, that you would leave those doors soothed because not only has this question now revived in your heart, but you also have the answers with it to have the confidence to know how you can walk in it. The question that I am referring to sounds something like this. How can I, to the greatest degree possible, glorify God with my life?

Every true born again believer in Jesus Christ has experienced a yearning related to that thought. Like Paul, who asked the Lord after being encountered by him on the road to Damascus, you not only inquire, who are you, Lord, but you ask, what shall I do, Lord? Those are the two questions that every true person who's encountered Christ will ask, not just in the moment that they've met Christ, but perpetually as they walk with Christ. Who are you, Lord, and what shall I do, Lord? Now it's possible that though that desire has been birthed in your heart because the Holy Spirit inhabits the forgiven soul and he brings with his occupation all these things, it's possible even for a genuine believer to not be concerned with that at some point, even for a long periods of time for a variety of reasons.

That that doesn't become your chief ambition. That doesn't frame everything that you do and everything that you decide and everything that you contemplate about. But I'm I'm not here to discuss about the variety of causes for that. Instead, I want to, by the scriptures, present to you a blueprint from the scriptures that would give you the confidence to know that you are in fact walking in a manner where you are glorifying God day by day. And this is something that should excite us because you and I can live in the reality of maximally glorifying God without a shadow of a doubt no matter who you are.

In fact, that's really the title of what I wanna speak about. How can you glorify God no matter who you are? Because you have good hearted, passionate Christians. And this is especially true when you first come to Christ, but it's even true for those who go on through life and walking with the Lord. That you can't make the greatest impact for the Lord unless you are in full time vocational ministry, unless you sell everything, get on a flight, and go to a foreign mission field, and even plan to be a martyr.

You you have people who think that this is the only way that I can make the most of bringing pleasure to God's heart. People live under that conception. And they love the Lord and and they're part of their local church and they serve in some kind of ministry, but they always have this nagging thought. I don't know if if I'm like that guy who's preaching to me every Sunday. I I don't know if I'm bringing greater delight than these conference speakers that I hear from or these books that I read about these missionaries and these whatever the case may be.

You have people who live with that nagging thought. The scriptures make no such claim That there is a separate category of Christians who bring him greater honor because they serve him in the context of dedicated full time ministry. That is a way of glorifying God, and God equips some people to occupy that lane and to exalt him in that place. But you as a person who may not be in that sphere should never for a moment think that you can't bring equal, if not even more blessing to the heart of your master. You think just because people are in full time ministry, they're glorifying God?

You don't even have to be in ministry. When you're in ministry, you can you can see a lot of things. But even if you're not in ministry with this internet age, you realize that not everybody in ministry is doing it for the glory of God. And so here's how we're gonna move forward with this very straightforward intensely practical message. I just wanna give you some overarching principles that can clarify and give you the assurance that I know that I am living for the glory of God.

I know it. I know it because the Bible tells me how to do it. And these practical steps that I wanna present to you today will be the manners in which you and I can know that we are praising and we are bringing pleasure to the Lord. And here's what you're gonna realize of every single one of these things. They are all achievable by every single one of us.

Whoever you are in this place, what I'm about to tell you today is accessible, which means that we are all invited into that awesome privilege of bringing delight to God and not thinking or doubting for a moment that if I just get there or if I just do that or if I would just get rid of this and if I position myself in this way, then I'm there. No. I I want you to understand that what you're going to hear today can give you the rest. That for the rest of your days, you're giving everything you can to the Lord. And hopefully, this is a memorable message because there's three points here, and each of these points begin with the letter c.

And so I wanna speak to you about though these are not exhaustive, I always have to give that caveat. These are not exhaustive, but they are major components. Major askings of God for you to be able to know, yes, I'm living for his glory. Turn with me to second Corinthians for the first point. Second Corinthians chapter three.

What must I do no matter who I am? A student, a businessman, a stay at home mom, a nurse, how can I know that I'm glorifying God? Well, here's what you have to first do. Number one, cultivate cultivate and maintain a devotional life. Cultivate and maintain a personal, intimate, devotional life with your savior.

