The Divine Reputation Issue 1.18 If you've ever watched a sunset on a crowded beach, you know that often, the moment the sun disappears below the water, people clap. So impressed by the magnitude, originality, beauty, and artistic brilliance of glowing skies and fiery clouds, the only appropriate response is show a sign of respect. But who gets the credit for the sunset? God's glory is the most shockingly obvious reality in the universe. Any glimpse of our finite world catches of its infinite Creator can only be described as glorious -- the glory of God! The glory of God is His reptuation, His aura of majesty, all the emanates from His character and activity. This divine reputation, this glory, has been entrusted to the church, and the church has been entrusted to you and I. As leaders, we must not only believe, but base our lifestyle on the proposition that nothing matters more than the glory of God. Buildings come and go. Programs rise and fall. Attendance ebbs and flows. Offerings go up and down. People join and leave. But the glory of God is worth living for -- worth serving for -- worth pursuing with all of our strength. To honor our Maker is to accomplish the very goal of our existence and the purpose of our calling. More than helping the hurting or feeding the needy, sending money to missions or hearing relevant messages, the glory of God is what the human soul needs; it is what fills the cup of the Christian heart and engages the mind of the lost soul. It is what you are called to, Pastor. "If a church does not exist for the glory of God, it has no right to exist" (Pastor Bobby Moore). "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1, NIV). Making It Personal:
Daniel W. Jarvis
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