Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31 [p. 742] April 21, 2024

Sermon: “Our INDIVIDUAL Purpose as the Church” Pastor John Young

I’d like to ask you two questions this morning, by way of introduction:

When I say the word, CHURCH, what comes to your mind? Building? Pastor? Sunday school? Deacons? Body of Christ? People? Salt? Indeed, all of these designations reflect the word, but how many of us think of ‘me?’ Few of us—Amen? And yet, the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16 [p. 739], “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” The truth of the matter is, if you know Christ as your Savior, ‘you’ are the CHURCH! Oh, it’s also true ‘we’ are the CHURCH, but it’s easy to become invisible in ‘we.’ It’s impossible to be invisible when you consider the CHURCH is ‘me!’

Second question:

What’s the purpose of the CHURCH? What are you and me, the CHURCH, supposed to be doing? Why do you and I exist? You can probably list a host of reasons without even thinking too hard:

• To present the gospel to the lost

• To bring hope to the hurting

• To support wholesome values

• To teach the Bible

• To provide for the needy

• To model righteousness

 Though each of these goals is valuable and necessary, not one captures the central reason for ‘yours’ and ‘my’ existence as the CHURCH! According to our text, this is what God says yours and my purpose is: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Our purpose, individually as God’s CHURCH, is to glorify God! Whether we’re eating or drinking, serving or struggling, working or worshipping—God’s glory should be the goal!

Similar instructions can be found in Romans 15:5-6 [p. 736], “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You can’t miss it. It rings through the Scriptures like wedding bells! Individually, we are to glorify God!

But what exactly does it mean to glorify God, and how do we do it? Let’s find out:

I. What does it mean?

A. The Bible portrays glory in three different ways:

1. The first focuses on the holy light that emanates from God.

a. Turn with me to Exodus 40:34 [p. 72], “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

1) When God made an appearance in Old Testament times, the Israelites knew it! His searing light flooded the tabernacle like an exploding nova!

2) The same thing took place on top of Mount Sinai? Notice Exodus 24:16-17 [p. 58], “And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.”

2. A second and equally significant usage of glory appears in 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 [p. 746], where Paul portrays it as a unique representation or distinctive appearance evident in God’s creation:

a. “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.”

1) How intriguing! Glory pulses from the planets and solar system, as well as, from the physical creation!

2) Intriguing, but not surprising! The Psalmist wrote in 19:1 [p. 385], “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.”

[However, neither the distinctiveness of God’s creation nor the brilliance of His holy light reflects the meaning of ‘glorifying God in our bodies’ as the CHURCH.]

3. John the Baptist embodies a third kind of glory—the kind that each one of us, as God’s CHURCH, should demonstrate—John 1:23-27 [p. 684].

a. Listen to the words of this man, “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

1) John never sought the glory that belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.

a) In fact, his disciples came to him later, inquiring why Jesus’ ministry was flourishing. John replied (John 3:30), “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

b. Glory, then, as it relates to ‘you’ (the CHURCH), means to magnify and elevate the Lord God as we diminish and deny ourselves!

1) It means being occupied with and committed to HIS ways rather than preoccupied with and determined to go my own way!

[Well, now that we know what it means…]

II. How do we do it?

A. Personally:

1. By cultivating the habit of including the Lord God in every segment of life.

a. How can we radiate God’s glory if we shut Him out all week, then casually touch base with Him on Sunday?

1) Take your Bible with you to work. Place it strategically on your desk or work area.

2) Pray publicly before you eat.

3) Freely give the gospel message, via a tract or personal testimony.

4) Learn and repeat the refrain, “Praise the Lord!”

a) I called the Miami County Building office the other day to ask a question. Rosemary answered my question favorably and I responded, “Praise the Lord!” She said, “You don’t hear that response much out in the work place!”

b. Find ways to magnify and elevate the Lord God in every segment of life!

B. Privately:

1. By maintaining a priority relationship with God that is more important than any other on earth!

a. We must meet often and alone with God, consistently opening the shutters, the closets, and every room in our lives to His glory!

1) “This is Yours God! That is Yours God! Everything is Yours! To God be the glory, great things He had done!”

b. And we must give Him first place on the list of intimate relationships—above spouse, children, parents, and dearest friends.

1) This is NOT an excuse to ignore these other relationships, or otherwise be irresponsible to them; it only speaks of the priority!

2) We must have a personal, daily, alive relationship with God!

3) Our pursuit of this will glorify God!

C. Corporately:

1. By refusing to expect or accept any of the glory that belongs to God.

a. Our flesh soaks up glory like a thirsty sponge!

b. It craves strokes, and cherishes self-advancement!

c. It gulps down glory from almost everything it does!

2. By openly admitting our struggle with pride, we take the first step toward overcoming our fault!

a. Our next step will reveal whether we took the first! I.E. Be willing to accept any task or assignment presented you.

1) Some of God’s people need a year of toilet cleaning duty! You think too highly of yourself!

Conclusion: Let’s return to our two questions again.

1—Who is the CHURCH? “ME”

2—What is “MY” purpose? To glorify God in whatever you do!

3—How’s the CHURCH doing?

Let’s pray