In this chapter, Paul gives a few reasons why the new covenant is superior to the old. And he does so by making a very bold comparison. He declares how we are as a new covenant people at a better advantage than those who were under the old covenant. And not just the nation of Israel. He even goes as far to say that you and I have a greater advantage, and we have been invited into a greater experience than the man of God, Moses himself.

The Jewish people prized and championed Moses among other prophets of that time. But for Paul as a Jew to come now and say to these believers, hey, you you probably heard of Moses. Do you realize that where you are today because of Christ, you actually are enjoying something more than what he experienced? And the apostle here makes these incredible parallels between the two covenants in this section of scripture. And I wanna just give you one example of that.

Look at verse 13 of chapter three. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. Not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. Now, this would be familiar to those who have studied the book of Exodus that at one at one point in the wilderness, there was Mount Sinai, and Moses as the mediator of this old covenant would ascend and descend this mountain to receive instructions from the Lord and then convey that to the people. But something interesting happened at one point when Moses would visit the Lord's presence and they come down and explain to the people what he required of them.

At one point, he he goes and then

he makes his way down into the At one point, he he goes and then he makes his way down into the valley and the people noticed something. His skin was shining. This is a supernatural manifestation. There was a glow coming from his face. And we're told there in Exodus that the people were afraid and did not come near to him.

And so Moses in perceiving this does something, he veils his face. He covers his face. Now that's what we assume of why Moses covered his face because he didn't want it to be any hindrance for them receiving what God wanted to say. And so this was out of his control, but whatever he could do, he could and so he just he veiled himself. But what Paul does here is that he gives a deeper meaning to why Moses veiled his face.

You read it in the Exodus account, you would think it's because he doesn't wanna spook out the people. But what does Paul say? Paul says the reason why Moses veiled his face, look at it again, is so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. You see something was happening and it's there in Exodus. And let me read this to you from Exodus thirty four thirty three.

Just listen to it. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Something happened as time went on when Moses was among the people. Yes. He came down and that light was shining bright, but over time, it would dwindle and it would faint.

And Moses, according to Paul's holy spirit inspired commentary, did this because he did not want the people to see how this glory was fading. And so he would wrap his face and he would make his way up to the mountain, and then he would experience the presence of the Lord and then he would be in a sense recharge that I can use that word and then revisit the people and that would be a cycle. Now what's interesting about what Paul is saying here is because he takes that fading glory and he applies it not just to this special manifestation that occurred at one point in Israel's history. No. It was a picture of the fading glory of the old covenant.

So in the same way that this glory was diminishing, it really spoke of the diminishing glory of this covenant that God made with the nation of Israel. There was a glory, but it was not a permanent glory. It was one to soon be replaced by an eternal covenant. One that would last and one that would remain with no plan of obstruction or replacement. And this is what Paul is trying to say to these believers.

Here's the practical implication of it. By saying this, in the beginning of verse 13, he wants to encourage the people, we are not like Moses. We have nothing to fear. We have nothing to be ashamed of concerning our covenant because this gospel truth outshines everything. It outshines the old covenant.

It outshines every philosophy and man made religion since then and anything that would develop be developed after. This is a covenant that is ours and it is permanent and nothing can touch it, delete it, or eclipse it. So you're bold. Be bold. Be encouraged.

Understand the privilege that you have in conveying the truth, living for this truth, defending this truth. We have a better and more glorious covenant. But then he takes this symbol of a veil and he does a lot with it in this chapter. He goes here and he goes there and he even applies it in this way. In the very same chapter, look how he borrows Moses' veiling of his face and connects it to the new covenant experience as a parallel and a contrast.

Look at verse 18 of chapter three. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. So again, Paul's pointing to Moses's veil, but from a different angle. Because remember now when Moses would go up to that mountain, he had, because God allowed it, the confidence and the liberty to unveil his face. And with open face, behold the glory of God, and talk with God, and commune with God.

Was that privilege shared by anybody else? Absolutely not. Not even the leaders, not even the chief elders could go where Moses went. Nobody could dare entertain and ascend that hill without being struck down. And if anybody tried to do it and even got a glimpse, they would never be able to live to tell about it.

This was exclusive to this one man. This was reserved for this one individual. He could approach the glory of God and behold it with unveiled face. And here's Paul as an ambassador of the new covenant, now writing to these believers and look what he dares to say by the spirit in verse 18, and we all with unveiled face. We all?

