I listened to such an AMAZING sermon the other day. It was on the word Glorify and what it really means to glorify God. I even took tons of notes – which I don’t usually do. But this had such super great insights and quotes, I really wanted to take them down. I love that it's so practical and you can apply to this to everyday life.

Hope you don't mind if I share them here :)

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What does it really mean to glorify God? The Hebrew word for glory is “kabode” which means WEIGHTY or heavy. The Greek word for glory is “doxa” (which is where we get the word doxology) and it means FAME. So when you combine those you get that to glorify God is--

--to live in such a way that you help people to see the weightiness and the fame of God’s name. To make a good name for God. To spread His fame.

--you cause people to think of the weightiness, the importance of God. To declare, advertise, announce- by the way we live our lives- His glory.

- Another word for ‘preeminence’ is ‘priority’. God’s glory is God’s top priority. Many people think God’s top priority is us- loving us, being good to us. It’s true that He does love us and does us good- but His own glory is His top priority. We were made for His glory.

If that seems selfish or self centered it’s because we are human. He is God. Only He is perfect. Only He is the most splendid, most beautiful, worthy Being in the universe.

- God promoting His glory is good for us. God does not exist to make us happy. He is not a celestial Santa Claus. He created us to showcase God. When you understand that- you will live with peace, joy and contentment. Yes, we will experience God’s love, yes, we will experience God’s goodness, His mercy!

“I will rescue you for My sake- yes for My own sake! That way, the pagan nations will not be able to claim that their gods have conquered Me. I will not let them have My glory!” Is 48:11

“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not give my glory to anyone else.” Is 42:8

“This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must regard as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” Lev. 10:3

- To ‘glorify’ in Hebrew means “to have an opinion about something”. When we glorify God people should be able to watch our lives and form a good opinion about God. The way we respond to people, the way we respond to sickness, the way we respond to deep hurt, to conflict- the way we are “doing life”.

There are many many ways found in the Bible to glorify God but he picked 2 major ones:

1. Live your life in such a way that people are struck by you but not taken up with you.

- It might be you that gets people’s attention initially, but then we should be pointing back to God. The way we respond to trials, etc…. pointing people past yourself and to Christ. That you are wearing the aroma of Christ. (we are not supposed to be ‘peculiar’ as in legalistic, not what you wear, etc….it’s how you handle hurts, it’s how you respond to attitudes, to conflicts, it’s how you treat people…) This is a chance to show what Jesus has done in our lives.

- We don’t have to do anything huge to promote Christ- we just need to have on the sweet aroma of Christ in our everyday difficult settings. People should be asking you “what’s your hope”? If not- maybe they aren’t seeing it.

- Could the sin of complaining be darkening the eyes of unbelievers and keeping them from seeing the glory of Christ in our lives?

- Glorifying God makes us a billboard, God’s advertising agency. Advertising agencies don’t exist to make a name for themselves- they exist to make a name for somebody Else. People should remember what you are ‘advertising’ long after you are gone.

- We need teachers, lawyers, mechanics, students,drivers, mothers,CEO’s, pilots, musicians who are the sweet aroma of Christ to others- right where they are. We need to be salt and light- salt has to be up against/rubbing to be effective- not collected altogether in it’s own little pile singing together and working together. Get out of the shaker and up against the culture and be salt and light. Help them form a good opinion of God by the way you live your life.

2.Show others how you go to Him first for your deepest satisfaction.

- You make people hungry (you’re an hor derve) for God. (Taste and see that the Lord is good.) Whatever you yearn for, long for, desire, find your deepest satisfaction in is what you glorify! Some of you glorify sports, eating, work, shopping, raising children, attention. If you think you have to have something to be happy or satisfied- you are glorifying that – making it an idol.

- As people watch you and listen to you- what do they see as your deepest satisfaction? Is it Christ? That's what it means to glorify God by being most satisfied in Him.

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You can listen
[url=http://graceky.org/index.php?c=sermons]HERE[/url] under the sermon archives. It's called "Glorify"

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Chanin

Thank you so much for sharing this. It was a refreshing reminder and an encouragement. My life can seem very much the same every day (on the surface) though He is always doing a deeper work. It is a humble reminder to be surrendered to His grace each day so I can be that "salt & light" to the world around me. I especially felt convicted over the "complaining" issue. When you are surrounded by complaining co-workers, it is quite a statement when you are silent or finding the good in the situation instead. I have been getting more weighed down in that lately, so it was a needed reminder.

Blessings my sister - Amy

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Amy