The Need of Man and the Purpose of God (Part 3 of 3)
Based on Ephesians 1:3-14
In Parts 1 and 2, we’ve seen that the church exists not for our comfort but for God’s purpose—to reveal His glory to the world. Now we face a sobering question: What happens when God’s people lose sight of this purpose? And where does God’s glory reside today?
The Departure of God’s Glory
In the Old Testament, the Shekinah glory of God descended upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, both in the tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings and later in the temple itself. The glory of God would descend and rest between those cherubim whose wings were outstretched over the mercy seat upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and the glory, the Shekinah glory of God would rest upon the Ark. God’s presence with His people.
But then something tragic happened. Come to the book of Ezekiel in chapter 9, verse 3. We see the glory of God moving off the Ark of the Covenant and moving to the threshold of the Temple. Then for a brief period, it moved back into the sanctuary. Then in chapter 10, verse 4, we see the glory of God moves back to the threshold, the door of the temple. Then in chapter 10, verses 18 and 19, the glory of God then moved to the east gate of Jerusalem. Then in chapter 11, verse 23, the glory of God moved to the mountain outside of Jerusalem. And then in verse 23 and following, the glory departed.
There was a word that the Hebrews used for that. It was called Ichabod, which simply means, “the glory has departed.”
And here’s the sad thing. As you continue to read throughout the Old Testament, the Shekinah glory, the visible manifestation of the presence and the power of God with His people, moves from the Ark of the Covenant to the threshold, to the door of the Temple, to the east gate of Jerusalem, to the mountain outside of Jerusalem. Then the glory of God is gone! And the people never knew it!
They continued to come on worship days and feast days. They continued to show up. They continued to sing the same old hymns. And they continued to read the Bible just like they always read it. And the priests got up and preached their messages like they’d always done. And yet God wasn’t there. And they didn’t even realize it.
You see, the living worship of the living God had been reduced to traditions, formalism, and routines. And God was no longer present among His people, and they didn’t even notice He was gone.
A Personal Application
Wonder how many of us this evening—that is an exact replica of our life. You’re doing all the churchy things because you’ve been doing churchy things for years. You can mindlessly mumble the songs because you’ve been singing these songs for years. You know where all the passages are in the Bible when pastor gets up to preach, because you’ve been flipping through that Bible for years. But in the rest of your life, the other days of your life, you are living by a whole different standard. The things that are most real to you are not the things of God. It’s not the holiness and purity of God. It’s not the coming kingdom of God. It is all about what you can see and touch and feel and experience and do.
And the glory of God has departed from you, and from your family, and from your life, and God forbid, from your church, and the mission of God is no more, and no longer advancing among the nations. The glory of God has departed, and you’re not even aware of it.
When we come through the rest of the Old Testament, the last word from the prophet Malachi. And then into a time of terrible silence. Perhaps as many as 400 years of silence. God no longer speaks to His people. The glory has departed.
The Glory Returns in Christ
And then we come to the Gospels. And in John chapter 1, verse 14, the writer records, “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.”
The glory returns in Bethlehem, in Jesus Christ. No longer is the glory, the Shekinah glory of God, residing upon a box behind a curtain. Now the glory of God is in the very person of God, the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, “and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Oh, but the world would have nothing to do with this glory. And the people of God, the nation of Israel, would have nothing to do with this glory that had returned. And they did everything they could to shut it down. And eventually, they arrested him. And they trumped up false charges. And they begged Rome to crucify him. They take him outside of Jerusalem. With great glee and with glad hearts, they watched as Roman nails went through his wrists and through his feet, and he hung upon the cross. The glory of God Incarnate was murdered by the very people who claim to worship God on the Sabbath.
Jesus rises on the third day. And after time with his closest followers, he ascends back to heaven with the command to tarry in Jerusalem until you receive power from the Holy Spirit.
Where Does God’s Glory Reside Today?
