Category Archives: Worship

God Deserves All The Glory!

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-Who Else Would Deserve It?

There’s a wonderful passage, in the Old Testament, that relates to the Glory that God deserves.  Here’s what King David says:  “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” 1 Chronicles 16:28-29.  In my previous post, I talked about how God’s Glory is a really big deal to God! And, rightly so! David is also inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to declare God’s “strength.” Declare the Lord’s “…glory and STRENGTH…” I find it interesting that David would point to God’s “strength” in the context of His “glory”! Why?

-Let’s Dig Deeper!

Whenever we ask that question “why”—-of a biblical text—it ought to serve as our cue to dig deeper! To study the verses surrounding it! So, if you look back at the preceding verses, David says that, “…YAHWEH is feared above all gods…” (little “g”) because “…all the gods of the peoples are IDOLS…”; and, here’s the CONTRAST—”…BUT, the LORD made the heavens…”; end v.27, “…STRENGTH & joy are in His place.” So, compared to false gods, YAHWEH is all-powerful; or, OMNIPOTENT! It is to His Glory that, by His STRENGTH, He created the heavens! So, DECLARE His STRENGTH! Someone once asked me that old philosopher’s question: “Can God create a rock so big that He can’t lift it?” I think the answer is “YES” He can create that rock! And, “YES” HE CAN LIFT IT!

-Glory In God’s “Name”!

It’s to His Glory that He is able to do anything and everything! Then, David tells us to declare God’s Glory in His NAME! There’s really 2 thoughts in that phrase, “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” The 1st thought relates to His “NAME.” There’s a lot going on with a person’s NAME—if I say the name, “ADOLPH HITLER”, that name evokes thoughts related to his CHARACTER, doesn’t it? That name conjures up thoughts like dictator and anti-Semite and murderer! The name of God, however, brings to mind thoughts of His love, mercy, grace, benevolence, etc. All that’s in His “NAME”; or, His character! Those traits describe who He is! He is just & righteous in everything He does! So, declare the glory related to His NAME!

-Stealing God’s Glory!

The 2nd thought, in that phrase, “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” is this: He ALONE DESERVES all Glory!  The Apostle Paul wrote: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be Glory forever” Romans 11:36.  He’s saying that, in fact, God HAS all Glory! He alone had all glory before creation, right? There was nothing else until He created it! So, any glory that the creation has was given to it BY GOD! The “glory” of a sunset is God’s Glory! He gave the sunset it’s “glory”! It’s because of God’s Glory that He hates pride—”pride” is man’s attempt to STEAL God’s Glory! Whenever we’re PROUD of our work we’re stealing glory from God who gave us the gifts & talents to do the work we do! Pride is acting like you didn’t receive it from God! Any praise we receive must be redirected to God for His Glory!

 

God’s Glory Is A Big Deal!

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-He Alone Deserves The Glory!

God deserves all glory because He alone has designed everything & His Name is ON everything! It’s His Name that adds value to humanity & to the rest of creation! So, when we speak about God’s Glory we define it as, “the essence & beauty of His Spirit.” We’re not referring to His material or aesthetic beauty—like we typically define human beauty—but, to the beauty of His Character—to all that He IS! John Piper defines God’s Glory as, “the manifest beauty of His Holiness.” Holiness points to His absolute “uniqueness.”

-One-Of-A-Kind God!

He is ONE-OF-A-KIND! He is in a totally separate “class” all by Himself! There is no other God like Him! “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor” 1 Chronicles 16:28-29 NLT. God’s Glory is a really big deal to God; and, it’s a big deal in the Holy Scriptures! The GOAL of ALL things is God’s Glory! And, I’m not overstating that one iota! Let’s not forget that there is GOD & there is “everything He created!” That’s it! There is nothing else! And, in the original creation—before SIN—God declared that all of creation was GOOD! Why? Because ALL of creation reflected God’s beauty;  so, it ALL brought Him… GLORY!

-Redirecting All Praise!

