Do All to the Glory of God

[LaBissoniere] Good, good after... Happy Sabbath, I should say. Good afternoon. I was gonna say good morning, but I don't think it's morning anymore. Well, I hope you're all doing well. I want to say hello to those who are on the webcast today, including those who were at Branson, if anybody's on from Branson, the feast site there. Also, I want to say hello to my three of my four grandchildren who are recovering from a cold. They're at Ham. At Ham. They're at home. I'll get it out here.

So, thank you, Mrs. Raudenbush, for that beautiful music. Extremely meaningful, considering what we have just went through during what we went through during the Holy Day season just recently. I hope you all had a great Feast, excellent Feast of Tabernacles. I think so because of all the smiles that were before our services today. As we move forward from here, from what we've been through, I hope we can use it as a springboard for future growth as we are trying, striving to do what we can to grow in grace and knowledge and support the Church's mission and preaching the Gospel and preparing the people. So we've got a lot to do going forward, and it's great to all be together in doing that.

What do we focus our thoughts, energies, and actions on each day? Perhaps it's on the work that we do. Maybe it's the studies in school, our efforts to take care of our family members. Maybe we pursue some hobbies, or we're active in educational courses. Maybe we're in sports and recreation. Maybe some of the young people are running in cross-country these days. Other beneficial activities. Everyone's doing something, aren't we?

While we all have different interests and pursuits, according to the Bible, everything we do should have the underlying purpose of honoring and praising and worshiping God.
 As “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

As we carry out our daily endeavors, whatever they happen to be, can we faithfully implement this biblical narrative, this responsibility, and focus on our Creator? While we're doing our job, doing whatever we're doing, can we focus on God and what He wants us to do?

Let's answer that question today from the Scriptures. Before doing so, it's important that we understand the term focus. We're supposed to focus on God and all that, but what does this term focus mean in terms of us spiritually?

We'll just look at an example here. The dictionary describes focus as a central point of an attraction or attention. But if we take it to a higher level, it means much more than simply paying attention to something. To be truly focused involves a person's strong and unswerving commitment to accomplish an objective or fulfill a responsibility.

To grasp this point more fully, let's review the example of a person, an individual who employed intense focus in dealing with obstacles and reaching the goals that he set for himself. Thomas Edison. You all know Thomas Edison. He was born in 1849. He was arguably one of the greatest inventors and scientists of all times. Throughout his long working career, he obtained 1,093 patents in the United States. And he also obtained some in England, France, and Germany.

Among his numerous inventions, Edison created the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting incandescent electric light bulb. And there are many, many more, obviously.

Edison was able to accomplish much of what he did because he had a steady resolve to concentrate intensely on whatever challenge he faced. Plus, he had the tremendous capacity to work long hours. Even after 65 years old, he was laboring up to 16 hours a day. Amazing.

For example, while developing his light bulb in 1878, he experimented with over 2,000 different filaments. You've probably heard this. Before he was able to find one that could burn for 1,200 hours.

Throughout that long experimental process, Edison and his team spent countless hours contending with failure upon failure. Each light-bulb filament required days or even weeks of testing before it could be eliminated as a useful possibility.

In a remarkable comment on these numerous attempts to reach success, Edison said this:
 “Negative results are just what I want. They're just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don't.”

Remarkable, isn't it? To many people, it sounds really inconceivable that so much time and attention would have been expended in exploring such a myriad of possibilities only to see them fail. I mean, imagine time after time failing, failing.

Nevertheless, from Edison's perspective, his intense focus on light-bulb filament research didn't result in failure, but significant progress. He said this:
 “I have not failed. I just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

So that's a great way to look at things, isn't it?

Through this famous inventor's tireless efforts and penetrating focus on overcoming profound problems, he attained the ultimate success that he was seeking. He was able to do it, even after all that work and effort.

Referring specifically about the vital need to concentrate intensely in order to fulfill a goal, he said this: “The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to the problem at hand, without growing weary.”

