Glory of God

Campbell Chapel Free Will Baptist Church

Ironton, Ohio

Campbell Chapel FWBC of Ironton Ohio - Pastor Bob Bradley

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Free Will Baptist Church
1709 Campbell Drive
Ironton, Ohio 45638

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Seeing the Glory of God

March 9, 2008

Bob Bradley

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II Peter 1:12-21

12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them , and be established in the present truth.

13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Now turn back to Luke 9, we are going to look at a few things here, just for a moment.

There is a thought that we want to talk about. Peter is writing to his brethren and he is writing about a lot of different things. Peter knows he is getting ready to die. Peter knows that he is getting ready to leave here. The Lord told him that he was getting ready to leave. Peter spoke about many different things here in his writings, but he wanting to remind these folks of some things. He knows he is going to leave, he knows he is going to die. He wants to put them in remembrance of some things.

I think that is good. Don’t you? I don’t when we are going to die. You don’t know when you are going to die.

However, Peter knew that he was going to leave here shortly. Peter wanted to make sure that those he was writing unto, and those that were listening, and those that his letters would be read to and would read; he wanted them to understand some things about Jesus Christ and about whom He was.

Tonight I want to talk about one thing that he mentions here. Even though what Peter is writing happened many, many years before in Peter’s life, yet he never forgot about the day that he went to the Mount with Jesus and Jesus was transfigured before him. Peter never forgot that day.

There are times in our life like that. There are times in our life that are times that we just cannot forget. There are times that we would like to forget. Some good times and some bad times.

Peter wants to remind his listeners about the glory and the presence of Almighty God and how on this particular day it was manifested in Jesus Christ. If you go back to Matthew’s gospel chapter 16, you will find out that Jesus and His disciples they were in Philippi one day. He came and asked them, “Fellows, I need to ask you a question. Whom do men say that I, the Son of man am?” They began to say, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist. Some say that thou art Elijah. Some say that thou art Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then He looked at them and said, “I want to know who you say that I am?” Peter looks at Him and says, “I know who you are. I know that you are the Christ, the Son of God. I know that.”

Keep that in mind just for a moment. Because sometimes in life, sometimes we think that we should see God’s presence and God’s glory, a lot of times before we exercise any faith in Him. Sometimes we think that we are going to see God’s presence and God’s glory without any suffering. Suffering is part of planet earth and we are going to have that.

Jesus was going to teach Peter about there can be no glory if there is not any suffering. There can be no glory; there will never be any glory if there is not any suffering. Peter recognized who Jesus was. Peter recognized that He was the Savior, the Messiah.

As you go on down and read in the context, Jesus began to tell them then that He was going to die. He was going to go to Jerusalem and be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. They were going to kill Him and on the third day, He was going to arise. Do you remember reading that? Peter jumps up and says, “Lord, be that far from you. You are never going to do that. You don’t need to go to Jerusalem. You don’t need to submit yourself unto these enemies. You don’t need to submit yourself unto these guys.” Jesus looked at him and said, “Get thee behind me satan for thou savorest not the things that be of God but the things that be of man.” Peter was looking at things all in the wrong light. Peter was looking at things, “Hey, there should be glory before there is suffering.” But Jesus is going to make sure that we understand that if we are ever going to see glory there is going to have to be some suffering first. Do understand that? We need to understand that.

Looks what happens here. The Bible says in Luke 9:28

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

A lot of things had been happening. We know that Peter, James and John were some fellows that we call the inner circle. We know that they were there when He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. We know that they were there in the garden when He prayed and so forth. He was very close to these guys. He was going to tell Peter and He did tell Peter how that he was going to die and what was going to happen to Peter. On this particular time, He goes into a Mountain, He is here and He is praying. Peter, James and John are with Him. The other disciples are down at the foot of the Mountain. Some other things are going on down there. The Bible says that while He is here, He is praying. While He is praying, the Bible says that…