In similar fashion we say that an artist’s painting is a reflection of the artist & the artist’s work brings him a certain “glory”! God has blessed humanity with certain creative abilities; but, they’re all SMALL “c—creative” because ALL mankind’s creative abilities were received from the CAPITAL “C—CREATOR” God. So, every “artist”—who is a true disciple of Jesus—will redirect all praise received to CREATOR God! In part, that is one way that we bring God Glory—by redirecting all praise & compliments received to God who created us with those abilities! We acknowledge that whatever TALENT or ABILITY we have is ON LOAN from God! It ultimately belongs to Him! Our greatest preoccupation must be with God’s Glory because that’s our reason & purpose for existence!

-Mandated To Give God Glory!

Here’s an observation from the 1st Chronicles 16 text—“the writer, King David, was inspired by God’s Spirit to offer this MANDATE regarding God’s Glory.”  This is an imperative or a command to “…declare God’s Glory…” v.28.  When David became king, he determined to make worship a priority again in Israel! And, one of his 1st acts was to return the Ark of the Covenant, which had been neglected under King Saul, back to Jerusalem! And, in the process, David preaches this great message that is included as the inspired Word of God. That means it’s AUTHORITATIVE—NOT because David said it; but, because God INSPIRED him to say it! So, “…DECLARE God’s glory,” he says! Don’t just study it and keep it to yourself! We’re commanded to declare it; and, that’s a general statement that means to declare it EVERYWHERE to everyone!

 

How Has Worship Changed You?

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-What Motivates You To Worship?

People are motivated to seek after God for all kinds of different reasons—some good; some bad; some seeking truth; some seeking personal power; some genuine; and, some deceptive! Matthew’s gospel reveals a “seeking after God” that was deceptive—on the part of King Herod! If you’re thinking ahead 3 months to Christmas, you might think of Herod as the “bad guy” in the Christmas story! He was seeking the Christ-child to destroy Him & he was so committed to killing Jesus that he ordered genocide against all the male children, under 2 years, in an attempt to kill Him. His lust for power was insatiable!

-Motivated To Seek After God!

There was another group who were motivated to seek after God; but—in direct contrast to Herod—they were motivated, not by personal gain; but, out of a desire to Worship Him:  “…wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him….It (the star) led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him” Matthew 2:1-12.  When worship, of God, is genuine, the heart & life will be changed! Perhaps nothing contrasts that truth more than Herod & the wise men’s story.

-Genuine Worship Is A Life Changer!

Herod feigned worship in his attempt to kill Jesus; but, he was a fraud! While the worship, of the wise men, was a heart & life changer because it was genuine! Their worship was INTENTIONAL— “…we have come to worship Him…” v.2. Jesus was their sole purpose for coming! They left their homes to search for Him! Their worship also ELEVATED JESUS & lowered SELF—when, “…they saw the child they fell to their knees…” To fall to one’s knees, before another, was the same as saying, “YOU have great dignity & I am lowly by comparison.” Their worship was also EMOTIONAL— “…they were overjoyed beyond measure…” v.10. If they had a gauge affixed to them, to measure emotion, they would have broke it!

-Their Worship Was Sacrificial!

Finally, the text says, “…they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” v.11.  They sacrificed GOLD which was offered to deities in that day—They honored Him as “EMMANUEL”—God With Us! They sacrificed FRANKINCENSE which was used by the priests at the altar—Jesus is our great High Priest who offers Himself & intercedes for us! And, they sacrificed MYRRH, an oil used primarily for embalming the dead—Jesus died for us! None of that is coincidental! God calls us out to worship Him—to “…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice which is your SPIRITUAL WORSHIP…” Romans 12:2. We’re called to worship Him by giving ourselves, to Him, as a living sacrifice!  That’s how worship changes us—we’re NOT our own! 1 Cor. 6:19-20. We give ourselves TO HIM in genuine worship!

 

The Problem With Loving God!

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-What Does It Look Like?

Through the years, I have met many people who claim that they love God; and, I’ve asked them what that looks like! What does it look like to love God? How would you answer that question? In Mark’s gospel, chapter 12, Jesus said:  “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” Mark 12:28-30.  In fact, Jesus says that to love God personally is THE most important command! But, there’s a 2nd point to draw from His words— we’re called “…to love God WITH ALL WE HAVE.”

-Love God With All We Have!

