Illustration
- Open with Titus playing drum box [I want to show that b/c I’m proud of/love him]
- A family’s living room – pictures of their family
- A work desk – picture of children
- A gymnasium – banners of championships for all to see
Application
- Just as we want to display/share what we love/are proud of/what we have accomplished/makes us happy [so
too does…]
- God want to display His love/pride/accomplishments [Himself and His work and His ways… His Glory!]
Intro
- We have been
o Preaching/Thinking about God’s Blessings For God’s Glory
o Reminding/Informing ourselves of how God desires
 To bless us [and He desires to do so b/c…]
 TO SHOWCASE/SPREAD/SHARE HIS GLORY
- The story of Scripture is the story of how God is on a mission to
o To put His worth/value/excellence/goodness/beauty/incredible, all satisfying, indescribable nature on
display
o Make His ways know to all people of all ages
Transition
- Last week I mentioned two reasons He wants to do that [review those briefly]
1. TO SATISFY HIMSELF
Explanation
- As God’s nature/character
o Is put on display
o Performs works, deeds, actions
o GOD SEES HIS WORK & ENJOYS/FINDS PLEASURE IN IT
Illustration
- My Son with whom I am well pleased
- Just as an artist finds great joy in seeing his work hang in a gallery so too does God find joy in His work being
displayed in the world
Transition
- Also, God desires to spread & showcase His glory for others
- So He spreads His glory not just to satisfy Himself, but also…
2. TO SHARE HIMSELF
Explanation
- God is gracious which means He gives
o B/C He wants to
o Even though we don’t deserve it & can’t pay Him back
- God wants us to know the joy of being exposed to Him
Illustration
- He pleads with us in Ps. 34.8 - … taste and see that the Lord is good
Application
- So understand, God wants His glory/worth/value/satisfying nature spread
o Because He is satisfied by His work & ways [and…
o He desires for others/you to be satisfied by it [kind of like our favorite restaurant/vacation spot/hair
dresser]
Transition
- There are many ways that God can spread His glory [but…]
- This text is about Him using people to do it…
o In the OT He used His people Israel [and now…
o He wants to use His Church/me and you to be an image of His glory/worth/value/excellence
- Now the problem is that
o We can’t
 Do that
 Accurately demonstrate/display the attributes of God
o We have
 Hearts that are deceitful above all things & desperately wicked [Jer. 17.9]
 A way that seems right to us, but the end is death [Prov. 14.12]
 Been born as sinners and cannot accurately display the greatness/glory of God
- Therefore, God has made a way to
o Change us [That is what salvation is about]
o Bless us [so that we can both know His glory and show His glory]
READ TEXT & PRAY
Review
- For the past 2 weeks we pointed out how God wants His people to have
o Purity [repentance & righteousness… Requirements to know His glory & show His glory]
o Permanence [generation after generation to walk in
 repentance in righteousness
 knowing His glory & showing His glory
Transition
- Tonight we will look at the final 2 blessings God wants to give that we may know & show His Glory
- We will first of all notice tonight that…
1. GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO HAVE HIS PRIORITIES [interests/goals/dreams/aspirations]
Numbers 6:25 - The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
Explanation
- Let’s look at that last phrase… Make His face to shine upon us [a lesson when we understand that phrase]
Illustration
- What happens when
o The Sun shines on the moon… [the moon changes, before the sun it is just a cold dark rock]
o You fall asleep on the beach in July… [your skin changes]
Explanation
- So understand… When the God says I want my face to shine on you, he is saying…
o I will change/make an impact on you… I will not let you stay the same
o I will give you my features/appearances/presence [I had a guy yesterday who admits he is going to hell,
but does not want to make Jesus the boss of His life b/c he fears he cannot live for God… He doesn’t
understand that God changes you]
- God says,
o So that you can have the joy of knowing & showing My glory. I will…
 Give you my priorities
 Literally change your heart/mold your heart/give you my mind/thoughts [I’m potter & you’re
clay]
Illustration
- Let me share some scripture with you that verifies how God invades our heart with His priorities
o One of my favorite places is in Ezekiel 36:26-27 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within
you [You need new priorities… God says I will take care of your priorities by giving you a new
personality]; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
 God, I
 Am having trouble
o Walking in some statutes
o Keeping some of your judgments
 Need you to change my priorities, by changing my heart!
o Acts 5:31 - Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel
and forgiveness of sins.
 Struggling to repent?… God change my heart/priorities
o 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to
all, just as we do to you,
 Having trouble loving someone [boss/teacher/spouse/unruly teenager/in laws]?
 Don’t care enough about lost people/church people [God, make me…
 Increase in love
 To have your priorities/put the world on my heart!
 To have your face shine on me & me reflect you
Application
- I cannot overemphasize our need for God to give us His priorities [people try to turn over a new leaf, but the
new leaf is just as sinful & dirty & weak & incapable as the old one]
- You don’t
o Feel like serving your wife… Don’t pray for better habits, but for a new heart/priorities
o Feel like cooperating with your husband… Don’t pray for a better practice, but new priorities
o Want to
 Read the scriptures [Pray for priorities/heart]
 Spend time in prayer
 Pay your tithes
 Share the gospel
 Pray/teach the Scripture to my children [would rather throw ball/watch a movie/take them
fishing]
 Serve in Awana/VBS/Men’s Workday/Choir/Teaching/in the nursery
- God, I am having trouble
o Becoming unrooted from the world
o Seeing and savoring your glory
o Knowing and showing your greatness
- Please understand… God knows
o We need His help
o We have hearts that are prone to wander/leave the God we love [so, He said…
- I WILL MAKE MY FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU!
- Praise God! Not only does He have a path in which He wants us to walk, He gives us the power to do so!
Transition
- I hope you are starting to see that God will equip us to know & show His glory… He will grant us
o Purity – repentance & righteousness [that we may know & show His glory]
o Permanence
o Priorities [and, finally…]
2. GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO HAVE PEACE
Numbers 6:26 - The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’
Explanation
- The word peace can be thought of in at least 2 different ways
o Peace – no war/conflict/fighting
o Peace – together/whole/complete/not torn apart emotionally/not troubled/anxious
- Both of these meanings apply to God’s people
o There is coming a day when
 There will be no more war/conflict/fighting
 Jesus will conquer all evil and there will be peace [Only God can have a kingdom like that]
o There is also a peace that can mark the soul of God’s people
Illustration
- The kind of peace that can
o Get you through the loss of a loved one [Both Grandmothers’ funerals]
o Calm your soul during a medical procedure [Titus’ risky bacteria in his blood… 6% of babies]
o Sooth the heart of a soldier who faces deadly situations
o Assure you that no matter the outcome, God is in control & I know
 Even if pain comes
 Even if tragedy strikes
 Even if all seems hopeless
 GOD IS IN CONTROL/IS NOT SURPRISED BY MY CIRCUMSTANCE/IS WORKING ALL THINGS
TOGETHER FOR ME TO KNOW & SHOW HIS SURPASSING WORTH & GLORY
CLOSING
- About a decade ago Rick Warren wrote The Purpose Driven Life to answer the question, “Why Am I Here?”
- I will be honest… I
o Don’t remember his book [There wasn’t enough about repentance, I remember that]
o Don’t remember if he got it right [but…
o Don’t’ need his book b/c this passage & all of Scripture tells me I am here to…
 KNOW & SHOW THE GLORY OF GOD
 GLORIFY GOD BY ENJOYING HIM FOREVER [the chief end of man]
 EMBRACE GOD’S BLESSINGS FOR GOD’S GLORY!