Take your Bibles if you would. Turn to second Corinthians chapter four. Second Corinthians chapter four. If I should ask you the question, why are you here? Why are you here?

Then, I don't mean why are you here at church today? I mean, why are you here on this Earth? I would maybe get some differing answers to that question. One of the answers I would likely get is to testify of the the gospel of Jesus Christ that others might be saved. And that we have been called and commissioned to do as God's children.

I might, you might say, well, to serve the Lord and most definitely that is the case to represent him as ambassadors of Jesus Christ but the simple, the simplest answer, the one that encompasses all of those things and many more is that we are here to bring glory to the God who made us and that is why you are here and that's why I am here. If you look in second Corinthians chapter four beginning in verse 14, Paul writes, he says, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day, for this opportunity to exalt the name of Jesus Christ to worship you here together in this place with these brethren in Christ Jesus. Lord, I pray that you bless our service, that you bless the word as it goes forth, that it might change hearts and lives. I pray dear heavenly father that you would conform us to the image of your son that you would draw the lost to yourself that they might be saved.

We pray Lord that you might be magnified that we might be convicted and challenged in your service today and that we might grow in our understanding of why you have created us, saved us, and left us here at this time, Lord, to bring glory to your name. In Jesus name, we do pray, amen. Now, Paul in these verses talks about his sacrifice on the on the part of those to whom he is preaching the gospel. For all things he says in first verse 15 are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the what? To the glory of God.

Yes, Paul was focused, very focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ and getting it to different places all throughout Europe that they might hear the good news, that they might be saved. But the purpose that is the root for everything that Paul did is to bring glory to who? To bring glory to God. Sadly, not all who would hear the gospel would be saved but the fact that the gospel was being preached would always bring glory to who? To God whether people were saved or not.

The result of Paul suffering for the sake of Christ in city after city was as he calls it here a light affliction and that affliction would always bring glory to who? Would always bring glory to God. Paul continuing in his ministry to follow the Lord despite the persecution and the obstacles that Satan would throw in his path would always bring glory to God. Paul living a life before others a holy life set apart under Jesus Christ would always bring one, would always bring glory to God. You see, yes, Paul was an evangelist.

He preached the gospel. He was called to do so. And so, in some respect are all of us to be ambassadors of Christ and to proclaim the good news. But we do it for the glory of who? For the glory of God.

That is our purpose. To give him glory, to bring him glory. And in bringing him glory, it also brings us the rewards. The blessings of serving the Lord here and also in all eternity to come. Bringing glory to God was one of Paul's favorite subjects.

He talked about it often. Why do you do what you do? Why do you come to church? Why do you read your Bible, pray, give, sing, witness, help others, treat unlovable with kindness, treat the unforgivable with mercy, Why do we do these things? And by the way, I don't say we should do these things because I hope we are doing these things.

But why? Well, we should be doing it. First and foremost, to bring glory to God. To bring, to glorify our God in the eyes of others that they may see Jesus in who? In us.

Because he has left us here to represent him. Therefore, in first Corinthians ten thirty one, he says, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. This is our job. Our responsibility as Christians as a church. If we do indeed love the Lord, we will seek to glorify him before the world in which we live today.

We will let our light shine before others that they may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven. But now, stick with me. Let's backtrack a little bit. I have a few questions I'd like to ask today about humanity in general. Why does a painter paint?

Why does a writer write? Why does an inventor invent? Why does a composer compose? Question number one, why did God create you? Why did God create Adam and Eve?

And hence, all of us in them. Well, the Bible tells us why God created us. We already read one of those verses. Revelation four eleven, thou art worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

We were created in his image that we might bring glory to his name that he is due and for his own good pleasure because we are his invention. We are his composition. We are his masterpiece. Man and woman, both created in the image of God. The epitome of his creation.

The apple of his eye. Created for his glory. And for his good pleasure. Romans nine verse 23. Says, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had a four prepared unto what?

Unto glory. Unto glory. To bask in the glory of who? To bask and to share in the glory of our creator, God in heaven. Romans 11 and verse 36.

For whom, for of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. He created it all. He sustains it all. He will redeem it unto himself and all to his what?

And all to his glory. So, why did he create us? For his pleasure and for his what? Glory. The same as the painter, the same as the composer, the same as the writer.

Our God who created us did it for his glory and for his good pleasure. Next question is this, does humanity bring glory to God? Does humanity as a whole that God created bring glory to God? The answer to that is what? No.