Therein lies the problem with loving God! How can we love God with all we have; and, again, what does that kind of love look like? Four times He uses the word “ALL”; which, literally means “the WHOLE.” In other words, Jesus is saying that genuine love, for God, has to be “ALL IN.” We can’t love Him half-heartedly; or, we’re a liar!  Real love, for God, is comprehensive! It’s all inclusive! There’s no area of our life that can be left out! We love Him with “…our whole heart…” So, our heart is devoted to Him. There’s no pretense! No hypocrisy! We can’t say we love Him & live our life like He doesn’t exist! We don’t ignore those we truly love, do we?

-Get Emotional Over God!

And, then, Jesus says that to love God with ALL we have—or, to be “ALL IN”—is to love Him “…with all your soul…” Our soul is the seat of our emotions! He gave us emotions so we could love Him & worship Him. So, love Him & worship Him deeply! Get emotional over Him! Desire Him! You ought to be concerned if you can get all emotional over an animal; or, a Hallmark Christmas movie; or, a football game; but, you have no emotions for God! Is that kind of love and faith even genuine? Jesus also says that to love God, with all you have, is to love Him “…with all your mind…” So, while we love Him with our emotions, it’s not mindless emotion! We think about Him; and, we submit our thinking to Him! We love Him because we’ve considered Him! We’ve meditated on Him; and, we’ve made a conscious decision to love Him because we really know Him! We know His infinite worth!

-Love God With Your Strength!

Finally, Jesus says to “…love God with all your strength.” That is the BEST we have! We’re to love Him out of our STRENGTH; NOT, our leftovers! This word relates to our physical being. We love Him in our ACTIONS!—with our hands & our feet! If our love for God is genuine we’ll serve Him and others with a passionate energy—with our STRENGTH! As I worked through this passage, I was moved—I believe by His Spirit—to ask myself the question, “Why do I love God?’ And, one Scripture echoed, “We love Him because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19. I am only capable of loving God with ALL I have because He loved me first! I’m a sinful, broken man; and, the only way I can grow to love God “ALL IN” is by His Spirit’s power!

The Most Important Commandment!

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-What Would You Ask God?

Several times, in my lifetime, I’ve found myself in a conversation with someone who made a statement that they intended to ask God about something when they saw Him someday! How about you? If you could ask God any question, what would it be? Well, in Mark’s Gospel, the writer says, that:  “One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?” Of all the 613 commands found in the Torah (Jewish Old Testament) which was THE most important? Wow! That’s a big question! Which command’s at the top of the list? Don’t wanna miss that one!

-The Answer To The Big Question!

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered: “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” Mark 12:28-30.  This is really a timely post as it seems the church, in general, is confused about “worship.” But, Jesus really clears things up, doesn’t He? He’s really saying that we have to love God with ALL of our being—ALL of our “heart” & our “soul” & our “mind” & our “strength.”

-Everyone Claims To Love God!

So, it’s impossible to love God until we know Him! But, we live in a day when everyone claims to love God! That may be a generalization; but, I’m absolutely stunned by the number of times that totally lost, unregenerate people—who have NO IDEA “Who” God is—still tell me they LOVE Him! I can believe them when they say they “love” pizza, for example, because they’ve tasted it! They’ve handled it! I can believe them when they say they “love” hunting because it’s something they’ve done! They take their dog & a friend! So, they’ve experienced it! But, you cannot possibly love God until you KNOW God! Until you’ve met Him & know Him well enough to explain WHY you love Him! Study Jesus’ words! That’s precisely what He’s saying!

-Love God Personally!

Jesus says we must love God PERSONALLY! Notice, from His response to the Scribes question, how Jesus uses 6 “personal” pronouns; and, every one of them is “possessive”—“The Lord OUR God”; “Love the Lord YOUR God”… ”with all YOUR HEART”… ”with all YOUR SOUL”… “with all YOUR MIND”… “with all YOUR STRENGTH.” THE most important commandment, in all of Scripture, is to have a personal, possessive love for God, Jesus says. And, you cannot love someone you don’t know! My wife & I have been married 35 years! But, I confess to you that there were 20 years during which time I did not love her! Not one bit of love did I have for her; and, the reason was that I didn’t know her! I hadn’t met her yet! Once I did, I grew to love her as I came to know her! That’s no different with God! We have to know Him personally before we can claim to love Him! We come to know His character—and, we know Him through Jesus & the Word!