Have you ever read the book of Corinthians? If you're ever discouraged about your local church, just read the book of Corinthians and you'll sober up. They're not the most pleasant group of Christians. They had a lot of issues, and yet Paul can say because of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that positionally puts us in a place that you can't even imagine can say we all. And we all with unveiled face.

What what can we do now, Paul? Because of this new glorious covenant, beholding the glory of the Lord. So now you and I are invited to do something that only Moses could experience, and that is to come before the presence of the Lord and to witness something that is even better than what Moses saw. Saying, is this real? It is real.

And you won't even begin to enjoy it and know it for yourself unless you first believe it because everything's accessed by faith. And this is what he's trying to pump in their hearts. We all with unveiled face, not some, but all. And who are the all? Well, look at verse 16.

What does it say in verse 16? It says here, but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. So if you wanna be among the company of those who have unveiled faces, giving you through the eyes of your heart access to deeper glories in God, the requirement is that you gotta turn to the Lord. That's called repentance. And that's called faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And earlier, I won't get into it. He talks about how there is this metaphorical veil over the heart of the Jews. They can't see this glory because that veil remains. And it can only be removed when Christ removes it. One person turns to the Lord Jesus in faith, even simple faith.

Miracles can take place. But here's the point that I'm trying to get across. Moses Moses with an unveiled face and go in. Now because of Christ, we can all go in and we can not only have access to the glory of the Lord through the means that he has provided to us, namely through his word, namely through prayer that gives us access to his presence. Now, only can we have access to that, but listen, in the same way that Moses directly experienced a reflection of that glory, you and two now you two now have that access.

Not just to be in there, but for it to do something to us. And look at it again, and we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are

being transformed into the

same image from one degree of glory to another.

Continue this contrast. Moses went up there, yes, he was the only one who had access, and because he has the only access, he has only he was the only one that had the benefit of seeing his face the way it was, and For other people to witness it. So in like manner, when you behold the glory of the Lord, something's gonna happen to you. And it can happen to any of us because what's the condition? We all.

Who's the we all? If you've turned to the Lord. So we all have access but not everybody has the experience. Can I tell you why? Because it's not enough to just turn to the Lord.

That's the first step. The second step is what people fail to do, behold him. I must consciously and I must with effort and desire and even with some kind of discipline, behold him. Beholding the glory of Lord. And here's the result, what you witness like a mirror will now reflect off of you.

And what's that mean? I'm gonna sparkle physically? No. Something better. What glory is is Paul conveying here?

What kind of glory is it that's gonna rub off on me as I behold the glory of the Lord? His moral elegance. The attributes that make him holy are now shared with the one who beholds him. Do you know what the word behold means? I'll tell you what it doesn't mean.

This. That's a quick glance. That's not what this word is speaking about. It means to stare at. It implies to study and to look at it long enough for it to have its effect on you.

And he's saying, if you do this, then you will know some kind of reflection of his glory. And what more can we do to glorify the Lord? How can I glorify the Lord? What more can you do than reflect his glory? Well, how do I have access for me to reflect his glory?

Here's what Paul says. You gotta take time to behold him. And this is why Satan will fight you, and he will frustrate you, and he will dangle things before your face that you would never even give a minute to beholding the glory of the Lord because he knows what he can do. And that's why you and I have to build up the faith by the word to believe that as I take the time to behold him, it's going to do something to me. It's going to shape me.

It's going to chisel me. It's going to carve me. And here's the encouragement, not that we have access, not that it's it's going to reflect on me, but that it's a progress. It's a gradual thing. Don't think that if you just have one week of beholding the Lord consistently that you're gonna come out shining.

No. What does he say? From one degree of glory to another. I thank God that even in this supernatural transaction, it still takes time. That's a comfort to me.

That's a comfort to me. Because I don't always come out of my time with the Lord and his word. This is by the way, the main way in which we be behold his glory. I don't always come outside of my time and sitting at the feet of the Lord looking like Moses. No.

But I I trust that as I do this and as I give myself to it, even though everything that morning is fighting me to stay in my warm bed or occupy myself with a 100 different things, I must behold him. I I must behold him. If I wanna glorify him, then I must reflect his glory. And if I'm gonna have any chance of reflecting his glory, I gotta make time to ascend the hill of the Lord and to look at him. Is beholding the glory of the Lord a conscious practice in your life?