So that's Edison.

But what can Edison's example mean to us, to you and me, here in God's Church, as Christ's disciples?

As we've seen, being focused means considerably more than simply being attentive to something. True focus requires that we employ the qualities of commitment, drive, and labor to reach a goal, or to satisfy an obligation that we have. You know, we commit to something; we need to find a way to do it, whether it's physical or spiritual.

If you turn with me to 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31.
 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

That's the sermon title today: Do All to the Glory of God.

By the way, I do have a handout of some of the scriptures I'm using today. It's on the information table. There's a few copies back there. It's not all the scriptures, but a lot of them that deal with this particular topic today. It's bright yellow, so you can find it back there among all the white papers.

So, how can you and I focus intensely on implementing this divine obligation to honor and venerate our great Creator and do it every day?

Well, it begins with what's in our heart and what's in our mind.

Turn now to Mark 12, verse 30. Glorifying God can't be a part-time effort. It's not something we can turn on and turn off at will. I mean, we can do it, but we don't want to do that. Glorifying and loving God is something that needs to reside at the core of our being, in the very depth of our soul and spirit.

Jesus Christ made this crystal clear when He told the disciples here in Mark 12, verse 30: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). We've heard that many times in the past, have we not?

Let's turn to Colossians 3, verse 17 now, if you would. Colossians 3, verse 17. You know, esteeming our Heavenly Father must be the foundational principle in our relationship with Him. As we go about our daily tasks, we're all doing something, we're all involved in something, but our relationship with God has got to stand out. It's got to be there, as we do whatever we're doing. And, by the way, you know, when we pray, I was just thinking about this, it would be good to actually honor and thank God. Not only thank Him, but give Him honor and praise while we're talking to Him. Look at what He does for us, and offer that immense honor that He deserves.

Colossians 3, verse 17: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

Whatever you do, He says here.

Verse 23: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23–24).

So, what is it we're doing? We're working, we're perhaps gardening, we're caring for children, grandchildren, or older people in our family. Whatever it happens to be—studying, anything. We have to have that relationship with God so firmly locked in that nothing will disturb that. He says, whatever you do, do it heartily for the Lord.

A person who implements this approach and obeys God's laws attentively and meticulously will be blessed greatly. It says here—I'll read Psalm 1, verse 3; you don't need to turn there—“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

We have that relationship with God. We're constantly with Him day after day. We're instantly in communication with Him. Have you ever run into a situation where, oh boy, how am I going to handle this? What should be our natural desire is to ask God in prayer instantly. See, that's how close we need to be to Him. I always like to say, you don't want to have any daylight between you and God. Just make sure that you're on target with Him and He's on target with you throughout the day. Always do that.

To illustrate these principles here, let's review a few biblical examples of faithful individuals whose principal focus was on glorifying God in everything they did.

Numbers 13, verse 1. If you turn there, Numbers 13, verse 1. Joshua and Caleb are best known as being two of the most loyal men in ancient Israel. Let's examine their introduction in the Bible, which shows us the kind of individuals they were.

This involves a time when Moses sent the spies into the land of Cana soon after the Israelites had left Egypt.

Numbers 13, verse 1: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Send men to spy out the land of Cana, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them’” (Numbers 13:1–2).

So, following Moses' instructions—God's instructions, rather—Moses selected one man from each of the tribes and appointed Joshua as the overall commander of this special expedition.

Besides being leaders in their tribes, Joshua, who is from the tribe of Ephraim, and Caleb from the tribe of Judah, also handled their daily responsibilities. They still had jobs to do. They had families to support and all that, so here they're given another job, but they knew what they were supposed to do, and they were going to carry out all of these jobs that they had—responsibilities.

Verse 17: “Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Cana, and said to them: ‘Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land’” (Numbers 13:17–20).

