Crowned with glory

"What are human beings that You think about them?"

That’s the question King David asks in Psalm 8—and it’s a question many of us still wrestle with today. In a world that measures our worth by performance and perfection, Scripture tells a different story.

In this episode of The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast, we explore the stunning truth that you were made not just to admire God’s glory, but to reflect it. You were created with purpose, crowned with dignity, and entrusted with a calling—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who God is.

Through the beauty of Psalm 8, we’ll look at what it means to bear God’s image, why your identity doesn’t depend on your past, and how Jesus came to restore what sin tried to steal.

You were made for glory. But the question is—what are you reflecting?

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Transcript

*not a word for word transcript, but the sermon manuscript.

CROWNED WITH GLORY

     One of the greatest gifts the Church has given the world is our signs. Sometimes they hit the truth but used a funny phrase, or the pastor did not think through the statement all the way.

     The best one was when we served at Meadville. It was not an outdoor sign, but inside the building posted on a wall was a verse from Esther that said, “Perhaps this was the moment for which you were made.” It is a powerful verse, the words of Mordecai to Esther as she learns about the plot to wipe out their people. But the verse was placed on the wall heading into the women’s restroom.

     That verse in Esther hits a question we may have asked ourselves. Have you ever stared at God’s beautiful creation asked, “Why am I here?” Of all the things God made, why did God choose to make us? Why does God care about us?

     Society would have us think our existence is based on our performance. Promotions, test scores, productivity. That influence creeps into the Church, making us think our worth is based on sinlessness and doing good works to earn something. But the Bible dares to say something much different.

     In Psalms 8, God’s word gives us the truth about why He made us and why He cares about us. And it so much more than we could imagine.

Psalms 8:1-9 (CEB)

1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven!

2 From the mouths of nursing babies you have laid a strong foundation because of your foes, in order to stop vengeful enemies.

3 When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made—the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place—4 what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them?

5 You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur.

6 You’ve let them rule over your handiwork putting everything under their feet—7 all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea.

9 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! 

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

     This is a Psalm credited to David. And it is from a heart that is totally enamored with God. Verse 1 and 9 set that tone with “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name!” To be clear, David is writing this Psalm about God and how excellent, noble, and vast He is. David is writing about God, not us.

     Verse 2 is a shot at God’s enemies. They scheme in all their foolish belief that they are self-sufficient, but God defeats them. He does not defeat them with the best of the best, God does so “from the mouths of nursing babies.” Those people who are weak and dependent upon Him, God uses to display His glory. Even though David mentions who God uses, David still is referring to God’s greatness.

     David in verses 3 and 4 is overwhelmed by creation. He writes in verse 3, “When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made.” During my preparation, I loved what Dr. David Jeremiah pointed out. Dr. Jeremiah observed, “There is far less power in the hand than the arm and far less power in the finger than the hand. To create stars, planets, and galaxies, God only needed His fingers.” 

     This leads David to ask in verse 4, the question many of us have asked, “What are human beings that you think about them? What are human beings that you pay attention to them?” David is not asking out of frustration or desperation like Job did. He is asking in humility and awe.

     Verse 5 is an important one for us. It says, “You made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur.” Again, this Psalm is about God and His majesty. But God crowned us with glory and honor. Not because we earned it, but because God crowned humanity with it. The word “glory” is a word reserved for God, a reflection of His majesty.

     The last few verses are echoes of God’s words to humanity in Genesis. Looking at verse 6, it reads, “You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet.” God gave us responsibility for creation. Creation is not ours to be dominated based on our greed and selfishness. God made us stewards over it.

     What does this teach us? What does this have to do with why we are here? You were made to reflect the glory of God. You are not here to live for your glory, but to bear His.

     But the beauty of this truth is this is how you and I were made! It is one thing to be for the glory of God—to cheer for it, sing about it, to admire it. Psalm 8 says something deeper: you were made to be a bearer of His glory. It is not just what you support—it is who you are. You reflect Him. You carry His majesty into every space you step. You are not insignificant. You are made in His image, crowned with His worth.

     What has kept you from seeing this and wrestling with your worth and identity is sin. The sin committed in the Garden of Eden and that continues to plague humanity today has robbed you of that dignity. Jesus came, died, and rose again so that dignity is restored, that calling to be an image-bearer is renewed, and dominion is redeemed—for His glory, not ours. God remembers you and me—not out of pity, but purpose. A purpose He lovingly bestowed upon us.

     How do you and I live as crowned people? Reorient your worth: stop trying to earn the favor of man and God. God has already given you His glory. You do not have to prove your value—you were created with it. Reflect His glory, not your own: in how you treat others, steward the earth, love your family and neighbors—make Him the focus. Take your place in the story: you are not an accident. You are not forgotten. You are crowned with His glory and called to live like it.

     You were made for glory. You do not have to manufacture your identity or fight for your worth. God has already determined that because He has placed His image in you and invites you to reflect His glory.

     You were made to reflect His glory. But here is the question: What are you reflecting right now? Is it fear, pride, shame, or sin and self? Living that way robs you of being a crowned image-bearer. Are you chasing a performance-based value system? That leaves you defeated. You are not crowned by culture, success, or your past but by the same God whose name is majestic in all the earth. Will you let Jesus restore your crown and live a life that reflects His glory to the world?