Seeking God's Glory Over Human Recognition

Devotional

Day 1: The Peril of Human Recognition

Seeking recognition from others can hinder our faith and our ability to please God. Jesus warns us that receiving glory from one another is a barrier to true belief. We must examine our hearts and ensure that our desire is to glorify God alone. The desire for human recognition can subtly infiltrate our spiritual journey, diverting our focus from God to ourselves. This desire can manifest in various ways, such as seeking praise for our good deeds or longing for acknowledgment in our community. When we prioritize human approval, we risk compromising our faith and losing sight of our ultimate purpose: to glorify God. Jesus' words in John 5:44 challenge us to reflect on our motivations and realign our hearts with God's will. [01:20]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Reflection: Identify a recent situation where you sought recognition from others. How can you shift your focus to seeking God's approval instead?

Day 2: Gideon's Lesson on God's Glory

The story of Gideon teaches us that God desires all the glory. Even when we witness God's power, the subtle desire for human appreciation can become a snare. We must be vigilant in rejecting any form of self-glory. Gideon's story in Judges 7 is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and the dangers of self-glorification. By reducing Gideon's army, God ensured that Israel would attribute their victory to Him alone. However, Gideon's later actions reveal how easily we can fall into the trap of seeking human appreciation. This story encourages us to remain humble and vigilant, recognizing that all glory belongs to God. [04:22]

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV): "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you took credit for something that was God's doing. How can you give God the glory in similar situations in the future?

Day 3: Jesus' Example of Hiddenness

Jesus lived a life content with the Father's approval, not seeking human recognition. His example shows us the importance of being satisfied with God's appreciation and withdrawing to give God the glory in moments of triumph. Jesus' life exemplifies humility and a focus on God's glory. Despite performing miracles and gaining followers, He often withdrew from the spotlight to pray and seek the Father's approval. This teaches us the value of living a life hidden in Christ, where our satisfaction comes from God's love and not from human accolades. By following Jesus' example, we can cultivate a heart that seeks to glorify God in all circumstances. [09:23]

Matthew 6:1 (ESV): "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you seek human recognition. How can you practice humility and focus on God's approval instead?

Day 4: Rejoicing in God's Kingdom

A heart that rejoices in God's kingdom advancing, regardless of personal recognition, reflects a pure bride of Christ. We should delight in our bridegroom's success and be satisfied with His love and appreciation. Our spiritual journey is not about personal accolades but about advancing God's kingdom. Like a bride rejoicing in her bridegroom's success, we are called to find joy in God's work, regardless of our role or recognition. This perspective shifts our focus from self to God, allowing us to experience true fulfillment in His love and purpose. By delighting in God's kingdom, we align our hearts with His will and become vessels for His glory. [15:12]

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Reflection: Think of a recent success in your community or church. How can you celebrate this success as part of God's kingdom work, rather than seeking personal recognition?

Day 5: Single-Minded Focus on God's Approval

Matthew 6:22 encourages us to have a single-minded focus on God's approval. When our intentions are pure, and we seek only God's glory, our whole body will be full of light, enabling us to live a life pleasing to God. A single-minded focus on God transforms our lives, filling us with His light and guiding our actions. When we prioritize God's approval above all else, we align our hearts with His purpose and experience His peace and joy. This focus requires intentionality and discipline, as we continually seek to glorify God in every aspect of our lives. By cultivating a pure heart, we become vessels of His light, shining brightly in a world that desperately needs His love. [19:10]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to focus on God's approval. What practical steps can you take today to realign your focus and seek His glory?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, one of the most significant barriers we face is the desire for human recognition and glory. Jesus, in John 5:44, challenges us with a profound question: "How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" This question invites us to examine our hearts and motivations. Are we seeking the approval and appreciation of others, or are we truly seeking to glorify God alone? The story of Gideon in Judges 7 illustrates this danger. God reduced Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300 to ensure that Israel would not boast in their own strength but recognize God's power. Yet, even Gideon, who witnessed God's desire for glory firsthand, fell into the trap of seeking a token of appreciation from the people, which became a snare to him and his household.

