INTRODUCTION: God is up to something. It is bigger than anything we can imagine. God is bringing the curtains of History to a close. The final act of eternity is closely approaching. Some see only doom and gloom. Others see no hope no future. I see evidence that God is doing something wonderful.

 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?

2.                  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.

3.                  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4.                  Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.

5.                  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

6.                  He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-- not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7.                  Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,

8.                  will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

9.                  If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

10.              For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.

11.              And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12.              Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

13.              We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.

14.              But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

15.              Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

16.              But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17.              Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18.              And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)

 1. THE CHURCH WILL NOT FINISH ITS COURSE IN DEFEAT!

          *            The negative will look around and see nothing good.

          *            BELIEVERS see what God is doing and rejoice! BE A BELIEVER NOT A DOUBTER!

Romans 1:20-25 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 men 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 mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24                 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

25        They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV)

 2 Timothy 3:12-17 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13        while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14        But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

15        and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16        All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

17        so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 2. WE ARE EXAMPLES OF GODS GLORY!

          *             Christ’s first appearance on Earth was announced in GLORY!

          *             And, there is GLORY yet to come!!

Luke 2:9-14 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10        But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11        Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

12        This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13                 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14        "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (NIV)

 John 15:8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (NIV)

 John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (NIV)

 3. WE BRING GOD GLORY BY DOING WHAT HE SAID WE SHOULD DO!

          *             Jesus said love!

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

38        This is the first and greatest commandment.

39        And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

40        All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (NIV)

 John 16:13-15 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

14    He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

15    All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (NIV)

John 17:8-26 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

9        I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

10    All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

11    I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one.

12    While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13    "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

14    I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

15    My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

16    They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

17    Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

18    As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

19    For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20    "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21    that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22    I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23    I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24    "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25    "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

26    I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (NIV)

 4. THE END OF THINGS TEMPORAL ENDS IN GLORY!

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (NIV)

 Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (NIV)