Sunday Morning Worship Service
by Steve Smith
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Exodus 33:17-18, Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 40:5, John 14:9, John 1:14, Hebrews 10:20, John 11:4, Acts 2:1-4, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Lamentations 3:22-23

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/steve-smith--sunday-morning-worship-service-64
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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I was glad when they said it to me, "Let's go to Knoxville, Tennessee." I love this church. I love the leadership of this church. I give honor to Bishop and Sister Mcool, pastor and Sister Mcool, pastor and sister Whitley, and of course, Pastor and Sister Anthony Kelly Mcool. Just you could tell If you ever wonder whether God loves you or not, if God gives the very best to a community and to a congregation, he loves you a lot. And you could tell because God has given this church the very best in leadership. Why don't you put your hands together in honor to the great leadership that God has given you. Thrilled to have the love of my life, Lori and Coco, with us. So thrilled that they're along for the trip. Thank you for the hospitality, the wonderful room, the nice hospitality basket, and and your pastor was working in the gifts of the spirit last night. So, he picked us up the hotel, takes us to a restaurant, and he pulls up. He said, "I'm so sorry. I should have asked you whether you like seafood or not." Well, he pulls us up to one of my absolute favorite restaurants in in America. I may or may not have come to Knoxville and eaten there more than once on one trip before. uh and he's working in the gifts. Thank you not just for the food but for the fellowship. So grateful. I invite your attention to Exodus chapter 33 verse number 17 and 18. Exodus 33 verse number 17 and 18. When you get it, say I'm there. Just cheat and look on the screen. Say I'm there. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also, that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee thy name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Why don't you say that to God this morning? Why don't you say, show me your glory. Do it one more time. Show me your glory. I want to talk to you for a little while this morning on God's glory on display. Why don't you lift your hands and ask God to anoint our time together in his word. God, you're so awesome. God, you have moved so mightily in this service already. We have we have felt your glory in this room. God, I bind anything that's unlike you in the name of Jesus. And I pray that you'll allow your word to have its free course in this room today. God, I pray that you'll impact every one of us, not just with your word, but with your glory this morning. God, we will give you praise. We'll give you honor. We'll give you glory for what you're about to do through your word. In the wonderful name of Jesus, we pray. And everybody said, "Amen." Why don't you put your hands together and give God praise for what he's about to [Music] do? God's glory on display. The concept of the glory of God is colossal in the pages of scripture. The word glory appears 402 times in 371 verses in the Bible. The glory of God is the compass that keeps all of our Christian living oriented in the right direction toward God and not ourselves. It is very natural for our walk with God, if we're not careful to be oriented on ourselves instead of God. And if we are not careful in that process, then we become God and not him. But when we are searching for his glory, when we are seeking for his glory, that changes. Living in and for the glory of God should be our supreme passion. But what is the glory of God? The the glory of God is kind of a theological shortorthhand that encompasses and communicates all that God is. The most important Hebrew word that indicates glory is the Old Testament noun kabad. K a b. Kabad literally means heavy. The judge Eli for instance was described as old and heavy. to bed when he falls off of his seat and breaks his neck at the news of the loss of the ark of the covenant. Reluctant to heed God's commission to return to Egypt, Moses protested that he is slow of speech and tongue, literally heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue. Pharaoh's stubborn heart is described as hard, the Hebrew word being keed. The the plagues themselves are noted to be heavy, that is intense. Battles in the Bible may also be described as kabad, when they are particularly fierce. Especially notable are those contexts in which kabad describes a person's wealth. In English, we have comparable terms for people of great wealth. We would say he's the big boss, he's the heavy hitter, he's the big dog. When you look at scripture and you study a concept, sometimes you can find it at the very beginning of the Bible and pull it if it were like a thread and it was would run throughout the totality of scripture. So it is with this concept of glory. Genesis never explicitly speaks of God's glory, but Exodus first speaks of God's glory in connection with the moment of Israel's release from Egyptian bondage. Rather than helping Israel avoid a pursuing Pharaoh, God leads Israel into a trap in which they cannot escape from. He in essence puts their backs against a wall. There is no escape by human means from Egypt's fury. Pharaoh will think that the Israelites have been foolishly trapped in this situation. But God tells Moses that he has other plans in mind. He said, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue you and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord." Pharaoh was the most powerful human ruler in existence. He had the power of life and