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

We know what happened here. The Bible tells us that as He is praying, as He is all alone on the mountain with God, with Peter, James and John; He knew that in a matter of just a few short days that He was going to go to Jerusalem and that He was going to die. Jesus Christ knew that. Even though He had tried to tell these disciples what was going on, even though he tried to get Peter to understand. “Peter, I have to die. This is what I have come here for. This is the will of my Father for me to die.” Peter did not understand. The Bible says that He goes on the mountain here. The phrase “after eight days” if you look at that in the Greek it tells us that it means about a week. After these other events had transpired a week had passed. He is on the mountain with these guys and He is praying.

If we never spend any time alone with God, then we are never going to see the glory of Almighty God. We want God to shine in our lives. We want to see His glory. We want to have His presence in our lives. Many times we don’t want to spend any time alone with God.

Jesus understood some things and He is trying to teach you and me and He is trying to teach these men. The Bible says here as He is praying, “…the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” There was a transformation taking place; that which was on the inside started shinning and coming through the flesh and coming to the outside. I’m glad He was God. There was never a time that He was not God. These guys are seeing Him and the great glory of God shinning right through His flesh, coming right through His clothes. He wanted them to understand who He was. Peter had some great ideas about things here. He did not want Jesus to suffer. He wanted Jesus to sit on the throne. However, Peter had things backwards and we get that way sometimes in our lives.

We get that so messed up sometimes. Do you know what Jesus is telling us here? If we are ever going to see the glory of God, then we are going to have to be submissive. Do you know what Jesus had to do? He had to be submissive unto His Father’s will. It was His Father’s will, the fore-counsel of God had already determined before this world ever was that Jesus Christ would die on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem. Do you know what Jesus knew? Jesus knew that he had to go there to bleed and die. Peter did not understand. He said, “Lord, be this thing far from you…” Jesus said, “Peter, if there is ever going to be any glory then I have to die. If there is ever going to be any glory I have to suffer.”

There are some things that we need to understand in my life and in your life. We want to see God do some great things. We want God to do something in us. We want God to take us and exalt us and raise us up. However, if we will never suffer for Him, if we will never spend any time alone with Him on the mountain, then we will never see Him do anything in our lives. When we spend time alone with God and when we will submit ourselves unto the will of God, then it is an impossibility for the glory of God not to be in your life, if you will just believe Him, follow Him, and do what He asks you to do.

Peter did not understand some things. Peter did not understand that it was the will of God for Jesus to die on the cross. He did not understand that. He did not understand that there had to be suffering before there could be glory. He did not understand that there had to be submission before there could be glory.

That is so very true in our lives today. That is so very true in my life and in your life. I must be submissive unto the will of God. God has a perfect will for my life. God has got a will for my life and for your life. When I, you and we will surrender ourselves unto the will of God, just like Jesus was going to do here then we can see the great presence and the great glory of God in our lives. If you have been saved very long, you know that very thing. You know that praying is a great thing. You know that getting along with God is a great thing. Being submissive unto the will of God is a great thing.

I like it when He comes down and He fills this boy with His presence, when you can feel it from the top of your head to the end of your big toe; there is nothing like that. When He shines in your life, when He lets you know that you belong to Him; that is a great time. Isn’t it?

However, it does not come that way without the submission. You don’t have it if we don’t submit ourselves. We want God’s presence. We want God’s glory. We want God to shine in our lives, but it cannot happen and it will not happen if we are not submissive unto the will of God. If we don’t spend any time alone with God in praying, it is not going to happen. There is no book that you can read, other than the Bible; there is no outline that I can give you by some of these great authors out here that will tell you how to be spiritual. They might say this, this, and this, about being spiritual; however, there is nothing magical about being spiritual. Being spiritual has to do with submission. Being spiritual has to do with spending time alone with God. Being spiritual has to do with being dedicated and totally sold out to God. That’s what makes us spiritual people and when that happens you cannot help to see and to have the glory of God in your life. It is impossible to be spiritual and not to be submissive, but when we are submissive, it is impossible not to be spiritual. Did you get that?