Not as it should. It does not. Does sin bring glory to God? No. Does rebellion of mankind bring glory to God?

Does unbelief and wicked hearts bring glory to God? The answer to all of those is no. Sin does not bring glory to God nor does man's rebellion or his unbelief or his wicked heart. We were created to bring him pleasure, to please him. We were created to bring him glory but yet humanity turned their back even all the way back in the Garden Of Eden in the days of Noah and continues to this very day that mankind, his creation, his masterpiece, has marred itself.

And no longer brings glory to the God who created it. Romans one twenty one. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful but in but became vain and their imaginations and their foolish heart was what? Darkened.

We see throughout even in the Bible, we see God created Adam and Eve in the Garden Of Eden. He put him in a perfect place and yet man chose to sin against God and became a sinner. And then, man was cast out of the garden but the garden, it appears from scripture was still there. Man could not enter but man could see that it existed. A testimony to the God who created them but still what happened over time, over about two thousand years, man became so wicked that all of the thoughts of their imaginations was wicked continually.

Save for one who found grace in the eyes of God and who would that be? Noah and his family. Eight souls were saved on that ark. Eight souls saved by God to bring him glory, to give sacrifices to God when they were able to come out on dry land. And yet, it wasn't but a few generations later and they were building a tower to reach up in heaven to make a name for God, right?

No. To make a name for who? For themselves and God had to confuse their languages and scatter them across the globe and they could see the hand of God but yet it wasn't long and wickedness prevailed once again and then God chosen himself a people from of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the 12 tribes of Israel and Israel became a chosen people to bring glory to their creator and yet what happened to Israel? After God delivered them miraculously out of slavery in Egypt and brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey. What did they do?

They rebelled against almighty God. They turned to idols. They worshiped idols of stone and of wood and of gold and of silver. God had to bring judgement once again upon the nation of Israel. He delivered them back seventy years later to Jerusalem to rebuild it but by time Jesus came, they had already turned for the most part from worshiping the Lord to worshiping their own laws.

And rejected their own savior when he came. We see this repeated all throughout history. As man, as God brings mankind back and mankind eventually does what? Turns away again and does not bring glory to its creator because of sin. Romans three twenty three says, for all have sinned and come short of the what?

The glory of God. We don't bring glory to God. We don't deserve to bask in the glory of God because we're what? Because we're sinners. Isaiah sixty four six puts it this way.

But we are all as an unclean thing and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And we all do fate as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. We have been carried away by our sin. Carried away from who? From God.

Humanity continues like a leaf to be blown further and further and further away from God by our sin. And have no determination to turn around. We see the results in our society today. Results, violence, in our streets and in our world. Today, while we are sitting here, people are being enslaved all throughout our world today.

You say, but slavery was a thing of the past, I'm afraid it is not. Young girls in particular are taken in countries, Muslim in particular, and they are made slaves. That's not the only place it happens though, it's coming across our even our very own borders. Wars and rumors of wars. Man is wicked and man is vile and humanity has failed to bring glory to their creator.

Does an invention that doesn't work bring glory to its maker? Have you invented it to do a certain thing? And it doesn't do it. Maybe it looks nice. Maybe it looks pretty.

Maybe it looks impressive. But if it doesn't do what it was created to do, then, what use is it? Does the spoiled painting bring glory to the painter? Does an inharmonious song bring glory to the composer? What are they good for?

To be cast out, to be thrown away like salt that has lost its what? Savor. Like an unfaithful servant, like a spoiled piece of pottery. Because our lives did not glorify God. Separation in this life and banishment and eternity to come were the only choices.

Now, I you'll have to notice there. I use the word dead and I use the word were and we'll come back to that in a minute. Because our lives did not glorify God. Separation in this life and banishment and eternity to come were the only choices. Romans five twelve, wherefore as by one man's sin entered into the world and death by sin and though death passed upon what?

All men for that all have sinned. Ezekiel 18 and verse four says, behold, all souls are mine as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall what? Die and death in scripture not only speaks of the death of the body but separation from God. Revelation twenty one eight makes that clear that the fearful and unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.

So, you think as you go down through that, okay? Well, let's we'll skip fearful and unbelieving for the moment. Abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters. Well, I'm doing okay, you know. While the world say, hey, I'm doing okay but we skipped over the fearful and unbelieving.