death. He was vastly wealthy with armies at his beck and call. He would have been considered glorious by human standards. Pharaoh and the Egyptians thought that he was also an important Egyptian god. Looking a little further as they were crossing the sea, that simply marked a continuation of God's war against the Egyptian gods, which had begun during the plagues. Pharaoh's hard heart would not allow him to surrender to Moses' demand. God's glory was on display by shattering the pretentious glory of Egypt and its Pharaoh by the dramatic means of separating the sea to allow the Israelites to go through to safety and close it in judgment upon the Egyptians. God's saving and judging actions thus demonstrate his glory with result that the Israelites worshiped him. They said, "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea." Now, the Bible is filled with examples of the glory of God, but for the sake of time, I only want to lift two of them for your consideration this morning. In Exodus 33, where our text comes from, we have one of the most remarkable passages in the Old Testament concerning God's glory. The context of the passage is the sin with the golden calf. While Moses has been on the mountain receiving the law, the people under Aaron's leadership have indulged in false worship. They they deserve God's judgment. The Levites respond to the call to come to the Lord's side and they execute God's judgment on their brothers and sisters. In his continuing anger, God also sends a plague on Israel. In a word, the continuing covenant relationship between God and his people is thrown into question. Will God continue to be with his people as they travel toward the promised land? This is the question that was foremost on Moses' mind as he approaches God in prayer. Moses intercedes with the Lord on behalf of his people, seeking assurance that he will travel with them as they move forward. Moses knows only too well that if God does not go with them, their journey will be in vain. And although God tells Moses, "My presence will go with you," Moses remains concerned. And he says, "For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight? I and your people." Moses is asking the most important question. All of our lives are filled with conquest and desires and dreams and hopes and plans. But what if you could obtain everything that you want yet without the presence of God? Moses straight up said, "I really don't care whether we ever get what we wanted or not if you don't go with us. It doesn't matter if I possess everything I've ever dreamed of. If you're not going with us, I am not going. I would rather stay in the wilderness forever with your presence than to be in the promised land without your presence." Oh, the blessings of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow. But when he blesses you, you got to make sure he's with you. I thank God for a brand new building. But I also know that he's going with us. It's just not brick and mortar. It's not just another address. It's a place for the presence of God to dwell. But Moses needs more. He needs a demonstration that God will indeed be present with the people as they travel on. Out of great love for Moses, God promised that he would act in a way that would assure him of his continuing presence as they continued their journey. Moses then asked God, "Show me your glory. I need to see your glory." I'm sure I'm not the only one in this room that would like to see a little bit more of the glory of God. God, show me your glory. I need to see it. I need to see your active manifest presence. so that I know that you're with us." In response, God said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you my name." He told Moses to stand in the cliff of a rock. And he says, "As I pass by you, Moses, I'm going to cover your eyes because you can't see my face. But when I pass by you, I will remove my hand and you will be be able to see my back. You can't look on me and live. But if you just see my back, it's going to be enough, Moses, that when you come down off that mountain, your face is going to be shining. It's going to be glowing. There's something about the presence of God. There's something about the glory of God that when he shows up in our midst, it changes our countenance. It changes our outlook, it changes our attitude. One of the things I love about this church is that everything you do, you do with excellence. But we practice. We we we maintain buildings. We do programs as well as we can. But if we just did that and God's presence didn't show up like he did this morning, it would simply be formality and a waste of time. But when his glory is demonstrated, when his power shows up, when his presence appears, something changes. There's another great example of the glory of God in the Old Testament. In Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah has a vision of God's throne room. The scene occurs in the temple, and Isaiah is in the presence of the Lord. And in his vision, he sees the train of God's robe. Oh, I love that imagery. In that day, when a king would win a victory, they would sew a piece of fabric onto his train. And the longer the train, the more victories he had. Isaiah said, "God's train was so big, it filled the entire temple." I know you might be struggling this morning, but look back for a moment of all the victories God has won in your life. Look back for a moment everything that he's done in your life. If you're struggling today, know that he is a God whose train of victory fills the temple. Angels attend him and the room shakes and is filled with smoke. The the seraraphim make God's glory explicit when they proclaim holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is filled with his