Preached July 6, 2008
by Pastor Steve Tompkins

In this sermon Pastor Steve shares from his deeply personal quest to define what it means to “see” the Glory of God and its implications in joy and defining our identities as disciples of Jesus. Using John chapter one as a foundation from which to work, pastor Steve explores ideas of light and darkness, spiritual seeing and blindness, and the expected Christian response when we actually experience “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” and “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4,6).

Glory, Joy, and Living for Jesus as Disciples - Part 1
Preached by Pastor Steve Tompkins | July 6, 2008

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Below I’ve posted all of the scripture, definitions, and quotes that Pastor Steve referenced during this powerful sermon. Going back through all of this scripture on your own as a Bible study, makes for a wonderful devotion time, if you have an opportunity.

Hebrews 12:1-2
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

“the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God” 2 Cor 4:4
“the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” 2 Cor 4:6

Hebrews 12:2
2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Psalm 16:11
11You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

John 15:11
11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Psalm 4:7
7You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

John 1:1-18
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

John 1:14
14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What is the Glory of God?
It is God’s beauty, majesty, splendor, radiance, and goodness. It is God’s character as expressed in his grace, truth, mercy, justice etc. Above all, it is his absolutely all-satisfying infinitely praise-worthy value, whereby he is worthy of all honor, worship, praise, thanks etc.

1 Corinthians 1:18
18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6
5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

James 2:19
19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

John Piper: God is glorified in his people by the way we experience him, not merely by the way we think about him. Indeed the devil thinks more true thoughts about God in one day than a saint does in a lifetime, and God is not honored by it. The problem with the devil is not his theology, but his desires.
–When I don’t Desire God, p. 30

John Piper: The apostle Paul said, “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed” (1 Cor. 16:22). Love is not a mere choice to move the body or the brain. Love is also an experience of the heart. So the stakes are very high. Christ is to be cherished, not just chosen. The alternative is to be cursed.
–When I don’t Desire God, p. 19

Hebrews 3:12-13
12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

1 Corinthians 10:1-7
1For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not be idolaters as some of them were . . . .

Jeremiah 2:13
13for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Revelation 3:17
17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Hebrews 4:7
7again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying . . . “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Isaiah 6:1-8
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”