You see, the glory of God no longer resides in a golden box behind a curtain in a temple. The glory of God no longer resides in our world, in the person, in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He was crucified, He ascended back, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Listen, 1 Corinthians chapter 6: “What? Don’t you understand? Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own, for you were bought with a price? Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and what? Glorify your Father who is in heaven.“
The glory of God is no longer in the Holy of Holies upon the Ark of the Covenant, and the glory of God no longer exists in our world in the incarnate person of Jesus Christ. The glory of God now resides in our world, in us. We are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in us. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Two Searching Questions
What is the test of my Christianity and my missionary service? The test of my Christian service is not the balance sheet. It’s not how busy I am. It’s not how many people I’ve witnessed to. It’s not how many decisions I register. It’s not how many churches I’ve established. It’s not the fact that I’m the president of a Bible college. It’s none of that.
The test of my Christianity and the test of my missionary service must be: am I showing forth the praises of Him who called me from darkness into His marvelous light?
Beloved, we are His glory bearers. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” Why, in His sovereign plan, has He chosen you to be one of those? I’ll tell you, and Peter will tell you, “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
I just want to ask you this question: Are you bringing glory to God in every area of your life? You will not only need His power to understand the glory of what He is doing, but you will need His power to live out His purposes in your generation. Are you bringing glory to God in every area of your life? Are you?
If you’re a student, are you bringing glory to God in the way that you interact with the other students, and the way that you do your studies, and the way that you write your exams? Are you bringing glory to God in every area of your life?
If you’re in the workforce, are you conducting business in such a way that it is bringing glory to God, that it is reflective of the holiness and the purity of God? When you drive these crazy roads and people are cutting you off, do you reflect the holiness and the purity of God?
And second question: are you concerned that God’s glory be revealed throughout all the earth? Are you? Then what are you doing about it? What are you… I didn’t ask what Lusaka Baptist is doing about it. I didn’t ask what Pastor Ronald is doing about it. What are you doing to ensure that the glory and the fame of God is being revealed throughout the whole world? That those people who are living this evening in 744 unreached people groups on the continent of Africa—what are you doing to ensure that they see the glory of God?
The Need for Revival
I would suggest to you that revival is needed. That’s what I would suggest. At the very core of our being, we’re in love with the wrong thing. We believe that for our children to be successful, they need to receive an education that will provide them with a well-paying job. Nothing wrong with a well-paying job, and nothing wrong with education. But follow my point.
When it’s time for exams, you know that month of exams? They don’t come to church anymore. And they don’t come to youth meetings anymore. Why? Because mom and dad, Christian moms and dads, are telling their children that far more important than the church of Jesus Christ, far more important than their spiritual development, the most important thing, son, is that you get a good education. So you’re not going to go to church and you’re going to withdraw from all of these things because we’ve got to focus on what’s really important.
Where are the young men filling our Bible colleges and our seminaries with a passion for the gospel and a longing to be used like the Apostle Paul amongst the nations? Where are they?
We have Christian parents who say—how do I know? Because I’ve dealt with the situations in our ministry up there. Christian parents who would say, “Son, you will not go to Central Africa Baptist College and Seminary.” Why don’t you go in there to be a pastor? These are Christian parents. These are people in church. “Why don’t you go in there? I mean, what do you want to be? Poor your whole life? You want to suffer your whole life? You’ve got a good mind. Look at your results. Five O-levels. Five credits. You go get a real job. You go get a real education so you can make something of your life. And if you still are thinking about this nonsense later, we’ll talk about it.”
I would suggest to you revival is needed. Some of us need to fall on our face before a holy God and cry out for forgiveness.
Final Challenge
Are you living for the glory of God in every area of your life? And number two, are you concerned that God’s glory be revealed throughout all the world?
The great need of man is not better politics, better education, or less poverty—though these things matter. The great need of man is to see the glory of God revealed through His people. And God’s ultimate purpose is not primarily to make us happy, successful, or comfortable. His purpose is to reveal His glory through us to a watching world.
We are His temple now. His glory dwells in us. The question is: are we living as glory-bearers, or has the glory quietly departed while we continue going through the religious motions?
May God help us to live not as practical atheists who espouse Soli Deo Gloria while serving ourselves, but as people who truly exist for the praise of His glory alone.
This concludes our three-part series on “The Need of Man and the Purpose of God.” The challenge before us is clear: Will we live as glory-bearers in our generation, ensuring that God’s fame is declared among the nations?
Sermon transcript edits by Claude AI
Zambia Hunt 
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