glory. Now, let me let me stop preaching and meddle for a moment. I would strongly advise you to start every day with the good news, not the bad news. If you look around at the world today, you would be convinced that there's nothing good going on in the world. But you need to get in the word every day and you need to pray. Don't get up off your knees until you can say the whole earth is filled with his glory. Are there struggles? Yes. But the sun rose this morning. Oh yeah. Yeah. But the sun is still in its place. The moon is still in its place. The whole earth is filled with his glory. When Isaiah got into the presence of God, his sinfulness became so apparent to him. What makes us different than every other church in town is that when the presence of God moves in, that heaviness is there. There's something that's a a heavy response to God. And Isaiah said, "Woe is me, for I'm lost. I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Isaiah's concern was God's glory. God's glory was a wonderful manifestation of his active presence. But for those who are sinful, it can mean death. However, Isaiah had not been brought into the throne room to be put to death. Nor does God invite people into his glory today to put them to death, but for Isaiah to commission him into his prophetic ministry. And thus the angel brings a burning coal from the temple altar and touches his lips, purifying him and taking away his guilt. Isaiah's vision of God on his throne filled him with awe. We ought to leave service every time saying, "Oh, isn't God awesome?" It it shouldn't be, "Oh, wasn't that preaching awesome? Wasn't that music awesome?" And that's all right. But the ultimate aim ought to be, isn't God awesome? I I was in his presence and I'm filled with awe. Isaiah did not speak face to face with God as Moses did, but he did have an overwhelming experience of God's holiness and glory that prepared him for his difficult prophetic task of calling sinful Israel back to a right relationship with God. When Moses talked to God face to face, he said, "Show me your glory." At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, "If you would believe, you should see the glory of God. I have a passion in my heart. I desire to experience the glory of God manifest in our hour like never before." If God has promised it to anybody today that I want to experience it, I want us to experience it. I want him to reveal and manifest his glory to us. But for the glory of God to be manifest, there must be a place for it to dwell. The word shikina, which is used in reference to the glory of God, literally means a dwelling place of God. If we want the glory to appear, we've got to create a dwelling place for God. God is seeking a place to manifest his presence. When Abraham brought Isaac to the top of Mount Mariah to sacrifice him to God, he was creating an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. When Moses stretched his rod across the Red Sea, he created an opportunity for God to show his glory. When Joshua marched around Jericho for seven days, he created a place for God's power to fall and his glory to be revealed. When we obey God, sometimes by doing difficult things, we create a place for God's glory to dwell. Today and every Sunday we celebrate what God has done in this assembly. But I guarantee you that every day that Bishop and Sister Mcool in the early days of this church were sacrificing to establish this church, there were many days probably that it didn't feel like there was any glory going on. It was a whole lot of grunt work, a whole lot of sacrifice, a whole lot of building relationships. But God said, "If you will do what I've asked you to do, if you will climb to the top of Mount Mariah, if you will stretch your rod out over the Red Sea, if you'll walk around the walls of Jericho, I know it may sound silly, but what I need is obedience. If you will obey me, I will create a place for your glory to dwell." Isaiah promised that the greatest manifestation of God's glory was to come. In Isaiah 40 verse5 he said, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." When Philip asked Jesus in John 14:6 to show us the father, he was basically asking what Moses asked at the top of Mount Si. Show us God. Jesus said, "Have I been so long time with you and you don't know me, Philillip. He who hath seen me hath seen the father." I'm here to declare to you this morning that Jesus was the manifestation of the glory of God. 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, who be in the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the glory of God. Glory is what came to earth when Jesus was born. And it was the glory of God when the ark of the covenant was made during Moses' day. It was a golden chest where God said his commandments must be placed inside and his presence would be made known. And this ark was placed behind the veil in the temple. This portable tabernacle in the wilderness. This veil divided the two rooms of the holy place and the most holy place. that there was a divider. Behind that divider, that veil was the ark of the covenant. This wasn't a veil like a wedding veil. Commentators say this was a thick veil so thick that two team of oxen could not pull it apart. It was a barrier. It was something that blocked the glory of God from everybody else. Years later, when Israel disobeyed God, the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. And notice what was said when it was taken. And she, Eli's daughter-in-law, Eli being the high priest at that time, named the child Icabad that she gave birth to, saying, "The glory is departed from Israel because the ark of God has taken." She said, "The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken." That ark was called the