The veil has been removed because of your faith in Jesus Christ, but where are your eyes looking? I get it, and I'm getting it more and more as I'm advancing in life. Life can get hectic, and life can get crazy. But I have to understand that if I'm gonna have any chance of having the confidence that I can long term actually lifelong glorify God, then I have to I have to make this a pillar in my life. Cultivate and maintain a time with the Lord where I'm able to, without distraction, behold him.

And you'd be amazed to know what you are able to give to the Lord can do miracles in your life. You are able to do it. This is accessible to all of us. And that's the first thing. Cultivate and maintain a devotional life.

Paul by the spirit says, this is the way to knowing transformation. But it's not just that. Let's look to another place. Go to Romans 15 with me, please. And let's go to chapter 15 and verse five.

Paul again says to these Roman believers, he's really praying for them in this, May the God of endurance and encouragement pause. Aren't you happy that one of the titles that God gives himself is that he is the God of encouragement? You wanna be more like God? Be more encouraging. He's an encouraging God.

He is an encouraging God. In fact, when you read about the gifts of the spirit and you speak about prophecy, it's supposed to encourage you. Well, we we can't get into that now. Romans fifteen five. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus.

Look at this very carefully in verse six. That together, you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God. Twice in these verses, Paul speaks about glorifying God. And notice that they are both connected to a certain condition.

They are a glory connected to the context of a togetherness. In other words, this particular glorification of God in and through our lives cannot be separated, is exclusively accessed with other believers. How can I know no matter who I am, what job I have, where I live, how many kids I have, what's in my bank account, what my giftings are, how can I have the assurance that I am living for the glory of God? Well, number one, you have cultivate, maintain a devotional life. That's step one.

Number two, you have to commit to the local church. You have to commit to the local church. Because notice here in verse six, that together, you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And look at the the surrounding instructions. In verse five, to live in such harmony with with who?

By yourself? No. No. With one another. And then he speaks about together, glorifying God with one voice.

And then verse seven, therefore, welcome one another. So one another one another together. And so what Paul is conveying here here is that there is a particular praise onto God and a particular lever of pleasure we give to God in my life that must be connected to other believers. You, if you desire to glorify the Lord, cannot afford to do this solo. I don't care how much time you spend alone beholding the glory of God in the place of his word, in the place of prayer, you will never be able to know a certain level of glorifying him apart from giving that sacrifice of glory on the altar of the local church.

And besides, the glory that you get and I get from beholding is meant to shine on others. Right? And so here's the point that I wanna make from this. When a person chooses to have zero or a shallow relationship with the church, he is denying, she is denying a level of glory that God deserves. So how am I because I'm looking at these verses, how am I able to obey these scriptures, for example, if I can't identify if I can't identify with a local assembly and say, here are the people that I'm called to live in harmony with.

And here are the people that I'm called to with one voice glorify the Lord every time we gather. And here are the people that I'm invited to open my heart to and be hospitable to and to interact with in a Christ Christ like manner. Who are those people in your life? Where are those people in your life? And this I idea here is not that if you attend church services and you be nice to people on your way in and on your way out, that God is looking in and from heaven with a clipboard in his hand saying, okay, you're you're here this week and check it off.

Good job. You're you're glorifying me. Good job, man. Keep it up. That's not what he's after because pay very close attention to this.

Instead, when you practically invest your life into the body of Christ, you unlock hundreds of ways of glorifying God. All these avenues now open up because God has designed and intended the church to be the arena where we experience a place of glorifying him in a special way. So so many things begin to open up in the one simple place, the awesome place of a church on Canfield, so to speak. At least for the time being, where God expects us to glorify him in a special way. And and how many ways can you and I glorify remember, how can I glorify God no matter who I am, no matter who you are?

Again, so many ways. And this is the one example that that came to mind. So turn there to second Corinthians nine. I wanna show you one. One among many.

One among a great catalog of opportunities to be able to bring delight to the heart of God. Second Corinthians chapter nine. In this chapter, Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers of their willingness and commitment to help some of the saints in Jerusalem financially, actually. And he says this in second Corinthians nine thirteen, to stir up their affections and their convictions toward this again. He says in verse 13, by their approval of the service, they they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others.