 

Worship Rejects All Competing Loves!

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-It Impacts Your Life Like That!

According to the Apostle Paul’s urging,  to the Church of Rome,  when your worship is genuine it will impact your life, in such a dynamic way, that God will use it to produce perpetual change in you— “…I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual worship…” Romans 12:1.  As we worship God, He is redeeming our lives—as we intentionally present them to Him—to “remake” them into the image for which we were created before sin ruined it all! That’s why Paul wrote the Church of Corinth, “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

-You’re Not Your Own!

Don’t you know, Paul asked, that if you’ve accepted Jesus, as your Savior, that you’re NOT your own! He BOUGHT you—that word carries the idea of “redemption.” He redeemed you! He reclaimed you! He’s in the process of restoring you by sanctification! So, we must intentionally present our bodies to Him as a “living sacrifice” to glorify God with our bodies! But, there’s a 2nd point, that Paul ties to our worship, in the next verse—“Do not be conformed to this age”; or, this “world” as some translations render it! (Romans 12:2) I like how the Philips Translation puts it—“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold…”

-Only 2 World Views!

In other words, “worshiping” God involves an intentional rejection of the world’s demand to conform! There are really only 2 “world views” or philosophies. There is the philosophy of the world that is self-centered, self-pleasing, and self-indulgent! It’s promoted in advertising, books, movies, video games and most social media. It’s constantly pinching us & squeezing us into it’s mold—“If you don’t conform, you’re out of touch,” the world says!  The opposing “world view” submits to Creator God & His word! Paul continues, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Worship transforms & renews your mind!

-Intentional Transformation!

Genuine worship includes an “intentional transformation” of the mind to think like God thinks—those thoughts that are “…good, pleasing, and perfect…” and align with God’s will! What a contrast, Paul presents, between being conformed & pressed into the world’s mold; or, being transformed with a renewed mind—all within the “context” of worship! Worship is way bigger then singing songs to Jesus for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning.  This passage paints a picture, of worship, that’s all about God doing a work in us! As we humble ourselves, in brokenness, before Him; and, intentionally offer our bodies back to Him, He begins to change us in ways that make us more & more usable for His Kingdom’s purposes! He is re-making us to be what we were meant to be; and, His Spirit works with our spirit by transforming our minds!

 

Worship Is Giving Your All!

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-It Changes Us!

When it’s genuine, worship CHANGES us! It seems, to me, that when Paul defines our “spiritual worship” as presenting “…your bodies as a living sacrifice…” that he interprets worship as a personal meeting, with God, that has such a redemptive & sanctifying impact, on us, that it CHANGES us (Romans 12:1-2).  That’s what genuine worship does to us! Worship is not an exchange where we check it off of our spiritual “TO DO” list so God becomes obligated to give us something in return!

-Worship Is A God Encounter!

Worship is nothing short of an encounter with the living, active, covenant-keeping God! It’s seeing how He humbled Himself & came to the planet—that He created—as a vulnerable baby; and, gave His ALL on the cross for us, so that, He might gain our redemption! Worship is being so moved, by His action, that, in brokenness & humility, we seek nothing more in return; but, in the likeness, of our Savior, we give our all back to Him—A LIVING SACRIFICE! We’re undone! All, of life, becomes worship!

-Before The Face Of God!

The Latin phrase, “coram deo”, means “before the face of God”; and, it’s used in the context of our worship because genuine worship is lived out everywhere & anywhere we find ourselves! Whether it’s our work, or leisure, or family time—there is nothing “secular” that is outside “the face of God” or outside His authority or realm! ALL of life is sacred! We cannot compartmentalize any sector, of our life, and claim it as ours; or, as something out of God’s reach! Paul tells the Church of Rome that spiritual worship is an intentional presentation of our bodies to God—”…present your bodies as a living sacrifice…” To what is Paul referring? The most obvious answer is the Old Testament sacrificial system, where, a lamb was slaughtered—in faith—believing that God would pass over the sin of the one sacrificing! But, I think Paul intends for us to go deeper in our meditation on this passage; and, see the Lamb of God who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin! Jesus was the final answer—”…once for all…” God said! “It is finished,” Jesus said. There would be no more dead sacrifices!

