The Conclusion: Thine Is The Glory
Sermon
What's That Supposed To Mean?
Using The Catechism In The 21st Century
Object:
The Lord's Prayer -- The Conclusion
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. What is meant by the word "Amen"? That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promised to hear us. Amen, Amen, that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.
What do we mean when we say to our Father in heaven, "For Thine is the glory. Amen"? Luke tells a story about Jesus that shows us what glory is. Luke reports a time Jesus was invited to a dinner, and He noticed that as guests arrived, some headed straight for places of honor. So He said to some fellow dinner guests, "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will have glory in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Notice: the person sitting in the place of honor has glory in the eyes of the other guests. Notice also that glory is joined to being exalted, lifted up in the eyes of people. In fact, this is what lay behind what Jesus later told his host: "When you make glory, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed." "Making glory" meant throwing a party for a guest of honor. Don't throw a party to honor someone who can turn around and do the same for you. Instead, invite those who do not have honor in the eyes of the people, who can't invite you to a party thrown in your honor, and God will honor you. Glory, then, is what a guest of honor at a dinner has. Think about dinners that have a guest of honor. The master of ceremonies goes on and on about all the great accomplishments of the guest of honor.
So, what are we saying when we pray, "For Thine is the glory. Amen"? If we remember that "Amen" is one of the names of Jesus, and that glory is what an honored guest has at a wedding feast or dinner, then we can imagine the kind of dinner where Jesus is the guest of honor. And here is some of the glory Jesus would have. John tells how Jesus turned water into wine. John then wrote, "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." Later, when Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was dying, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." At the grave, He told one of the weeping sisters, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Then He showed that glory by raising Lazarus from the dead. John also reports that the evening before Jesus died, He prayed to the heavenly Father: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." Jesus prays that as He had brought glory to the Father by all the miracles He did in the Father's name, that now the Father would restore Jesus to the glory He once had in heaven. God answered that prayer by raising Jesus from the dead. What greater boost to one's reputation can one have than that! This is the greatest glory of Jesus. Clearly, the glory which Jesus enjoys is wrapped up in all the miracles He performed, especially when He came back from the dead. And this is the glory that Jesus shares with the Father in heaven. After all, didn't Paul write that it was by the glory of the Father that Jesus was raised from the dead?
Did you know that we share in the glory of God, that we are honored guests with an invitation to a dinner thrown in our honor? Paul writes, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." John the Baptist once said, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Paul also wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Notice what these Scriptures all say about baptism, how baptism is the kind of power God used to raise Jesus from the dead, that baptism has the power to cleanse someone. Notice how baptism gives you a new identity as we are clothed in Christ. Notice, then, that baptism is one of the great glories, great accomplishments, of Jesus Christ, that through baptism, a humble bowl of water, Jesus reaches out into the world and gathers to himself people like you and me. A sinner is crucified and brought back to life at each baptism. Each baptism gets rid of sin; each baptism makes a person like Jesus by clothing us in His righteousness.
Jesus once said, "I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Think of the picture painted here. Here's the great King, and every time He throws a state dinner, whom does He invite to that dinner? Why, of course, He is going to invite His top government officials, as well as any other guests of honor. You have that invitation! Jesus says, "You will eat with me and you will rule with me." We have become government officials in the kingdom of God because of our baptism. The world may not recognize that, but so what? They may not see the glory that the Father has given us through Christ, but because of baptism, we are invited to eat at the banquet table of the King, our Lord Jesus. Someday we shall all be guests of honor at a banquet served by Jesus. He will stand us up in front of the world and He will say to us in front of all who despised and hated us, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over little. I will put you over much. When I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me a drink, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was in prison or sick in bed, you visited me." Then He will give us honor for that. That will be our glory in the face of the whole world. Folks, all this comes as answer to our prayer, "For Thine is the glory. Amen."