So the spies went into the Promised Land, searched it out for 40 days, and returned. What was the result? Well, we know the story, but I'm going to repeat it anyway. Sadly, 10 of the 12 men gave a pessimistic report, which upset and frightened the people. A leader doesn't do that. These men were supposed to be leaders of their tribes. They were among leaders in their tribes, but what did they do? They upset the people. That's no good. Leaders aren't supposed to do that.

Well, here's a report. “Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan” (Numbers 13:28–29).

So, I mean, oh man, this is tough. You know, we've got a huge task to do here. But speaking for himself, and Joshua, Caleb said the following about the situation.

Verse 30: “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it’” (Numbers 13:30).

What was the outcome of Caleb's optimistic encouraging words? The other spies immediately countered his courageous assessment. There we go. Where are these leaders?

 Verse 31, “But the men who had gone up with him said, we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. They gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land, which they had spied out, saying, the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people whom we saw, and they are men of great stature, there we saw giants, and the descendants of Anak came from the giants. And we were like grasshoppers in our own sight. And so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:31-32)

By creating this mythical impression of the inhabitants of Cana, these men, these ten men caused this spirit of terror and anxiety to lead the Israelites into this panic and despair.

They countered what Caleb said. Already the people were pretty hyped up about that. So these guys didn't help at all. Terrible. The fear of gigantic fierce warriors dwelling in large fortified cities just frightened the people so much that they couldn't even contain their emotions. It was that bad.

Numbers 14 verse 1. Take a look at that: “So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt’” (Numbers 14:1–4).

What kind of leader are they going to accept? Not a strong leader like Moses and Joshua and Caleb. Maybe one of these weak guys, then.

Well, this negative reaction caused Joshua and Caleb to react energetically against them. Against it, basically, by urging the people to abandon fear and move forward in faith.

Verse 6: “But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ‘The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them’” (Numbers 14:6–9).

Here’s Joshua and Caleb, trying to make a difference here in this situation.

Here we witness the aspects of faith and character that differentiated Joshua and Caleb from all the rest of these so-called leaders, and even the people. Rather than being driven by negativity and fear, they focused on God's immediate presence. They knew God. They understood Him. They believed Him. They understood the miraculous power He had, His remarkable promises.

These two steadfast, dedicated men didn't concentrate on, nor were they intimidated by the size of the soldiers or the strength of their cities. No. Instead, they remembered God had previously protected the Israelites against what appeared to be irresistible odds by completely annihilating the forces of Egypt.

Didn't the people remember that? I guess not.

Filled with faith, they knew that if God could handle the mighty Egyptian army effortlessly, He could easily deal with the Canaanites, no matter how tall or strong they appeared to be. Joshua and Caleb never lost their intense focus on God and His unchallengeable strength and steadfast assurances. They had Him right there with them all the time. They had that relationship with God. And they understood Him. See? That's what we have to do, because we're going to face a lot of challenges as we go forward. Who knows what's ahead? In our own personal lives or for the Church itself.

God rewarded these zealous, faithful men by later exempting them from the entire generation of Israelites who God would not permit to enter Cana and who ultimately died in the wilderness. Caleb was even singled out by God for having a model spirit. A model spirit, sort of like what we should have. And Joshua was promoted to lead the next generation of Israelites into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. Throughout their lives, both men proved to be totally faithful in all they set out to do, everything they decided to do, including giving God the true glory He absolutely deserved.

Let's look at another biblical illustration of an individual who focused on honoring and esteeming God, a faithful woman named Lydia. On the Apostle Paul's second ministerial journey from 50 to 54 AD, he and his traveling companions Timothy and Silas sailed from Troas in Asia Minor across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Today, Macedonia is the largest geographical area in the northern part of the country of Greece. They landed at the port of Neopolis and walked about 10 miles to the city of Philippi.

Let's read about Paul's trip and learn what occurred a few days after they arrived in Philippi. Here in Acts 16 verse 11. If you want to turn there.