So he says, look, Corinthian believers, you have an opportunity as a church to glorify God as you extend help in this way. And he says, you'll do it in two ways. One, because these saints will who are Jewish believers witness your submission to your confession of the gospel. Remember, the Jews already had issues with these believers being grafted in. You see that in the book of Acts.

And Paul mindful of this says, you have an opportunity you gentile believers to show that your confession of Christ actually brought change in your life. You can. And so this is a way for these believers who have much to boast about and and much more foundation than you do to say, no, our Messiah did a work in these Gentiles as well. And it will say something of the authenticity of your confession. But not just that, he's like, not only will they be able to glorify God because of that like, hey guys, look what just came in.

Surely God is doing a work among the Gentiles, but that also look, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others. Notice the connection between. This is just one example of how who no matter who I am, I can glorify God in the context of the church. Generosity is connected to glorifying God. Do you see that?

That through your generosity, your contribution, they will glorify God. I'm reminded of, a brother who experienced something like this. It was on his heart to to give in a particular way, and it was just impressed randomly and towards somebody that he knows that's serving in ministry in a certain capacity. And so that was in a time where there was other investments that he had to make, so I don't know if there there was hesitation or what, but eventually made that move and just without announcement, just God bless you, and within a few minutes received the message. And that message was something along the lines of, you don't understand.

We've been praying and we're we're thinking of doing something fresh and and and and this came in around that same time, and this is to us a confirmation that we're moving in the right direction. And my heart is so moved. What happened there? You had one individual that was prompted to do this, not knowing why at this time, not knowing the reasons for it, does it, and receives report that this was a confirmation beyond just a simple donation. And what took place?

That person expressed glorifying God. That's just one one one sliver among so many threads that your hands in the church can weave to bring a masterpiece of glorifying God as you partner with others in the place that God has called you. How can I glorify God no matter who I am? You have to you you will not know heights and you will not know depths until you can say, this is where I serve the Lord Jesus Christ among these people and with these elders and these deacons. There is a final way.

Not limited to this, of course. Cultivate, maintain a devotional life. Walk beholding him. Commit myself to the local church and watch the opportunities open up. So many opportunities for you to be like, this is awesome.

Lastly, and this is more general, but it covers really everything, conform. Conform to Christ likeness in every and any context you find yourself in. So cultivate, commit, conform. Because as you are aware, there are many practical ways that you and I can explore and discover of how we can glorify God, but I believe Paul summarized it in a particular space of scripture. What what's really the ultimate aim?

How am I to glorify God? If there's one word or one phrase to really summarize it, be holy. What did the Lord say? Be holy for I am holy. Be set apart like I am set apart.

But I wonder if we know what it means to be holy. What does it look like for me to walk well, I mean, let me put let me put it this way. When you hear that man is holy, please don't answer out loud. But what comes to mind? My mother is a holy woman.

What comes to mind? Paul writes not only about how holiness is achieved, and I believe a way that we often overlook, he actually talks about a certain standard of holiness. He talks about a place where you and I can be, listen to this, blameless in holiness. What does that mean to be blameless? To be free from any accusation, to be free from any condemnation.

And he's actually speaking about being blameless in holiness when we stand before the presence of the Lord upon his return. I know that you and I, and I praise God, that positionally in Jesus Christ, we are holy. But it does not cancel out nor negate our ambition to be practically holy and practically prepared to meet the Lord. That's what Paul is getting at. He's not talking about your positional standing before God.

Christ did that. But I want to really know, Paul, are you communicating that it's possible for me, no matter who I am, to actually be blameless in holiness? I want that. Not because I'm afraid of hell. Not because I have a lack of security in my standing before God, but because I want to glorify God.

So tell me Paul, how is it that I can arrive at a place where I, in the sight of God, can be blameless in holiness? What do you think? Stuffing yourself in some room for hours and fasting, praying, slavishly doing things to the neglect of your own body and health and the relationships in your life. What do you think it means to be blameless and holies? Let me show you in first Thessalonians chapter three.

First Thessalonians chapter three. Let's begin together in verse 11. Paul writes now another prayer. May our God and father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you. Pause.

