Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Glory of God I - Dr. Timothy Keller

16th Sermon in the Series : To Know the Living God
06 March 2011

Ezekiel 1:4-18, 22-28

4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.


What is the Glory of God?
It's described as being "like" something, because it is an infinite, indescribable, and superlative of the Glory of God.
What matters to you the most?
God or some other more meaningless stuff.
How does a Spiritual Grasp of God manifest itself in us?
1) Peaceful Humility---self righteousness and scorn generally disappear.
2) Unconditional Duty - We are here to serve God, not the other way around.
3) Enjoying His Beauty
How do we get the Glory of God?
By giving up all our freedoms to know how to live.
Prayer of Confession
Father, teach us not to sin with such abandon.
We do it all so easily
Pretend, lie
envy, lust
criticize, brood
ignore, deny
consume, hoard
defame, distort
make excuses
and then expect an easy forgiveness for the asking
God, forgive us for our negligence of your holy character. Let us not misinterpret your patience with our sin as though it were permissiveness. Loving Father, astonish us with a wholesome, godly fear which will not drive us to despair, but cause us to number our days and give our hears of wisdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.


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