The next thing we want to do is look at section four in our outline. We've just one, two, three.

And section four is the foundation of Christian hedonism in God's God-centeredness. Now, in your

outline, there are, in the book, there are 35 biblical texts to illustrate God's pursuit of God's glory above all things.

I'm going to go at it a completely different way

because what I found in the few times I've taught this

is that if I try to do 35 of those, it takes forever.

Because I found myself preaching on each of those texts.

So what I've done is to take six great works of redemption in their chronological order

from predestination before history to consummation at the end of history and show you

in each of those six stages of redemptive history

that God's main passion is his glory.

Now, why am I doing this?

You need to step back.

Why are you going here?

What's that got to do with what we've just been talking about?

I can remember lying in the third floor of Elliott Hall as a senior at Wheaton College, asking myself,

well, do you marry Noel for the glory of God or because there's joy in?

Do you read and write poetry for the glory of God or because there's joy in it?

Or do you go and witness on the street in Chicago on the weekend for the glory of God?

Or because there's joy in it.

And in those days, it was just a conundrum to me. It was just, I mean, you may think,

that's not a hard answer, but it was. It just was. And I knew that from my dad, that whatever you do, Johnny, in word or deed, whether you eat or drink,

...