That's not that's not the main point, but I can't help but stop and make a couple of comments. Notice here that he's he's telling them and he's asking God to increase this God love in them. And notice where he wants that love to manifest, That you may increase and abound in love for one another, but not just for one another. Where else? And who who else?

And for all. So the deposit of God's love in my heart is to primarily manifest and be shared and experienced here in this place toward one another, receiving and giving that kind of love. But this is where it begins. And Paul says, it's gonna begin here. This is where it's gonna be fostered, but this love is so strong.

It's so real. It's a current that should that should occupy your soul that it spills over into the others, get this, who very likely will not love you in return. This place I should expect and you should expect that there is a mutual love. But Paul says, no, no, no. I'm praying that God would so fill your heart with this love that it will actually overflow into a place and with people that may not give it back.

You're saying that's that's, that's a tall order. Yeah. It's the Christian life. And be encouraged that we're not left powerless with these tall orders. Because notice that Paul says, may the Lord.

May the Lord increase and abound in your heart his love. Meaning, that kind of way of life is absolutely impossible without supernatural intervention. So I'm not here mustering up that string. I'm not here trying to get myself to love. I'm here to come before a God who is love to give me his heart for others, not just here, but towards those who, in our estimation, don't deserve it.

And if you feel discouraged or maybe you're even angry and maybe something in you just recoiled and your defense mechanisms went up, oh, just be like Paul and ask him. Ask him to flood your heart with this love, and you won't even be able to recognize yourself. Another thing here look. Again, this is not my main point, but I can't help it. I can't.

At the end of verse 12, Lord may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you. I was meditating on this and my heart was so stirred. As we do for you. You know what Paul dares to do here and he's doing it with a clear conscience and with the approval of the Holy Spirit. If you want to know by way of example how you can walk in this godly love that God is able to help you walk in, Look here.

Look at how I have loved you. Can you imagine arriving at a place, again, with a clear conscience and with humility, it's kinda hard to imagine, but can you imagine, try to, Walking in a way in which you can tell your children, spiritually, spiritual children or physical children, and invite them to look at your life if they need a model of how to love. Do you wanna know how to love your wife? Look at me. Do you wanna know how to love your brothers and sisters in the church?

Spend a few weeks with me. Do you wanna know how to love that irritating relative that seems to only add drama and frustration to your already busy life? Follow me. It almost sounds strange. Right?

Who who says that? As we do for you, like, hey, I'm here. I can say that as a leader. We're doing it. And you might think, well, that's that's a little weird for somebody to say that about themselves, but I don't see it that way.

I see it in this way that Paul instead is communicating, if you wanna know if it's possible for one to increase and abound in this love for the believer, for the unbeliever, look no further than me. It is possible. Here. This is not the main point. Those are just extras.

Look at verse 13. He says here, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. You have to be able to connect verse 12 with verse 13. Verse 12, he talks about even praise for this love to be a waterfall in their hearts, in their community, and outside of their community of faith. And he gives the reason why he's praying for it.

I'm praying for this love to be enriched so that, verse 13, he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness. If you want to know how you can walk in a holy way, you cannot separate that from the pursuit of love. What does it mean to be holy? According to Paul, in order to be established blameless in holiness, your heart must increase and abound in love. I'm not sure if we connect love and holiness, but the Bible does.

So that's the equation. So let me present it to you in this way. How do I have the assurance that I'm living for the glory of God no matter who I am? Well, the Bible over and over in different places says I'm called to be holy. Ultimately, that that's the umbrella and that's all these other things underneath it.

Be holy. Be like me. But if I'm to be holy according to Paul, then then I am to arrive there through prayerfully and practically increasing and abounding in love. There are two words of another verse that make that charge very clear. It's in first Corinthians fourteen one.

You don't have to turn there. I'll just quote it to you. Just two word. The first two words, pursue love. Pursue love.

You know what that word pursue is in the Greek? It's very intense word actually. Chase after it. Chase after it. Run after it.

Run after love. And one way that I can run after love living in me and living through me, well, I believe Paul provides one example, that's that's gonna occupy my prayer life. I want to love better, Lord. I wanna increase in this love. I wanna abound in this love.