This subtle desire for recognition can hinder our faith and our ability to please God. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Therefore, if we are seeking glory from others, we are not fully living in faith. The example of Jesus is a powerful contrast. He lived a life hidden from the spotlight, content with the Father's approval alone. Even in moments of great triumph, like feeding the 5,000, Jesus withdrew to give God the glory. His life teaches us the importance of being satisfied with God's appreciation and not seeking validation from others.

To combat this desire for human glory, we must cultivate a heart that rejoices in God's kingdom advancing, regardless of our role or recognition. We should be like a bride who delights in her bridegroom's success, not seeking compliments from others. Our satisfaction should come from hearing God's voice affirming us as His beloved children. When we find ourselves desiring recognition, we must repent and refocus our hearts on seeking God's glory alone. As Matthew 6:22 encourages, if our eye is single-minded, focused solely on God's approval, our whole body will be full of light. Let us strive to live with this clarity of purpose, seeking only the glory that comes from God.

Key Takeaways

1. The Danger of Seeking Human Glory: Seeking recognition from others can hinder our faith and our ability to please God. Jesus warns us that receiving glory from one another is a barrier to true belief. We must examine our hearts and ensure that our desire is to glorify God alone. [01:20]
2. Gideon's Lesson on God's Glory: The story of Gideon teaches us that God desires all the glory. Even when we witness God's power, the subtle desire for human appreciation can become a snare. We must be vigilant in rejecting any form of self-glory. [04:22]
3. Jesus' Example of Hiddenness: Jesus lived a life content with the Father's approval, not seeking human recognition. His example shows us the importance of being satisfied with God's appreciation and withdrawing to give God the glory in moments of triumph. [09:23]
4. Rejoicing in God's Kingdom: A heart that rejoices in God's kingdom advancing, regardless of personal recognition, reflects a pure bride of Christ. We should delight in our bridegroom's success and be satisfied with His love and appreciation. [15:12]
5. Single-Minded Focus on God's Approval: Matthew 6:22 encourages us to have a single-minded focus on God's approval. When our intentions are pure, and we seek only God's glory, our whole body will be full of light, enabling us to live a life pleasing to God. [19:10]
** [19:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Introduction: Barriers to Faith
[00:46] - The Danger of Seeking Glory
[01:08] - Jesus' Warning in John 5
[02:14] - Faith and Pleasing God
[03:08] - Gideon's Story: God's Glory
[04:53] - Gideon's Snare: Seeking Appreciation
[06:10] - The Cost of Human Glory
[07:14] - Lucifer's Fall: A Warning
[08:00] - Rejecting Tokens of Appreciation
[09:11] - Jesus' Example of Hiddenness
[10:47] - Peter's Perspective in Mark
[12:26] - The Power of a Hidden Life
[13:11] - Identifying Unconscious Honor Seeking
[15:12] - Rejoicing in God's Kingdom
[19:10] - Single-Minded Focus on God's Approval

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

John 5:44
Judges 7:2
Hebrews 11:6

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Observation Questions:

In John 5:44, what does Jesus identify as a barrier to belief? How does this relate to the desire for human recognition? [01:20]
According to Judges 7:2, why did God reduce Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300? What lesson was God teaching through this action? [04:07]
How does Hebrews 11:6 connect faith with pleasing God? What implication does this have for those seeking human glory? [02:14]
What was Gideon's response to the people's request for him to rule over them, and what did he ask for instead? How did this request become a snare for him? [05:05]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the desire for human recognition conflict with the pursuit of faith, according to the sermon? What are the potential consequences of this conflict? [01:20]
In what ways does the story of Gideon illustrate the subtlety of seeking human appreciation, even after witnessing God's power? [06:10]
How does Jesus' example of living a hidden life, as mentioned in the sermon, challenge our modern understanding of success and recognition? [09:23]
What does it mean to have a "single-minded focus on God's approval," as described in Matthew 6:22, and how can this focus impact one's spiritual life? [19:10]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you sought recognition from others. How did it affect your faith and relationship with God? What steps can you take to shift your focus to seeking God's glory alone? [01:20]
Gideon's story shows the danger of seeking tokens of appreciation. Are there small "tokens" you find yourself desiring in your life? How can you actively reject these desires? [06:10]
Jesus lived a life content with the Father's approval. How can you cultivate a similar contentment in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to prioritize God's approval over human recognition? [09:23]
Consider the concept of rejoicing in God's kingdom advancing, regardless of personal recognition. How can you practice this attitude in your community or church? [15:12]
Matthew 6:22 speaks of having a clear, single-minded focus. Identify one area in your life where your focus might be divided. What changes can you make to align your focus more closely with seeking God's approval? [19:10]
The sermon mentions the importance of hearing God's voice affirming us as His beloved children. How can you create space in your life to listen for God's voice and affirmation? [17:04]
Reflect on the idea of being a "pure bride" of Christ, rejoicing in the success of the bridegroom. How can you apply this metaphor to your spiritual journey and interactions with others? [15:12]