And that's not the good kind of fear, the right kind of fear, it's the wrong kind of fear. The fear that that pushes you away from God and not to him. Then, there's the unbelieving part, unbelief in who? In God and in Jesus' saved son and then, there's this last one down here on the list and says, all what? Liars.

Now, if you have never lied in your life, raise your hand. Anybody? I'm not raising mine. Just giving you example of how to do it. In case you forgot how to raise your hand.

If you raise your hand, then you're probably lying. You see, we're all deserving of separation from God. We're all a broken thing that doesn't work because of what? Because of sin and rebellion against the one who made us. There's a fairly well known song titled I Did It My Way.

That is the song that represents all of humanity, I'm afraid, in their heart. I'm going to do it my way. There's only one way that leads to life, and that's whose way? God's way. There's a way that leads unto death and that's doing it whose way?

My way. You better choose the right way. The Bible has warned us. The Bible is clear. We as a broken thing do not deserve to be basking in the glory on the place of honor in heaven.

But to be cast out. Forever in a place called the Lake Of Fire because we have failed to bring glory to our creator. Next question, is there anyone who has brought glory to God? Is there anyone who deserves to bask in his glory? Forever.

Yes, there is one. There is one and who is that? The Lord Jesus Christ but Jesus life did bring glory to God. In his unswerving obedience. Just a few verses, we could look at many this morning.

I'm trying to keep my list short. Second Peter one seventeen, for he received from God the father honor and glory. When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. When did God say that? He said that, as Jesus came out of the waters of his baptism at the age of 30, as he commenced his earthly ministry, the father wanted everyone to know there is one in whom the father is what?

Well, pleased. There is one who took upon himself the form of a man and a servant, the incarnate son of God, Jesus Christ. Who does and did and will forever bring glory to God. John 13 in verse 31 says, therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him and in got another verse here. There it goes.

John seventeen four, I have glorified thee on the earth, Jesus said. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. What was that to come to glorify the father in all that he did and to die on a cross for those who did not bring glory to God. To die on the cross for those who were broken that they might be made whole, that they might once again bring glory to their creator. He came, he did the work, he finished it on the cross of Calvary.

He cried out what? It is finished. God was glorified and magnified in the works of Christ, in his miracles, in his power, and holiness, and compassion, his teaching, and his benevolence. Unlike our works, his works accomplish much good in the sight of who? God the father in heaven.

Because they were untainted by what? By sin. They accurately portrayed the love and power and compassion and mercy and justice of almighty God and they brought glory to him upon this Earth. They brought glory because the painting of Jesus Christ was unspoiled by sin. He was without sin.

He suffered. As though he was sin. On the cross of Calvary for you and me. But it was not for his but for whose? For ours.

He was glorified in his death and glorified in his what? Resurrection from the dead. Turn with me if you would to Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah 53 verses five and six and ten and eleven. Isaiah 53 verse five and six and ten and eleven.

Start in verse four. I like to keep verse four with verse five. Isaiah fifty three four, surely, he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet, we did a stream him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes, we are healed, made whole, made complete, restored, through his sacrifice. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him, Jesus, the iniquity of us all. We were broken. We were spoiled.

But in Christ, we can be made what? Whole. And it says in verse 10, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.

He shall prolong his days. He will rise again and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. There was one, there is one who brought brings glory to God and that is the Lord Jesus Christ who came to this Earth, who obeyed the commands of his father, who obeyed them to the point of death on the cross, and who has been declared righteous and holy.

By virtue of his resurrection from the what? From the dead. How can we know that Jesus Christ was everything that he said he was? Because he rose from the dead. And he is the only one.

Who has ever declared he would and that he did on the third day. As testimony that God the father was pleased and satisfied with him. Which brings us to the last question which I've already answered. But let's ask it anyway. Is there hope for us?

Is there hope for us? The only one who brought glory to God is Jesus Christ, the righteous one. We are all as a unrighteous, filthy thing. Are not worthy to be received up into heaven to be cast out. But yet there is hope for us.

There is hope for us in Jesus Christ. Turn if you would if you're in Isaiah. Turn just a few pages to Jeremiah. Next book in your Bible, find chapter 18. Find chapter 18.

The word eighteen one. The word which came to Jeremiah the Lord saying, arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then, I went down to the potter's house and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred or spoiled in the hand of the potter. So, he what? He made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it.

