THE PURSUIT OF GOD's GLORY

Sunday 13 September 2015

Speaker: Pastor Austen Ukachi

In the past few days, we have examined the theme, SPECTACULAR GLORY during a six day conference. During the conference, almost every speaker emphasized on the prayer of Moses in Exodus 33:18: “Please, show me your glory.” That prayer re-echoed several times during the conference.

Moses had several encounters with the glory of God at Sinai and at various times in the wilderness (See Exodus 14:19-31; 16:7-10; 24:9-18; 33:18; 34:29-35; Numbers 14:10; 16:41-50; 20:1-6; Luke 9:30-32). Despite all these encounters, he still prayed to God, “Please, show me your glory.” This shows that the desire for God and his glory lies deep in the heart of man.

THE COST

Moses’ experiences with the glory of God did not just happen. He paid a great price to see the glory of God. By his exemplary sacrifice, he teaches us that the pursuit of God’s glory comes at a cost. It is not enough for us to repeat the prayer of Moses; if we seek to see God’s glory in our lives we must be prepared to pay the price Moses paid. Moses made hard choices and sacrifices between staying in Pharaoh’s tent and siding with God. He made a choice between living in pleasure in Pharaoh’s court and suffering for the sake of Christ. Think of the rare privilege of growing up in Pharaoh’s court, but Moses shunned all that glamour for something higher. He fixed his eyes on the invisible God. He chose to suffer for Christ, and to identify with a God he never saw.

The writer of the book of Hebrews 11:24-27 summarises Moses sacrifice thus: “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

GOD’S GLORY IS WITH US NOW!

As our pursuit for the glory of God soars, let us bear in mind that Jesus is God’s spectacular glory revealed to man. All the glory we seek are embodied in Jesus Christ. He is the full representation of God’s glory. As John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

There is no other expression of glory that surpasses our Lord Jesus Christ. In him, all glory is consummated. The writer of the book of Hebrews says, he is the “brightness of his glory and the express image of his person.” As we press on in Christ, and seek to be like him, we are gradually changed into his image. When we pray, “Please, show me your glory,” the Holy Spirit responds by transforming us more and more into the image of Christ. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The glory of God is in different dimensions, but none surpasses Christ, who is the fullest expression of God. We can only experience the other forms of glory through him and by his grace. Therefore, let our desire be to seek Christ, and to know him. As we do so, we shall experience the glory of God.