Sermon Clips

how can you believe how can you have faith when you receive glory from one another and you don't seek the glory that is from the one and only god and i thought could it be said of us how can you have faith how can you believe if you receive glory from nccf and you don't seek the glory that is from the one and only god [00:01:17]

jesus is telling us that receiving glory from each other is a great barrier to growing in faith to having true faith we can think i don't want to receive glory from this world and we can shun the glory of this world the honor of this world that's good we must but have we seen that there's great danger of receiving glory from one another [00:01:42]

without faith it's impossible to please god do you know that verse hebrews 11 verse 6 without faith it's impossible to please god and i was thinking about combining these two verses and say you know in jesus in john chapter five says how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and and we know without faith it's impossible to please god [00:02:09]

how can you please god when you receive glory from one another we know that god wants all the glory that he's zealous for his name he's jealous for his glory and there's a story in the old testament i wanted to mention it's i was reminded of it this week in judges chapter 7 if you want to look there it's a story of gideon [00:02:32]

gideon when he's called to serve the lord the lord makes it very clear to him i gotta get all the glory and i'm gonna reduce your army i'm gonna reduce your ability so that when you win you won't say i did it you'll say for sure god did it we only had 300 men right so who in all of israel knew god wants all the glory in that generation [00:04:12]

gideon had a great appreciation for god's passion for his own glory and yet what do we see just one chapter later if you look with me at judges chapter 8 and verse 20 2 it says that the men of israel after this victory over midian it says the men of israel said rule over us gideon but gideon said i'm not going to rule over you [00:04:49]

why do i mention this story because it says in verse 27 at the end that it became a snare to gideon in his household and midian rose up and subdued the sons of israel again we see that these just small tokens of appreciation even to a man who was impressed with god's desire to get all the glory and all the credit for his work [00:05:48]

i was reminded of satan in isaiah 14 it says that he said i will ascend i just i want more glory i want to be like god and the who he who is the most glorious of all created beings became the devil and for us what we have to see is it's not just that seeking glory from men is just going to slow us down a little bit [00:07:00]

jesus had that immediate response one thing that blessed me i was just kind of using my imagination but in mark chapter one you know they're they're i think in matthew and luke as well there are um there are records of jesus trial in the wilderness and there's a lot of verses in in both matthew and luke they're very detailed [00:09:55]

i thought wow what if peter had really gotten close to jesus and he had really started to see the details of my own experience aren't the important thing let some other disciple document the fact that i got to walk on water too but when i'm having mark write down my thoughts don't put me in that i don't need i don't need honor [00:11:41]

i've noticed for myself i'll say just practically unconscious honor seeking can be difficult to identify it can be and so it can be natural to say i'm probably okay i don't think i'm seeking honor so i wanted to share a few practical weeds i have identified in my own life so i'm sharing these all from personal experience [00:13:11]

matthew chapter 6 maybe we can just end with that jesus here is it's in the sermon on the mount and jesus has been speaking about how there are pharisees there are people who pray to be noticed by men and who give alms to be noticed by men and who fast to be noticed by men and we see there that the problem is our intention [00:18:35]

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Seeking God's Glory Over Human Recognition

Devotional

Day 1: The Peril of Human Recognition

Day 2: Gideon's Lesson on God's Glory

Day 3: Jesus' Example of Hiddenness

Day 4: Rejoicing in God's Kingdom

Day 5: Single-Minded Focus on God's Approval

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Seeking God's Glory Over Human Recognition

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