Have you ever wondered why you exist and what all of this is for? Louie Giglio leads us on a journey through scripture and space to answer those very questions.
Key Takeaway
The chief end of God is to glorify God and to enjoy God forever.
What is God worth? Have you ever considered such a question? Surely, there is no monetary value that we could place on an almighty, ever-lasting being. And yet, for something to have importance or value, it must also have worth. Over the last few messages in this collection (if you haven't watched them, you should go back and do so), we've spent some time studying the Grace of God, which we defined as "God at work," and today we're going to look at the Glory of God, which we'll define as God's weight and worth.
Why weight and worth? Well, to answer that, we need to do a bit of word study. The Old Testament word for glory is kāḇôḏ (pronounced kaw-bode' if you want to practice saying it out loud.) kāḇôḏ means (or translates to) weight or heaviness. So, when we see the word glory in the Old Testament, we should understand that what we are talking about is a God whose unique and matchless nature isn't flimsy or light but substantial and heavy. Flip to the New Testament, and the word for glory (dóksa) translates into opinion or good opinion. Pair these two together, and what we find is that when the writers of Scripture wanted to communicate to us what the very nature of God is like, they wanted to be sure that we understood the immensity of His worth.
What is God worth? You'd have to ask Him. After all, the central believer in and the most ardent proponent and promoter of God's Glory is God. No matter what platform you've been given, no matter how many messages you watch a week, or coffees you have with people to tell them about God, you will never out-promote God when it comes to talking about God. But isn't this prideful? Not at all; humility is for those of us who just think that we are god; in fact, thank God that He knows His worth and yet was still willing to interrupt our lives with it. (there's that grace again.)
*editor's note: when people tell you that believing in God means losing out on the best parts of life, remind yourself that the only being who can define "best" by looking at themselves is freely giving it to you. There is no "best" without God.
Can you imagine for a second arriving at the scene of a terrible accident, and as the crowd gathers, a voice calls out from among the murmuring people, "Please let me through, I'm a doctor!" and the people barely turn their heads and shout back, "We're good, it'll all work itself out!"
God knows His ability, His character, and His power, and His grace and patience are on display when He inserts Himself into the equation of our lives because, at the end of the day, we exist FOR God. Did you catch that? We just answered one of those questions that human beings have sat under the stars and pondered for eons. Why do we, why do you exist? For God's Glory. "Wait a minute," you may be saying, "I actually already know why I exist. I was made to be a lawyer," or maybe, "I was created to be a parent," or even, "I was created to teach people about God!"
Without question, you have been given gifts, and you have cultivated talents, but at the end of the day, you were created atom by atom in order to reflect the Glory of the God who made you.
Would you like some supporting Scripture? (Always a great thing to ask for when someone is making such sweeping claims.)
(You can read all of these at the bottom of this page, by the way.)
2 Corinthians 4:6 Mark 2:12 2 Peter 1:16-18 John 12:27-28 Phil 2:9-11 Revelation 4:11 Romans 3:23 Romans 1:18-23 Psalm 106:20 Colossians 1:27 Ephesians 1:3-14 1 Timothy 1:15-17 Galatians 1:3-5 Luke 17:18 Psalm 63:3 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 1 Corinthians 10:31 Colossians 3:17 Matthew 5:16
(You're doing great.)
Isaiah 26:8 John 21:19 Phil 4:19 Colossians 3:4 1 Peter 5:10 Ephesians 3:20-21 Revelation 21:22-23 Phil 4:20 Romans 16:27 Romans 11:36 Jude 1:24-25
The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1646 encapsulated it beautifully when the writers penned:Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
We exist, and the Church exists to glorify God. This truth can be the most freeing revelation of your life and the most defining. Wrap your heart and mind around it, and all of a sudden, the trajectory of your life may clarify with passion and purpose. But moving yourself out of the center seat of your life can be difficult, and it involves daily, even hourly, sometimes minute-to-minute awareness to remember that it's not all about you, and it is all about Him. This is good news. In fact, this is the best news because it means that the significance of your life does not have to end when your last breath leaves your body or when your face fades from the memory of your children's children's children. You are a part of the eternal story of God's Glory by His Grace.
On September 5, 1977, NASA launched a 1,592-pound spacecraft named Voyager on a mission to travel further than any object made by human hands with a mission to observe, record, and transmit images and data about the Solar System we call home. 13 years later, on Valentines Day, the Jet Propulsion Lab (or JPL) sent a simple command to Voyager, turn around and take a series of photos of where you came from. Those photos were woven together, and the result is still nothing short of breathtaking.
