Today I finished my series through the five solas. I have only posted notes from one other sermon in the series, By Christ Alone. I thought I would post the outline for today’s sermon.

The glory of God is a topic that takes up a lot of room in the Bible. The word glory or glorify occurs over 350 times and most of these somehow refer to God. Scripture teaches that God’s actions are intended to proclaim his glory. Humans as well are created to demonstrate his glory. All of us will fulfill that purpose whether we want to or not – God will gain glory from every human being. But in today’s world people do not seem to recognize that we were created for the glory of God. In this sermon I wanted to help people understand what glory is, that God works for his glory, that we are to work for his glory, and that we glorify God through worship. True worship should take place always, every day that we live. It is not just a Sunday morning thing.

At any rate, on to my sermon outline.

Soli Deo Gloria
Glory to God Alone
Ephesians 1:3-14

1. To God alone be the glory.
1. How does your life bring glory to God? Are you intentionally glorifying God?
2. Bringing the series to an end: all that we have discussed is for God’s glory.
3. Where we are going today
1. Glory defined
2. The work of God: Glorifying God
3. The work of man: Glorifying God
4. The way to glorify God
4. Today’s text: Ephesians 1:3-14
1. This is not a sermon on predestination
2. Verses 6, 12, 14: the purpose of his work is our praise of his glory.
2. What is glory?
1. Hebrew Kavod – weight, importance.
2. Greek Doxa – splendor, greatness.
3. Importance, significance, worthy of focus and attention.
4. Glorify: to point to God’s glory.
5. Ross: To speak about God’s glory is to declare his importance or the display of that importance in history and in creation.
3. The work of God: Glorifying God.
1. All the work is performed by God.
1. He blessed us; he chose to save us; he redeemed us; he adopted us; he lavished grace on us; he revealed his saving will to us; he will unite us to him; he has given us an inheritance; he sealed us with the Holy Spirit.
2. All the work is for the glory of God.
1. V6, that we would praise his glorious grace
2. V12, saved so that we would praise his glory
3. V14, given the Holy Spirit so that we would praise his glory
4. God does not work to exalt man; he works to exalt himself.
5. God does not exist to lift us up, we exist to lift him up.
6. God loves his creation but his love does not override his protection of his glory.
3. God is jealous for his glory: Isa. 48:9-11
1. Here God gives his mercy for his own sake, not for our sake.
4. God’s glory fills the earth: Numbers 14:21
4. The work of man: Glorifying God.
1. The work of God brings about praise from man.
2. Salvation does not draw attention to you.
3. The blessings of Christ do not point to you.
4. Liberation theology and health and wealth: puts the focus in the wrong place.
5. All that we do should bring glory to God, not to us: Psalm 115:1
6. We do not create more glory for God, we point to his glory: John 5:41
7. The chief end of man.
8. In the end all will glorify God – even the enemies of God will unwittingly bring him glory: Exodus 14:4; Romans 9:22-23
9. We will glorify God throughout eternity: Rev. 5:11-13
10. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
1. Enjoy the blessings of the Lord for his glory
2. Enjoy the love of the Lord for his glory
3. Share the salvation of God for his glory
5. The way to glorify: Worship.
1. More than just songs on Sunday morning.
2. Like faith, worship is belief lived out.
3. Praise, words, works: Psalm 96:7-10
4. When the world sees our worship, they see what we worship.
5. What the world sees should lead them to glorify God: Matt. 5:16
6. The world needs to know of God’s glory.

Benediction: Romans 16:25-27

Romans 16:25-27

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (ESV)