What else does Paul say about the glory we share with Jesus in our baptism? "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." So those of you who have been through terrible times, the more terrible those times have been, they are nothing compared to the glory that will soon be revealed in you when you stand before Jesus. Paul also wrote, "We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." The church has the job of letting the world know the secrets of God. As we do that, letting people know the grand plan God has for this world, we are accomplishing something great -- something so great that the world will one day have to congratulate us for it! And God set this up to happen long before time began. Paul also wrote, "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." We know what it means to sow the body in dishonor. We see that cold, dead, lifeless body; we see it locked up in a box and put in the ground, and we think that's the saddest thing that can happen to a person in this life. And it makes no difference -- rich or poor, famous or not -- we all end up the same. The richest and most famous end up as the poorest and most unknown person -- sown in dishonor. But those who are in Christ are raised in glory! We look forward to the time when our bodies are no longer subjected to the ravages of age and sin and death. Finally, the apostle also wrote, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." What two things does he say about us? First, that because we are Christians, we already reflect the glory of Jesus. We already reflect the great accomplishment that Jesus has done. The fact that we are Christians is a great accomplishment, a miracle that can only be done by Jesus Himself. We are not Christians because we chose to be Christians, but because Jesus chose us. Then Paul goes on to say that we are being transformed into the likeness of the Lord, through ever-increasing glory; that as the Holy Spirit works on us, He is making us to be more and more like Jesus. So we can expect that as we get to know Jesus better -- as we go to church, go to Sunday school, study our Bibles -- we can also expect that we will become more like Jesus! Repentance gets easier. The day will come when we will enjoy the recognition and congratulation because of the change which Jesus has worked in us.
Prayer: O glorious One, Father in heaven, hear us as we pray in the name of Your glorious Son. Your mercy has overflowed on us in a shower of glory we share with Jesus. Though our sins are many, You drown them in baptism by the glorious power that raised Jesus from the dead. Though our bodies waste away because of the curse of death, we eagerly look forward to new and glorious bodies which You have promised. In the meantime, forgive us when we resist Your Spirit's efforts to change us until we are like Jesus. Stamp Your glory on us so that others will be attracted to the gospel of glory we preach. Amen.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. What is meant by the word "Amen"? That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promised to hear us. Amen, Amen, that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.
What do we mean when we say to our Father in heaven, "For Thine is the glory. Amen"? Luke tells a story about Jesus that shows us what glory is. Luke reports a time Jesus was invited to a dinner, and He noticed that as guests arrived, some headed straight for places of honor. So He said to some fellow dinner guests, "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will have glory in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Notice: the person sitting in the place of honor has glory in the eyes of the other guests. Notice also that glory is joined to being exalted, lifted up in the eyes of people. In fact, this is what lay behind what Jesus later told his host: "When you make glory, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed." "Making glory" meant throwing a party for a guest of honor. Don't throw a party to honor someone who can turn around and do the same for you. Instead, invite those who do not have honor in the eyes of the people, who can't invite you to a party thrown in your honor, and God will honor you. Glory, then, is what a guest of honor at a dinner has. Think about dinners that have a guest of honor. The master of ceremonies goes on and on about all the great accomplishments of the guest of honor.
So, what are we saying when we pray, "For Thine is the glory. Amen"? If we remember that "Amen" is one of the names of Jesus, and that glory is what an honored guest has at a wedding feast or dinner, then we can imagine the kind of dinner where Jesus is the guest of honor. And here is some of the glory Jesus would have. John tells how Jesus turned water into wine. John then wrote, "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." Later, when Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was dying, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." At the grave, He told one of the weeping sisters, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Then He showed that glory by raising Lazarus from the dead. John also reports that the evening before Jesus died, He prayed to the heavenly Father: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." Jesus prays that as He had brought glory to the Father by all the miracles He did in the Father's name, that now the Father would restore Jesus to the glory He once had in heaven. God answered that prayer by raising Jesus from the dead. What greater boost to one's reputation can one have than that! This is the greatest glory of Jesus. Clearly, the glory which Jesus enjoys is wrapped up in all the miracles He performed, especially when He came back from the dead. And this is the glory that Jesus shares with the Father in heaven. After all, didn't Paul write that it was by the glory of the Father that Jesus was raised from the dead?