You see, we like the nation of Israel in the Old Testament who rebelled against God are not worthy. To be placed in a place of honor, to be used of our heavenly father because we are marred by what? By sin. But rather than God casting out all of humanity. And condemning it as it deserved.

God made a way for us to be remained, for us to be restored, for the image of God to be restored in us so that we might once again bring glory to our father which is in heaven. And how did God do that? Through the sacrifice of his sinless son on Calvary. God sent Jesus to die that he might not only be glorified in his son but in his sons and daughters whom he would redeem to himself through the sacrifice of his righteous and sinless son on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ.

God found a way to remake us, to restore us. We cannot restore ourselves. Not by works of righteousness which what? We have done but according to his mercy, he saved us. You cannot change who you are.

Only God can do that. Only God can restore in us the image of Jesus Christ. Only God can make us whole and complete in him. The Bible says that only through Christ can we take our place in heaven with the father. John fourteen six.

Jesus say it unto him, I am the what? The way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. Which which way? Only one way and that's only through whom?

Jesus. You can't get there any other way. You can't get there simply through the waters of baptism. If you don't have Jesus, those waters don't do you any good whatsoever. You can't get there through joining a church denomination.

Can't do you any good if you don't have who? If you don't have Jesus. He that hath the son of God hath life, he that hath not the son of God does not have life. You can have life, eternal life, abundant life but it's only found in Christ Jesus. Second Corinthians five seventeen and twenty one.

Well, let's look at John one hundred twelve first. John 112 says, but as many as received him, that's who? Jesus. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the what? The sons of the children of God even to them that believe on his name.

We can once again be welcomed into God's family that we might bring glory to his name but only if we receive who? Jesus as savior. Second Corinthians five seventeen and twenty one, one of my favorite passages of scripture. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, restored in Christ. If any man be in Christ, he is a what?

A new creature, a new creation like the potter whose whose potter was whose masterpiece was marred and he remade it. We can be remade in Christ Jesus to bring glory to him once again. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.

For he that is God hath made him, that is Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That we might be remade and restored To a place of what? Honor. Why? Because we deserve it, because we worked hard for it.

No. Because Jesus Christ, our savior, suffered for it on the cross of Calvary for us. He did the hard work. He lived a righteous life. He brought glory to God.

He died in our place. And in Christ by faith, we can be made whole. We can be restored and once again in Christ, we can bring glory to who? We can bring glory to our maker. Once again, but without faith, It is impossible to please him.

For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. There is no other way but through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the way to be restored, to receive eternal life that was lost way back in the Garden Of Eden. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoso believes in him should not perish, be cast out as a broken, spoiled thing but be restored and receive everlasting life. By the side of God and Jesus Christ, our savior in heaven.

John six forty seven, verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, hath everlasting life. John eleven twenty five, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. You can yet fulfill your purpose in being on this earth. It is not simply to amass material possessions.

It is not simply to make yourself happy. It is not simply to become famous in the eyes of the world, to become successful in the eyes of some, but to bring glory to our maker, creator, and savior. Back to Ephesians two, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of your selves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus under good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

You can bring glory to God once again. By grace through faith in his son, we have been made whole. Our the masterpiece that God was creating us is being restored and we can once again by our good works bring glory to our father which is in heaven. The message is twofold this morning. Number one, have you?

Have you come to Jesus Christ by faith? Have you been restored in him? That you might fulfill your purpose here and through all eternity. Or are you still a thing broken in sin and spoiled and to be cast out? You can, that can change today.

Number two, Christian, are you living to the glory of God? Can others see by our good works the holiness and justice and love of our father in heaven? Can they see the work that God has done in us and are we bringing glory to his name? We should be. We must.

It is our entire reason for being on this Earth. If you're bringing glory to him, you will likely see people come to know Christ as savior. If you're bringing glory to him, he says, but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things shall be what? Added unto you. If you're bringing glory to him, he says, happy are you if you do them.

Who is going to fill your heart with joy? God is. But it all goes back to the glory of God. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day.

For those that have come. Pray Lord for those that could not be here. Pray that you'd work in their heart as you work in ours today. I pray Lord that we might be lifted up, that we might have our eyes pointed back towards heaven, towards you, to those things that are eternal, that we might bring pleasure to our father which is in heaven, that we might glorify you upon this earth, and we pray Lord, if there's one here today that's never trusted in you, as we give this hymn of invitation, We pray, we plead today that they might come. They might set aside their pride.

They might humble themselves before you. And be saved this day. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.