Glory

Your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts
We long for, desire many things- some are great, some may be dangerous

Isaiah has the job of pointing people toward the Lord and he is confident that there will be a people who have this corporate desire - to know God

to know him personally
to see him known by others
He becomes the focus of all activities

We are going to be talking about different aspects of God’s character that set Him apart as being worth knowing, worth talking about, worth centering everything around

Our desires make clear what our God is
Our desire for God should be the sustaining act that drives all other desires

Do you hunger for more of God in your life?
Do you hunger for more of God in our world?

Nothing is more important in your life than your desire for God. His name and his renown are the desire of our hearts. It is a desire for His presence, His fellowship, that His name to be glorified

Glory: heaviness, beauty, reputation, importance

GLORY is the visible presence of God, often displayed in dazzling magnificence; it is His character, His attributes expressed; it is His weight, His worth revealed in His creation

We draw attention to things we think are Glorious - we say “hey look at this”

this IS goal of authentic Christianity - that His renown would be the desire of our hearts

I want him to increase, He becomes greater, I become less

John the Baptist (John 3:26,30)

John showed that he got it, when faced with temptation to misplace glory, to seek it for himself, he rose to the occasion...in humility

When we see God’s Glory - this is our response and if we don’t respond in this way perhaps we have allowed our eyes to be distracted, or we have set our gaze on less admirable things

You are in the middle of a cultural crisis
Psalm 115:1
"not to us, not to us! but to your name be the glory"

People have an innate desire to want to be seen, noticed, appreciated, thought of, liked

But it often comes at a cost; when our names are lifted up do we turn the attention back to the Lord or soak it up in prideful self exaltation

Part of what enables me to want God’s glory above all is persistent surrender of my own desires, insecurities, and ego. Persistent: a habit forged by repetition

The more we reflect on God’s goodness, the more we want God to receive the credit he alone deserves

1 Have you seen the Glory of God through Faith in Jesus? The Lord has revealed His Glory and wants you to know Him

2 If you already know Him, make a commitment that you will not rest until the Glory of God’s fame is increased in your circles, that you will value your peers, that you will live a godly life, and that you will prepare to share the Gospel boldly



Small Group Questions

1 what is the most glorious thing you’ve seen in real life? why was it so magnificent?

2 what are some things you long for? things that you are passionate about and would like to see happen?

3 why might someone who is a Believer want God’s fame to increase in the world? like what impact would that have? what would there be more of? less of?

4 can your name and fame increase in a way that honors the Lord? or is it one or the other? (His name or our name) [I do think it’s possible but it is fame that comes from incredible humility and service that acknowledges and gives credit to the Lord and His power; it will probably only be recognized in certain circles - think of the way Jesus said “yes you can be great, but the greatest person is the one who is the servant of all”]

5 how can a teenager center their live around the Lord? what shapes our desires?

6 when do you find time to reflect on God’s goodness to you? as a group, brainstorm some healthy habits that would help you to grow in love for the Lord and glorify Him through your life