Acts 16 verse 11: “Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.” (Acts 16:11–13)

On his journeys, Paul was—as was his custom—to go to a synagogue in various cities on the Sabbath and talk to the attendees about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. However, it appears that there were very few Jews, or no Jews, living in Philippi, and as a result, a synagogue had not been built there, at least as yet. Therefore, it's likely that the reason the women Paul spoke to had just gathered for prayer along the riverbank—and Paul understood that. He kind of knew that.

Paul continues, he said in verse 14: “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.” (Acts 16:14)

She worshiped God. Here we learn about Lydia. She was a merchant dealing specifically in purple fabric. In those days, purple-dyed cloth was greatly treasured due to its rarity and beauty. And because of its expense, a lot of wealthy people were able to buy it at that time. And probably she was a seller of this, and maybe she made clothes too, who knows?

So while Lydia was involved in this demanding business—imagine the wealth, and she had to be very precise with what she was doing—it was not the entire focus of her life. Paul stated she worshiped God. He understood that. Perhaps God understood that he should talk to this woman. The Bible doesn't say whether she was a Jew or a righteous Gentile attracted to Judaism, but it's clear that her overall focus and commitment was toward her Creator.

Paul spoke to Lydia by the river about Jesus Christ and the gospel. When God opened her mind and her heart to understand the spiritual significance of what she heard, she responded enthusiastically, overwhelmingly.

Verse 14 says: “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)

God called her. God opened her mind. In fact, Lydia reacted so swiftly and surely and deeply that she requested that she and her whole household be baptized immediately.

And that was not all. She then quickly invited Paul, Timothy, and Silas to stay at her house.

Verse 15: “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us.” (Acts 16:15)

She kept—you know, she was a good talker, I imagine. Come on, you've got to stay with me, you know, you need a good meal, I've got plenty of room. That type of thing. Sort of like some people I know. Well, anyway, verse 15. She persuaded us, it says. We might say she wouldn't take no for an answer. I mean, that's another way to look at it.

The words of truth she said and understood and made them understand what she wanted to do. So many months later, Paul returned to her home to meet with the brethren of Philippi, and it appears that her house had since become a meeting place for a growing congregation. She kept going. She kept telling people about this, the things that she understood and knew.

While Lydia managed her purple-dye cloth business, the underlying foundation of her life had everything to do with giving God the glory. Giving God the glory.

Is that what motivates and undergirds our life continually? Or are we sort of there coming and going? No, I don't think we want to be there. We want to do what Lydia did here.

Let's examine another example of a dedicated woman who focused on honoring God while performing her everyday responsibilities. Let's go to Romans 16. Romans 16, verse 1.

During the winter of 57–58 AD, the Apostle Paul was ministering to the brethren in the Greek city of Corinth. From there he wrote a letter to the members of a congregation which he had not yet visited, the church at Rome. Near the end of the letter, which today we know is the book of Romans, Paul offered praise to a woman named Phoebe—P-H-O-E-B-E—Phoebe, from Cenchrea, a port city located about 10 miles from Corinth.

Let's read Paul's comments about Phoebe, which in Greek means bright one. Phoebe, a bright one. What was she like? She had a great enthusiastic personality. Who knows what? But she was a bright one.

Romans 16, verse 1: “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.” (Romans 16:1–2)

Paul not only wanted to introduce Phoebe to the brethren in Rome, but provide them with her credentials, you might say, as an outstanding helper to those in her home congregation. He also asked them to help her carry out any business needs she might have had while in Rome. Although the Bible doesn't tell us why Phoebe took the long sea voyage to Rome, some commentators have speculated that she was a merchant who had business to conduct there. It's also been postulated that in planning her extensive trip, she generously offered to convey Paul's letter to the Roman brethren. So Paul trusted her in that regard. He was willing to do that. Send this letter. Bring it to the people there.

Well, no matter what the reason for her journey, Phoebe's underlying focus was to give God the glory by offering important service to Him and to His Church. She had a great relationship with God. Again, an example for you and me.