Look what happens here. His countenance was altered. It was changed. There is a word for this but I cannot pronounce it. A caterpillar makes a little cocoon and it goes into this cocoon and it comes out a butterfly. They call that something. It is a change. There is a change that takes place.

Do you know what is going to happen to Jesus here? It is a change that is coming through His flesh. Peter, James and John got to see what was really on the inside. They really got to see the glory that Jesus had with His Father before the world was ever formed, before He ever came to planet earth.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Keep something in mind. Here He is on a mountain, probably Mt. Hermon. Mt. Hermon is about ten or fifteen miles from Caesarea Philippi so that is probably where He was at, but I don’t know for sure. As He was praying His countenance was changing. He was transfigured before them. He was shinning. He was glowing. The great presence of Almighty God was coming through Him. The Bible says,

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Here they are. We know that God gave Moses the Law. We know that Elijah was the prophet. We know who these guys are.

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

I want you to look at what the discussion was on this particular day. Peter, James and John are on the mountain and Jesus is praying. The glory of God is manifesting itself through Jesus Christ. Moses and Elias appear and they start discussing about His exodus that is going to happen in Jerusalem. The word decease here means death, but when you look the word up it talks about Jesus exiting this world. He was going to make sure—why were they talking about that? Why were they talking about Him going to the cross? Back in the Law, the prophets of Old Testament time, they talked about the Messiah and what He would do and things that He must fulfill. Jesus was going to fulfill every jot and every tittle of the Law. There was not going to be not one thing that Jesus was not going to do. Here they are discussing that very thing.

I started thinking about today, they did not kill but He exited this world. I’m glad there is coming a day that you and I are going to exit this world. We are not going out into an oblivious, but we are going to a real place. We are going to where He is at tonight, we are going and it may be tonight.

Here they are Peter, James and John and Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They are talking about Jesus dying, His exodus, and going to Jerusalem. Do you think the Bible is important to God? Do you really think that it is? Do you think that what He said that He really meant? Do you think that it was important that Jesus Christ fulfill every jot and tittle of the Law before He died? It was absolutely mandatory that Jesus Christ fulfill every jot and every tittle, every scripture that had prophesied and spoken many years ago about His death, Jesus Christ had to fulfill them all before He made His exit. There is a great thought in all that.

If we live in the will of God, then there is nothing that is going to kill me and you until it is time. The Bible says that there is a day appointed unto man once to die and we know that. However, if we live in the will of God as God intends for us to live in the will of God and do the things that we know we need to do to take care of ourselves and use our noggin’ that God gave us [not just to carry our glasses on]; we will never die prematurely. Now that is a big statement. It’s truth.

I wondered many times about Peter. Do you remember, I think it is Acts 12 when they put him in prison? They had already killed James and they had planned on the next day to kill Peter. There he was chained with the soldiers. I wondered how a fellow could sleep knowing that he was going to die the next day. Do you know what I figured out today [as plain as the nose on my face] Peter knew that he was not going to die the next day because Jesus told him he was not. Jesus told him that he was going to be an old man when he died. Peter was not an old man there. Peter knew that he was not going to die then.

I don’t know when we are going to die. I am going to tell you this. If we will live in the will of God, live as we should live, and do what He asks us to do then we will never die prematurely. That will never happen. Now we might die a tragic death. We might of a horrible sickness. However, there is going to be a time that our exodus from this land is going to be. We cannot live here forever. God did not ordain that we should live here forever. Something has got to take us out of here whether it is the rapture or some kind of accident or He just calls one day; we are going to leave here.

