Introduction: God created mankind for a reason--so that we would bring him glory, be thankful to him and recognize him as our beloved Creator. Sadly, every single person who ever walked the face of the earth (with the exception of Jesus) has chosen to go his own way and do his own thing, giving little or no thought to God's ultimate design. The created have ended up despising their Creator by turning to ways that are not right. Therefore, God's anger and wrath burn against mankind. However, in his mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. Through him, we can be forgiven for not fulfilling God's design for our lives. Also through him, we are made completely new and commanded to begin glorifying God the way he wanted us to from the beginning. Today, there are several kinds of people. Some people refuse to glorify God or even acknowledge him as God. Others say that they acknowledge him and claim to trust in Jesus, and yet their lives are not in line with God's plan--to bring Him glory. Then there are those who truly trust in Jesus and therefore please God. Which kind of person are you? Only the last group, the faithful ones, will spend eternity with God their Father. The others will be cast from his presence for punishment in hell. You must choose, daily, to be among those who bring glory to their Creator, deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus with their whole hearts.

1. Created for God and not for ourselves (We are not created to fulfill our pleasures, but to fulfill God's pleasures.)

• Is 43:7 "...whom I created for my glory..."
• Is 43:21 "...the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise..."
• Ps 100:3 "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his (KJV--and not we ourselves); we are his people, the sheep of his pasture"
• Ps 95:6-7 "Come, let us bow down in worship, le us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care"
• Is 29:22-23 "...No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel."
• Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
• Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

• Col 1:16 "...all things were created by him and for him."
• Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

• God is the focus and center of everything

II. If you aren't glorifying God with your life you are in sin and sin brings wrath.

• Rom. 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (of being commended by God)

• Glory: a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
• we have all failed at our ultimate purpose and lost God's favorable opinion
• Rom. 6:23 -- sin brings death

• Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

• God gave them over to depraved minds
• Wrath of God is revealed against them
• What is God's wrath? Matt 25:33 (separate sheep from goats) and then "they (the unrighteous) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matt 25:4)

• Jer 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

• Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
• if you are a "good man" your steps will be directed by God and not by yourself
• Is 30:1 "Woe to those who carry out plans that are not mine"

• Deuteronomy 29:19 "When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, 'I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven."

III. God's mercy: sending Jesus so that we could be restored and begin glorifying God

• God's mercy in sending Jesus -- an opportunity for forgiveness so that we can begin glorifying God. You can't accept Jesus' forgiveness without totally changing the course of your life back to what you were created for--to give God glory.

• sheep of his pasture (relating to Ps 95:6-7 and Ps 100:3) 1 Peter 2:24-25--we were like sheep going astray, but NOW we have returned; reason for Christ coming and dying
• Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
• Jesus paid for our iniquity (going against God's will)
• We do not deserve his mercy
• Sin causes us to fall short of God's praise (Rom. 3:23), but through Christ we can be restored and receive "well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:21).

• John the Baptist prepared people for Jesus by telling them to change (Luke 3:7-9)
• Jeremiah 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

• Is 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."

• Psalms 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

• compare Is 43:21

• Eph. 2:8-10 Saved by grace through faith and created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do

• God has a will for us, but all have rebelled and gone their own way
• Now we can be created in Christ ("recreated") to do good works; and now that we are in Christ, we are "for the praise of his glory" (Eph 1:12)
• Response to God's mercy: Rom 12:1-2 : living sacrifice

• Born Again (John 3:3--"no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again")

• We were created in God's image (Gen 1:27), but that image has been marred by sin. It is corrupted by our deceitful desires. (Eph 4:22)
• Now, however, we put off the old self and put on the new self which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24).
• Again, we are "re-created" in Christ to do good works (Eph. 2:10).
• Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
• 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

IV. What will you do?

• God delays his wrath not wanting anyone to perish

• 2 Pet 3:9
• 1 Tim 2:4
• 2 Thess 1:8 "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power."

• Will you glorify God through Jesus Christ?

• John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
• 1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
• 1 Cor 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
• Col. 3:17 "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."