If I'm gonna be rich in anything in this life, let it be in this kind of love. And I'm also by the spirits help looking at again, see how it all interconnects opportunities around me as Paul says to love one another and even outside of this place to love others. Run after it. Here's

where

we're gonna end. I wasn't planned to end here, but let's end here. This is my final text. Go to first Corinthians, lastly, in chapter seven, and this is where we're gonna sign off together. And go to verse 20.

I've spoken about this before, but it does good to remind ourselves from time to time. People who wonder, how do how do I know what God's called me to do? How do I know what I'm supposed to do at this point in my life? How do I know what he's assigned for my life? And actually, Paul speaks about that here.

And notice what he tells these believers who came to Christ and because they had such wild backgrounds, they didn't know where to go from that place of believing on the Lord. What do I need to change? Where do I need to move? What do I need to do about my employment? Is that not a common question that people ask when they come to Christ?

Yes. And the Bible knows that, and the Bible gives us something to comfort us. And maybe you need this to comfort somebody else who might be agitated and flustered about, I I wanna make sure I'm in the will of God, and I don't have any clues or signs, but I just feel like I need to do something because I'm not satisfied with where I'm at. I don't feel like this is what it is that I can do to really give him maximum glory. Look at verse 20.

Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For he was called in the Lord as a bondservant as a freeman of the Lord.

Likewise, he was free when called as a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price. Do not become bondservants of men. Now look at this in verse 24 again. So brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

So in whatever condition you were called when God rescued you from your sin, Paul says, in essence, everybody calm down. Everybody calm down. Because the context here is, well, now I'm a believer, but I'm married to an unbeliever spouse. Do I need to move on from this relationship? Do I need

to break up? Do I

do do I oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh in terms of circumcision. And so if I'm in a place where I do not have a clear direction from the Lord about what to do, where to go, Here's what he says. Stay where you are and scroll back here to verse 19. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. So stay where you are and obey God to the capacity and the revelation that he has given you.

That is actually you fulfilling the will of God. Not being frantic, not not pulling your hair, Not wondering if I'm really glorifying God or if the yeah. I don't know if the Lord told me anything, but I feel like I need to do this and just burn everything to the ground. No. Stay where you are and obey God where you are.

And here's the comforting part. Did you miss it? Look at verse 24 again. In whatever condition each was called, there let him remain. He could have put a period mark there, but he didn't.

Let him remain with God. God is with you there. And because God is with you there, you can cultivate and maintain a devotional life. You can commit to the local church, and you can seek to, by himself, conform to Christ likeness in any and every context you find yourself in. My prayer at the end of this message is really for all of us here to be able to give a sigh of relief and know based on the word of God, I can walk out of here in whatever condition I'm in and be confident that I am glorifying God.

That's it. Let's pray. Lord, we love your word, and thank you for the reminder. Thank you for the realignment that your word provides. Thank you, Lord, that we don't have to be in a particular place doing something particular, trying to figure out this puzzle of how to be in the will of God.

But you've comfort us to know that no matter where we are, until you give a clear step, we can be absolutely confident that we are giving you glory. So help us leave here, in the words of Paul, with the simplicity of our devotion to Christ. You've made it so simple that no matter who we are, we can bring pleasure to your heart. And we ask, Lord, that we would do so, that you would bring these things to remembrance, that if there needs to be any change in these very areas that we discussed, that we would not see these things as options, but as necessary foundations of giving you your due. Lord, we pray that in this context, as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, that you would help us increase and abound in love for one another.

It has to be from the help of the Holy Spirit. And so, Lord, we pray that as we grow numerically, that we would more importantly grow in this affection with and for one another. Help us, Lord. Don't leave us to our flesh. Don't leave us to giving into the offenses that harbor our hearts, to rehearsing pains and hurts, Lord.

Help us be overcome by this love. And, Lord, we admit if you don't do it, then we're in danger. But if you do it, we will know wonders in our relationships to one another. And so, Lord, we wanna now glorify you with one voice. As one assembly, we wanna give you praises and give you what is your due.

In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Church, what we're about to do right now is a measure of glorifying God. So, come with your voices connected to a heart that realizes I am in a place and with a people where we are now giving to God, the God of heaven and earth, glory. Please stand.