Eastport Baptist Church
March 26, 2023 Worship Service

      • Psalm 24LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Psalm 1LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

  • We Will Glorify
  • Great Are You Lord
  • Humble King
  • God is Spirit

      • Hebrews 9NASB95

      • Hebrews 9NASB95

    • INTRODUCTION
      Today is my 10 year anniversary as your pastor
      Throughout our time together, we have experienced a lot of things
      Today I want to talk about the Pillars of the Church
      When I talk about pillars, I am talking about something that is unchangeable, permanent, fixed, unalterable...
      For example, we say the deity of Jesus is unchangeable and fixed
      In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the “Mighty God”
      In 1 John 5:20, He is called “the true God and eternal life”
      Statements like these abound and they are unchanging in Scripture
      Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
      Therefore He never changes
      This is a truth that the Bible teaches whether you acknowledge it or not
      The same is true of His resurrection
      The Bible presents this too as an absolute truth that is fixed and unchangable
      Jesus said in John 10:17-18, “17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 “No one takes it away from Me, but from Myself, I lay it down. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.””
      Something else that is fixed and unchangeable is our salvation
      Jesus said in John 10:27-28, “27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
      So as we look at the pillars of the church, I want to talk about those things that are fixed, unchangable, non-negotiable
      So let’s see what they are...
      The first is...

      I. A High View of God

      “It is absolutely essential that a church perceive itself as an institution for the glory of God” (MacArthur, 13).
      That means...

      A. God Must Be Glorified in All that We Do

      1. In the little things of our life as well as the big

      Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
      R.A. Torrey says, “The apostle concludes the subject by giving them a general rule, sufficient to regulate every man’s conscience and practice,—that whether they eat, or drink, or whatsoever they do, to do it all with a habitual aim to the glory of God; by considering His precepts, and the propriety, expediency, appearance, and tendency of their actions” (The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge).

      2. What is your habitual aim?

      Is it “the glory of God?”
      Do you consider “His precepts?”
      Do you consider “the propriety, expediency, appearance, and tendency of [your] actions?”

      3. In everything we do we are to “glorify God in [our] body and in [our] spirit, which are God’s,” 1 Corinthians 6:20 says.

      Here are some ways we can do that...
      When we “offer praise” that glorifies God
      Psalm 50:23, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”
      Hebrews 13:15, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.”
      This is continual praise to God!
      It’s coming from our “lips” as we “confess His name”
      This is what we have been created for
      Isaiah 43:21, “The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.”
      Another way that we glorify God is...
      When we trust God that glorifies Him
      Romans 4:20 says that Abraham “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.”
      When God told Abraham that he was going to number his seed as the sand, he believed God even though his wife Sarah was barren
      Both were well advanced in age, Abraham being 75 years old (Gen.12:4) and Sarah 65 when the received the promise of a child (Gen.17:17)
      Then they waited another 25 years before the promise was fulfilled
      Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Gen.21:5), Sarah was 90 (Gen.17:17)
      This is trusting God even in the impossible
      The same is true for us, especially when we pray
      Some have said that Jacob prayed for 20 years for Rachel to have a child
      The Midrash (collection of Jewish stories, etc) said it was “14 years”
      Either way, he trusted God with her infertility
      We also glorify God...
      When we confess Christ that glorifies God
      Paul said in Philippians 2:11 that “every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
      This is true whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not
      Confessing Christ is agreeing with God to the identity of His Son
      He is Lord!
      And “Every tongue will confess” that truth “to the glory of God the Father”
      Praise, trust, confession of Christ. Another way we glorify God is when we...
      When we bear fruit that glorifies God
      Jesus said in John 15:8, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
      This is the evidence that we are His disciples
      It is also included in our calling
      Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
      Some other ways that we glorify God is...
      When we use our spiritual gifts that glorifies God
      Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 4:11, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
      When we suffer for Christ that glorifies God
      1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
      Finally, when we physically die for Him that glorifies God
      Jesus told Peter in John 21:18-19, “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me.”

      CONCLUSION

      So God must be glorified in all that we do if we are going to be an institution for the glory of God.
      As you go home today, think about how you glorify God.
      Even think up ways that you can glorify him every day in your life.
      Reading scripture is definitely one of those ways.
      And if you're not one who reads the scripture regularly, I would just try to encourage you to do that.
      If you're one that needs a list, go on our page, go to links.
      There is a link on there for Bible reading plans.
      And just start right where you are.
      Don't go start over.
      Just start right where you are.
      And even though we're a few people in here, we can glorify Him here in all that we do.
      We don't have to have a lot of people to do that.
      Go throughout the week and look for ways to glorify God.
      Let’s pray.
        Eastport Baptist Church
        office@epbchurch.com
        904-757-7858
        http://eastportbaptist.org
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