glory of God. The ark was where God's presence would be made known to Israel. It was glory and it was placed behind a veil in the temple. Now roll the clock ahead to the New Testament. When Jesus came to earth, we read that God's glory came to earth and that people were in the presence of glory. But we also read that that glory was still behind the veil. The writer of Hebrews says it this way, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, there was glory in Jesus. And as the ark was situated behind the veil in the temple, we read that Jesus's flesh was a veil. Behind that flesh was glory. Inside that flesh was glory. And the glory was as much hidden behind Jesus's flesh as it was hidden behind that veil during Old Testament times. The veil was bypassed only one day a year by the high priest that was able to go into the Holy of Holies behind that veil and feel what we've already felt this morning. Only one person, one time a year for the purpose of atonement. One man could get in the presence of God's glory where the ark was. When Jesus showed up, he performed wonders for people. Miracles occurred. And you could say that glory came forth as God's power came out of the veil of Christ's flesh in wonderworking miracles. He was glorified in the miracles that he did. As a matter of fact, John 11 said Jesus heard them talking and he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the son of God might be glorified thereby." Jesus was like a temple, and in the temple is the glory of God. As a matter of fact, that great verse I quoted just a moment ago in John 1:14 that said in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. That great verse that said he came in flesh and dwelt among us. One translation says he came in flesh and tabernacled among us. In the temple was the glory hidden behind the veil. Now in Jesus was the glory hidden behind the veil. And Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." But he spoke of the temple of his body. I'm here to tell you that the glory of God is not just something in the Old Testament, but it's something available for me and you today. But that veil, that flesh was only going to serve a purpose for a little time. Because when Jesus Christ hung on the cross and he died and he uttered that one Greek word to tell us, which is translated, "It is finished." When he said that word, that veil rimped to the top from the from the top to the bottom in the temple. And the flesh that was on the cross also died. And all of the glory that was on the inside of the tabernacle got let out so all of us could get in. And the glory that was on the inside of Jesus got let out so all of us could let could be let in. The glory of God was manifested on full display. Come on and give him praise in this room. Jiren Davis wrote it so powerfully years ago when he said, "In the Holy of Holies, behind the heavy veil set the ark of the covenant where the Most High dwelt. And only the high priest could enter therein to offer up a sacrifice for atonement of sin. But the veil was rent in an instant, revealing the holy place. For on a hill nearby and an old rugged cross, justice meant grace. Now I can go into the Holy of Holies, I can kneel and make my petition known. I can go into the Holy of Holies. And although I'm just a common man, because of God's redemption plan, I can boldly approach the throne. Somebody needs to understand that the glory that God has displayed all throughout the Bible is readily available to each one of us today. And we can go boldly into the throne room of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Somebody say to God, "Show me your mercy. Show me your glory. Show me your power. Show me your spirit." I need all of you today. Come on and put your hands together. Oh, if you've walked in this room and you need a little bit more of the manifestation of God's glory, why don't you stand to your feet and reach out to him for a moment? I need your glory in my family, God. I need your glory in my finances, God. I need your glory in my work situation, God. I need your glory in my health, God. I need your glory. Come on, give him praise. Just a moment more. Give him praise. Just a moment more. You may be seated. But I've got one more for you. Just like that glory was in the temple behind a veil. Just like the glory was inside of Jesus behind the veil which was his flesh. Our flesh is a veil as well. And everyone in this room, Jesus wants to baptize into his spirit by the water and the spirit. He wants to fill each one of us with his glory. The Holy Ghost is God's glory on the inside of us. Simon Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and told us how that could happen. The first verses of Acts chapter 2 says, "When the day of Pentecost were fully come, they were all in one accord in one place, and suddenly suddenly there was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it set upon them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and begin to speak with other tongues, as God gave them utterance." If you are in this room and you have never received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the glory that I've been talking about for the last few minutes is available to you. If you are in this room and you have received the Holy Ghost, but to be honest, you're living kind of like it's once saved, always saved. You did it a long time ago and you really haven't been in connection with that glory on the inside of you in a long time. God says, "I'm here to meet with you as well today." Because the glory isn't just a concept in the Old Testament or in Jesus's life. It is in our lives as well. Because just like the glory was in the temple. And just like God's body was the temple, Paul picked up his pen in 1 