The reason that I am saying all that is this. It is so important for us to live in the will of God. Not only is it important to do the things of God, but it is important to live in the will of God so that I can enjoy living while I am here. So that we can enjoy living on planet earth while we are here, while we are doing the will of God, while we are working and teaching people about God, we can enjoy being here. Sure, they hate us. Sure the gas prices are high. Sure, food is going up. Sure, home values are going down. That is all happening. The stock market is going to crash here before long. I understand all that. Even though all that may happen, we can still yet be happy while we are here. If it crashes in the morning, if we get up in the morning and the stock market has crashed, I’ll eat tomorrow the same. All of God’s people, God will take care of us. We may have to eat differently, but we will get to eat something somewhere. Living in the will of God is so important.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

Peter did a lot of sleeping, didn’t he? Many times we get in trouble because we sleep too much. Many times when we need to be awake and aware of what is going on around us, we are asleep. That is physically sometimes but I am really talking about spiritually. Remember that we talked about last Wednesday night when they come to get Jesus while Jesus was praying; He prayed three prayers and come back to find Peter and the rest of them asleep. Do you remember that? He did a lot of sleeping. That does get us in trouble in our Christian life, when we do a lot of sleeping then we miss out on a lot. Sleeping physically is overrated, even though I’ll get an argument out of that with a lot of people.

Here they are heavy with sleep; they awake and see Jesus in His glory and two men with Him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

How many times do we do that? How many times do we talk and we don’t know what we are talking about? How many times do we speak and we don’t have a clue on what we are saying? The sad part about it is that I hear people sometimes Amen people that is talking about things that they don’t have a clue about but yet people are Amen-ing that. When you are saying Amen to something, you are saying I agree with that. You need to be careful what you are Amen-ing; Okay?

Peter, says, “Master, it is good for us to be here. It is good to see your glory. It is good to see your great and magnificent glory. It is good that we were here. It is good that we got to see Moses and Elias. It is good that we were here Lord. Let’s build three tabernacles here. We will build three tabernacles on the Mount here. You can be in one. Moses can be in one, and Elias can be in one. And everybody will live happily ever after.”

Again, Peter did not have a clue what he was talking about. He did not have a clue on what he was talking about. Sometimes, we don’t understand that there has to be suffering before there can be glory. There is going to be a time that Jesus is going to rule and reign. There is going to be a time that He is going to do that. However, at this particular time, on this mountain, on this day, was not the time.

34 While he thus spake…

While Peter is saying, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let’s build three tabernacles for you.”

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

They are on top of a mountain. Peter is talking about building three tabernacles up here. While he is talking, here comes a cloud. They enter into the cloud and the Bible says here that they are scared. Do you know why? Look what it says here.

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

Do you know what God the Father was not going to allow? God the Father was not going to allow His Son, His only begotten Son, to be brought down to the level of Moses and Elias. These guys were great men. They were great men. God called them and God ordained them and done some great things through them. However, Jesus Christ was not on the same level as them. Even though they had a message for the time, even though they did some great things, God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.”

The book of Hebrews 1 [I believe it is] says that God in sundry times and divers manners, in times past spake unto the fathers by the prophets, but in these last days spoke unto us by His Son. We need to hear His Son today. We need to hear Jesus Christ today. He is speaking.

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

Jesus told them as they were coming off of the mountain, “Fellows, what you see, keep it to yourself until after I have risen from the dead.” Go back and read Mark and Matthew, it will tell you that.

Even though Peter did not understand some things, Jesus was trying to teach Peter some great lessons here. Peter exercised faith in Jesus Christ. He confessed that Jesus was the Son of God and he got to see the glory of God.

If we will confess to whom He is, then we can see His presence in our lives. Sometimes, we may not understand everything. However, Peter understood that there had to be suffering now before there could ever be glory. There has to be submission before there can ever be glory.

If we are not willing to submit ourselves unto the will of Almighty God, then we will never experience the glory of God in our lives. We may come to church all of our lives. We may sing, preach, we may do all kinds of things, but if we don’t submit ourselves unto the will of God then we will never see and experience the great presence of God in our lives. It won’t happen.

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