Let's go to Psalm 57, verse 5. Do that. Psalm 57, verse 5.

You know, the illustrations we've covered about people who focused on giving glory to God can help us better grasp how we can do the same as we go about our daily activities. And we just looked at four, and there's many more in the Scriptures, but we can look at how dedicated people have been toward God in the past, including the ancient prophets, patriarchs, and all the others who've gone through the ages. We need to be like them, totally dedicated, as those people.

It's also important to know that many Scriptures explain that God deserves the honor and glory and admiration from us. Let's focus on a few of these Scriptures here, these important passages, which illustrate why we owe God such great praise and honor.

Reading here in Psalm 57, verse 5, it says, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5)

How great and glorious is God! It’s above everything.

Psalm 113, verse 4, I’ll just read it: “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 113:4)

1 Timothy 1, verse 17 says this, I’ll read it: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever.” (1 Timothy 1:17)

That's the God we serve, and that's the God we need to give praise to and honor in our prayers and our thoughts, in our relationships with each other, to be loving and kind toward each other. At the feast, it was just so much love there. Where we were, it was just people talking and such smiles, and I'm sure it was the same. So we need to carry that out, continue that throughout the coming year.

So the central, all-encompassing truth of the Bible is that everything exists because of God and manifests His awesome glory.

Romans 11, verse 36. This is from the New Living Translation. It says this: “For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever!” (Romans 11:36)

We owe Him everything. We owe Him our lives.

Isaiah 43, verse 7. If you turn there, Isaiah 43, verse 7.

Therefore, because of all this, we have a unique and vital obligation to offer our perfect and merciful Father tremendous adoration and praise and honor. And I would say, again, in our prayers, we should give Him that place, recognize it, thank Him for it. And if He hears that, He’s going to be pretty happy to know how much we appreciate Him.

Referring to God’s people in His Church, Isaiah 43, verse 7 says: “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:7)

God has made you and me, each of us. And He loves us beyond measure.

Isaiah 43, verse 21. This is from God’s Word Translation: “I have formed these people for Myself. They will praise Me.” (Isaiah 43:21)

So out of all the billions of people on earth today, God has selected you—you—each of you individually. How amazing that is! You think about how awesome that is. He’s got a plan for each of us, and He’s going to carry it out. And it won’t be long now, as we like to sing.

So, therefore, Psalm 29, verse 2, says: “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2)

Psalm 105, verse 3, I’ll read this: “Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.” (Psalm 105:3)

Talking about God’s glory, these Scriptures here. I think we sing a song that has that in it, doesn’t it? Don’t we? Let the hearts of those who rejoice who seek the Lord. We’re seeking the Lord. We can rejoice. We went to the feast and we rejoiced there.

We owe God our lives. We owe everything we have, all the possessions we have, all of our abilities, all of our talents, the very life, the very breath we breathe. We owe Him, don’t we? What do we owe Him? Everything. John 1, verse 14. If you turn there, John 1, verse 14. So as we venerate the Father, it’s essential to grasp that Jesus Christ actually reflects God’s glory as well.

John 1, verse 14: “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.” (John 1:14)

Hebrews 1, verse 3, going on talking about God’s great glory and Jesus Christ. This is from the English Standard Version. It says this, I’ll read it: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Romans 16, verse 27, it says: “To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.” (Romans 16:27)

So our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ deserve awesome adoration. Matthew 16, verse 27 now. Matthew 16, verse 27. Although most people in society don't understand these things, they will do so in the future. We just went through the Feast of Tabernacles and Trumpets and Atonement, all of these feast days which lay it all out plainly for us to understand. The people in the world don't understand that. Our job is to go and witness to them. Tell them these things. That's our job to do that. So they're going to understand that in the future. When Jesus Christ returns in His breathtaking majesty, they're going to see it. They're going to understand it then.