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
How does the Pale Blue Dot make you feel? Small? That's understandable; after all, if all of Human History can be captured in such a tiny image, then shouldn't we feel insignificant? Not at all, because the God of gods, the One who has worth, the One with the weight, the One with the kāḇôḏ deemed you worth His Grace. He left Heaven and stepped onto the Pale Blue Dot (which He created) in order to bestow that Grace upon you at the cost of Jesus. Divinity was nailed to wood, and His bled mingled with dirt because He deemed it to be so on your behalf.
What is God worth? Our lives. What are we worth to God? His.
“
It has always been about God and His Glory, it is all about God and His Glory, and it will always all be about God and His Glory.
”
Louie Giglio
Discussion Questions
God's Glory is His "weight and worth." What does this mean to you personally, and how does it change the way you view God's nature?
How do the Old Testament (kāḇôḏ: weight or heaviness) and New Testament (dóksa: good opinion) concepts of glory complement each other? How does this dual understanding enhance your view of God's glory?
We said that that God’s grace is Him at work in our lives. How does this truth impact the way you perceive your relationship with God?
“We exist for God’s Glory.” How does this statement resonate with your understanding of your life’s purpose? How can this perspective influence your daily decisions and priorities?
God is the foremost promoter of His own glory. Why is this not considered prideful for God? How does this contrast with human attitudes toward self-promotion?
Reflect on Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" description. How does this perspective of Earth's insignificance magnify the significance of God's love and sacrifice for humanity?
What are some practical ways you can glorify God in your everyday life, whether at work, home, or within your community?
Understanding our purpose in glorifying God can be freeing. How have you experienced or could you experience freedom in shifting focus from self to God?
Choose one or two Scriptures from the list provided in the talk (e.g., Isaiah 42:8, Psalm 19:1). How do these verses deepen your understanding of God's glory and your role in reflecting it?
God deemed humanity worth His grace, even at the cost of Jesus’ life. How does this understanding of the cost of grace shape your view of your own worth and the way you live your life?
Scripture References
1.In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2.Before the mountains were bornor you brought forth the whole world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
1.The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
1.Praise the Lord.148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14Praise the Lord from the heavens;praise him in the heights above.2.Praise him, all his angels;praise him, all his heavenly hosts.3.Praise him, sun and moon;praise him, all you shining stars.4.Praise him, you highest heavensand you waters above the skies.5.Let them praise the name of the Lord,for at his command they were created,6.and he established them for ever and ever—he issued a decree that will never pass away.7.Praise the Lord from the earth,you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,8.lightning and hail, snow and clouds,stormy winds that do his bidding,9.you mountains and all hills,fruit trees and all cedars,10.wild animals and all cattle,small creatures and flying birds,11.kings of the earth and all nations,you princes and all rulers on earth,12.young men and women,old men and children.13.Let them praise the name of the Lord,for his name alone is exalted;his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
26.Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,1:26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
2.To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3.‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’7:3 Gen. 12:1
7.When our ancestors were in Egypt,they gave no thought to your miracles;they did not remember your many kindnesses,and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 228.Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,to make his mighty power known.
22.When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
8.“I am the Lord; that is my name!I will not yield my glory to anotheror my praise to idols.
3.“You shall have no other gods before20:3 Or besides me.
7.everyone who is called by my name,whom I created for my glory,whom I formed and made.”
14.For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lordas the waters cover the sea.
9.For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath;for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,so as not to destroy you completely.10.See, I have refined you, though not as silver;I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.11.For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.How can I let myself be defamed?I will not yield my glory to another.
14.“Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
6.For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”4:6 Gen. 1:3 made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
12.He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
16.For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17.He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:3518.We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
27.“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.28.Father, glorify your name!”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
9.Therefore God exalted him to the highest placeand gave him the name that is above every name,10.that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11.and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.
11.“You are worthy, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power,for you created all things,and by your will they were createdand have their being.”
23.for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
18.The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19.since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20.For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.21.For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22.Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23.and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
20.They exchanged their glorious Godfor an image of a bull, which eats grass.
27.To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
3.Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4.For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5.he1:4,5 Or sight in love. 5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture. through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6.to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7.In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8.that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9.he1:8,9 Or us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10.to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.11.In him we were also chosen,1:11 Or were made heirs having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12.in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13.And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14.who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
15.Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16.But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17.Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
3.Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4.who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5.to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
18.Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
3.Because your love is better than life,my lips will glorify you.
7.But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8.We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9.persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10.We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11.For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12.So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.13.It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”4:13 Psalm 116:10 (see Septuagint) Since we have that same spirit of4:13 Or Spirit-given faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14.because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15.All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
31.So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
17.And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
16.In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
8.Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,26:8 Or judgmentswe wait for you;your name and renownare the desire of our hearts.
19.Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
19.And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
4.When Christ, who is your3:4 Some manuscripts our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
10.And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
20.Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21.to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
22.I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23.The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
20.To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
27.to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
36.For from him and through him and for him are all things.To him be the glory forever! Amen.
24.To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25.to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