Corinthians 6 and said, "I want you to know something that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." I I I know it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around the idea that our body is similar to what was in the Old Testament and the body of Jesus, but it was the Apostle Paul that said, "I am going to take ordinary men and women, and I'm going to fill them with my spirit, and I am going to make their body a temple of the Holy Ghost." My challenge to you this morning is after the glory is in you, do not let the flesh veil it away from the world. Just like the glory was hidden for years in the temple, God wants to make sure that when he invests his glory in our life, that we don't let the most insidious part of us, our flesh block the glory from all of those who are around us. I believe that's why Paul said, "I affirm by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." Every day I've got to get up and say, "Hey, buddy that's looking me in the mirror. You are not God. You're not in charge. But we do know who is God. And we do know who is in charge." And thank God I'm not God cuz I can't fix anything, but he can fix everything. I can't heal anything, but he can heal everything. I can't provide for everything, but he can provide for everything. I'm not God, but he is. So look at me, Steve, right here in the baby blues. You're not God, but he is. And that flesh of yours has got to be mortified. It's got to be killed, Steve. It's not about you. Because if it's about you, it's not about much. But it's all about him. It's all in him. It's all for him. It's all through him. Oh boy. But if you ever wondered whether any of you had an don't quit in you, that flesh of yours is stubborn. You ever had a kid that just couldn't work? I mean, you just couldn't get him to do something. Couldn't get him to keep doing something. No. No. That's not your flesh. Your flesh is unbelievably resilient. Your your flesh is unbelievably stubborn. As a matter of fact, put it to bed tonight and in the morning it's going to get right back up. It's going to be alive and well. That's why Paul said, "I've got to do it every day. I've got to die every day." It's been said that cats have nine lives. But I've got to tell you, your flesh is even better than that. Your fleshly nature has 365 new lives every year. Every morning when you wake up, regardless how good the day was before, your fleshly nature wakes up and says, "Oh, by the way, I'm in charge. You got to kill it all over again, but I've got some good news for you. When you wake up tomorrow morning, your sinful nature is going to get up, too. But there's something else that's going to get up in the morning." I love that verse in Lamentations. It says, "Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, oh God, to me." Yeah, my fleshly nature is getting up in the morning, but so are the mercies of God. Yes, my sinful nature is getting up in the morning, but so is the power of God, the mercy of God. And I want everywhere I go for God's glory to be on display. Stand to your feet all over this place and lift your hands to heaven right now and begin to talk to the Lord. God, I thank you for your glory that you offer us. Oh Lord, when I think of the Old Testament and and all of the powerful manifestations of your presence, it is just mindboggling to me. And then I think of my own life of the services and the camp meetings and and the times that you've showed up in powerful glory. It's mindboggling. God, I think of the times you've made a way where there seems to be no way. I I think of the times when dear saints of God have been told there's no hope. You the cancer is out of control. You're not going to live. And yet we celebrate just a few weeks later by saying the doctor said you're cancerree. God, when I think of all of that, it blows my mind. But God, the greatest thing that boggles my mind is you want that kind of glory on the inside of me. So that everywhere I go, in the coffee shop, at work, in the gym, in the neighborhood, that your glory is on full display for everybody that I come in contact with. That's how much you love all of us, God. Lord, as we step out from our pews this morning and come as close as we can around this altar, I want you to meet us here. God, we've already sensed your glory all through this service. But God, we not only want to see your glory today, God, we want those in our lives to see your glory in us tomorrow. Not not because we're acting holier than now. Not because we're acting pompous. No, no, no. We're just doing our life. We're we're we're moving in the speed of life, God. We're we're just doing what we've got to do. We're we're taking kids to school. We're going to work. We're we're mowing the lawn. We're just doing what we have to do. But God, inside of what looks like just an average guy, an average girl, Lord, this is really a temple of the Holy Ghost, God. And I pray that our flesh will be killed every day, God. that we will die out to our sinful nature so that everywhere we go in our average living, moving, breathing God, that your glory will be on display to everybody who sees us. Come on, lift your hands and make that your prayer today. Come on, make that your prayer today. Oh, make that your prayer today, God. Right now, we're not praying for miracles, God. We're praying that you will make us somebody else's miracle. the person tomorrow who prays. God, if you're real, would would you send me somebody? Would you would you send me somebody that I could see the love of God in? God, right now, we're not praying for miracles. We're praying that you make us miracles in somebody else's life. That that powerful glory that you have deposited in ush will be on display for everyone around us.