REVEALED GLORY: PART 1

WELCOME

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

We’ve talked about glory as something you can receive from others and chase as a means of fulfillment, but the other definition of glory is much bigger. It refers to the infinite essence of who God is.

While His glory is described in many ways throughout the Bible, the world didn’t get a true, real-life glimpse until Jesus (God in human form) came to earth to rescue us from the crushing weight of chasing our own glory and from the curse of sin and death.

WORKOUT

God’s Glory Revealed

Approximately 4,000 years after Adam and Eve sinned against God, a divine plan to redeem mankind and restore them to a right relationship with the Creator unfolded when God’s Son Jesus came to earth as a baby (Matthew 1-2). For 30 years, He lived quietly in Nazareth until His God-ordained ministry began.

As written in John 1:1-18, Jesus was the living, breathing Word of God and came to show the world His Father’s glory through miracles, spiritual teachings, and the introduction of a new kind of Kingdom.

No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed him.” John 1:18

Many people couldn’t comprehend that Jesus was a divine being—the Messiah sent to reveal God’s glory and save the world. But those who caught the revelation were changed forever.

Shedding Weights

Competing for your glory can be crushing, and hearing your name praised is never as rewarding as you think it would be. This truth often manifests itself through your athletic pursuits. You might reach the championship but feel let down when you fall short. You might win it all, but the emotional high is gone the next morning. This keeps you in an endless cycle of chasing individual goals.

You can see the contrast in Jesus's life—Someone who could have demanded praise and glory for His divine power but instead came to serve and be a sacrifice for the sins of this world.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28

When you see God’s glory revealed through Jesus, you can shed the weight of those pursuits and instead begin competing for His glory, not your own.

• In what ways has chasing your own glory been overwhelming?
• Can you describe a time when competitive success turned out to be empty and unfulfilling?

WRAP-UP

If you’re tired of chasing your own glory, remember that:

• God’s glory is revealed through the life of His Son. Jesus shows you a better way.
  • The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” – Hebrews 1:3a.

As God’s glory is revealed to you, you will continue to move from chasing your glory to reflecting His glory.

Key Action

In your huddle or in your quiet time, read through Psalm 104 and take note of some of the amazing things that highlight God’s glory. Think about how Jesus was that same God, but in the flesh, and how that revelation of Christ might impact your desire to chase your own glory through competition.