Did you know that we share in the glory of God, that we are honored guests with an invitation to a dinner thrown in our honor? Paul writes, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." John the Baptist once said, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Paul also wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Notice what these Scriptures all say about baptism, how baptism is the kind of power God used to raise Jesus from the dead, that baptism has the power to cleanse someone. Notice how baptism gives you a new identity as we are clothed in Christ. Notice, then, that baptism is one of the great glories, great accomplishments, of Jesus Christ, that through baptism, a humble bowl of water, Jesus reaches out into the world and gathers to himself people like you and me. A sinner is crucified and brought back to life at each baptism. Each baptism gets rid of sin; each baptism makes a person like Jesus by clothing us in His righteousness.
Jesus once said, "I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Think of the picture painted here. Here's the great King, and every time He throws a state dinner, whom does He invite to that dinner? Why, of course, He is going to invite His top government officials, as well as any other guests of honor. You have that invitation! Jesus says, "You will eat with me and you will rule with me." We have become government officials in the kingdom of God because of our baptism. The world may not recognize that, but so what? They may not see the glory that the Father has given us through Christ, but because of baptism, we are invited to eat at the banquet table of the King, our Lord Jesus. Someday we shall all be guests of honor at a banquet served by Jesus. He will stand us up in front of the world and He will say to us in front of all who despised and hated us, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over little. I will put you over much. When I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me a drink, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was in prison or sick in bed, you visited me." Then He will give us honor for that. That will be our glory in the face of the whole world. Folks, all this comes as answer to our prayer, "For Thine is the glory. Amen."
What else does Paul say about the glory we share with Jesus in our baptism? "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." So those of you who have been through terrible times, the more terrible those times have been, they are nothing compared to the glory that will soon be revealed in you when you stand before Jesus. Paul also wrote, "We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." The church has the job of letting the world know the secrets of God. As we do that, letting people know the grand plan God has for this world, we are accomplishing something great -- something so great that the world will one day have to congratulate us for it! And God set this up to happen long before time began. Paul also wrote, "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." We know what it means to sow the body in dishonor. We see that cold, dead, lifeless body; we see it locked up in a box and put in the ground, and we think that's the saddest thing that can happen to a person in this life. And it makes no difference -- rich or poor, famous or not -- we all end up the same. The richest and most famous end up as the poorest and most unknown person -- sown in dishonor. But those who are in Christ are raised in glory! We look forward to the time when our bodies are no longer subjected to the ravages of age and sin and death. Finally, the apostle also wrote, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." What two things does he say about us? First, that because we are Christians, we already reflect the glory of Jesus. We already reflect the great accomplishment that Jesus has done. The fact that we are Christians is a great accomplishment, a miracle that can only be done by Jesus Himself. We are not Christians because we chose to be Christians, but because Jesus chose us. Then Paul goes on to say that we are being transformed into the likeness of the Lord, through ever-increasing glory; that as the Holy Spirit works on us, He is making us to be more and more like Jesus. So we can expect that as we get to know Jesus better -- as we go to church, go to Sunday school, study our Bibles -- we can also expect that we will become more like Jesus! Repentance gets easier. The day will come when we will enjoy the recognition and congratulation because of the change which Jesus has worked in us.
Prayer: O glorious One, Father in heaven, hear us as we pray in the name of Your glorious Son. Your mercy has overflowed on us in a shower of glory we share with Jesus. Though our sins are many, You drown them in baptism by the glorious power that raised Jesus from the dead. Though our bodies waste away because of the curse of death, we eagerly look forward to new and glorious bodies which You have promised. In the meantime, forgive us when we resist Your Spirit's efforts to change us until we are like Jesus. Stamp Your glory on us so that others will be attracted to the gospel of glory we preach. Amen.