Matthew 16, verse 27. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:27)

Colossians 3, verse 4. If you turn there. Colossians 3, verse 4. While Jesus' second coming still lies ahead, as we know, you and I can and we must focus on giving glory to God always, every day, and even moment to moment. If we do so faithfully and keep His word carefully, we will one day share in His magnificence. Think about that. Imagine that. We're going to be glorious like Jesus Christ. We're not going to be as great as Him as the Father, but we're going to have the glory as well. So we can look forward to that.

Colossians 3, verse 4 says this: “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)

1 Peter 5, verse 4 says this. I'll read it: “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4)

Look what's ahead for all of us.

Psalm 119, verse 2, if you go there. Psalm 119, verse 2. So how can you and I better focus on giving God this tremendous adulation and reverence that we must do? And He would like to hear from us and help us be that way, too. We can't do it on our own. We have to have the Holy Spirit within us, motivating us, obviously. We can do so by striving to love God with our entire being, by keeping His commandments, which He designed specifically for our happiness and prosperity, while we're doing all the other things we have to do.

Psalm 119, verse 2: “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2)

Besides obeying God, we need to include Him in all of our plans and our daily undertakings to allow Him to help and guide and direct us. He wants to do that. He's like a father. You know, you have a child. You want to help your child to grow and develop. God wants us to do that, too. But we've got to ask. We have to be close to Him in every way to be able to do that. He wants to help us in every way.

Proverbs 16, verse 3. This is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible: “Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be achieved.” (Proverbs 16:3)

What activities? Whatever you're doing. Whatever it happens to be. Commit your activities to the Lord. And then He says this. Wow. And your plans will be achieved. Amazing. But not really, if we're doing it His way.

Isaiah 26, verse 3. Indeed, when we focus on God and His ways, it must be at the crux of everything we do every day. I've said that many times, of course. If, again, this is our approach, God will bless us with bounteous peace of mind. Isn't that what people in the world are trying to find? But if we do it God's way, we're going to have the peace of mind that we seek and need.

Besides honoring God, we need to focus on making His priorities ours.

Matthew 6:33 says this: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

In addition, the Apostle Paul wrote the following about knowing Jesus Christ, following His example, and building a profound and sustained relationship with Him.

Philippians 3, verse 10. I’ll read this from the NET Bible: “My aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection, to share in His sufferings, and to be like Him in His death.” (Philippians 3:10)

That’s what Paul once told us, how he looked at this.

He says here in Romans 5, verse 1, I’ll read it for you: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

That is our objective, isn’t it? And we want to love people on the way. And we want to help other people. We want to witness to them, tell them the truth about these things.

So to obtain that ultimate fulfillment of the glory of God in His coming kingdom, we need to carry out every day the following passage that says here in Colossians 3, verse 2: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

That's a pretty powerful statement, isn't it there?

Ephesians 3, verse 16. If you turn there, Ephesians 3, verse 16. So if we strive diligently to follow what the Scriptures we just read express, God will give us everything we need to be successful spiritually.
And physically, in many ways, too. We'll be that close to Him. I mean, last night I was having trouble sleeping and all this, and I just prayed about it last night. I didn't sleep like a baby—I didn't cry all night—but I slept throughout the night and it was really great.

So, Ephesians 3:16: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.” (Ephesians 3:16)

Philippians 4, verse 19 says: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

So therefore our work, our play, our hobbies, and our other daily interests or responsibilities should have the underlying focus of giving honor and glory to God.

With that in mind, let's remember the example of Thomas Edison, who focused his efforts intensely on developing these many inventions. Plus, we need to recall the biblical examples of Joshua and Caleb, who never lost focus on God and His great power and promises. They trusted Him completely. Even when confronting what appeared to be overwhelming obstacles. Will we face those? Can we be like Joshua and Caleb?

Finally, let's not forget the excellent examples of Lydia and Phoebe, who made glorifying God the principal foundation of their lives in everything they did.

Therefore, if we stay intensely focused on carrying out what we've covered today, we surely can and always will do all to the glory of God.

Thank you.