-The Mercies Of God!

In these 2 verses, Paul says that it’s because of “…the mercies of God…” that we become “…holy & pleasing to God…” when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” to Him!  Worship has everything to do with our redemption—to “redeem” something means to restore it; or, to reclaim it so it can once again be used as it was intended! When Jesus made atonement, for our sin, on the cross, He “redeemed” us—it means He “reclaimed” us, from the sin that had owned us from Adam’s fall; and, He began a “restoration” process, in us, to make us what He originally meant for us to be! And, He’ll complete that process, on the day of our glorification, when we see Him! Paul seems to infer that “worship” will become our “default setting” when we truly grasp the ALL that Jesus gave for us; and, we’ll want to do nothing less but give our all to Him!

 

Don’t Worship God Empty-Handed

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-Bring An Offering!

So, my last few posts have focused on King David’s communication to Israel, in 1 Chronicles 16, about the proper way to worship God.  It’s never acceptable to worship God according to our own homespun rules! We must worship Him in the way that He demands to be worshiped! One way, that David commanded the congregation to worship God, was with an offering! “Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” v.29.  In other words, do NOT come to worship God empty-handed!

-We’re Not Owners!

Remember that we’re stewards of God’s “stuff.” Nothing, we have, actually belongs to us! We’re not really an owner of anything! We’re managers of a portion of God’s estate! God owns it ALL; and, proper worship includes a return, of a portion of His blessings to us, in the form of an offering! He’s the Creator! He’s created all the wealth, in the universe; and, He lends it to us! So, worship God because He’s the Creator! That’s how David continues his admonition to the people of Israel:  “…the world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord is King!” Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult. Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth” v.30-33.

-All Creation Worships God!

All of creation—the heavens, the earth, the sea & everything in it; the fields and all that is in it; the trees of the forest—ALL creation worships Him! Finally, David concludes with a charge to worship God NOW because it’s what we’ll do for all eternity:  “Give thanks to the Lord, “ he says, “for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: “Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting” v.34. Clearly, it’s a sign that a believer has not spent a lot of time in prayer & the Word when they express a fear that heaven may be boring!

-We Can Only Imagine!

After a billion years, in heaven, we’ll still not know God entirely! No amount of intimacy, with Him, will close the gap in our knowledge & understanding of an eternal, infinite God! I’m certain that I’ll find Him more fascinating than all the Super Bowls and Star Trek reruns I’ve ever watched! Then all the people said “AMEN” & “Praise the Lord” v.36. And, there was great joy as God dwelt with His people as His Glory descended on the Ark of His Covenant with His people! One day, the book of Revelation says, “God will dwell among us”; literally, “He will pitch a tent among us.” Joy flows from worship! If we’re genuine God worshippers, we won’t be able to hide it! It’ll show on our faces! Grumpy Christians just aren’t worshipping God as they should! So, worship God! It’ll change your life! It’ll change everything!

 

Worship God Rightly!

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-Not All Worship Is Truly Worship!

It’s been my experience that many, who claim to be followers of Jesus, do not worship God rightly! I’ve found many who claim to be worshipers; but, their worship fails to resemble what God commands worship to look like in Scripture.  A great example, of Biblical worship, can be found in King David’s Holy Spirit inspired message, to Israel, about proper worship. Just open your Bibles, to 1 Chronicles 16; and, you’ll see what I mean.

-Worship God With Offerings!

Among other things, David commands the congregation to worship God with their “offerings”—“…ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (v.29). Don’t come to worship God empty-handed! Remember that we are “stewards” and “managers” of God’s stuff, not OWNERS! God owns ALL of our stuff! We’ve been given the responsibility to manage a portion of “God’s ESTATE.” God is the owner of it all! And, worship has always included an offering!

-Worship God For His Creation!

David also led Israel to worship God for His creation—“…the world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King!’ Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult. Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth”(v.30-33).  ALL of creation—the HEAVENS, the EARTH, the SEA & everything in it; the FIELDS and all that is in it; the TREES of the forest—ALL worship Yahweh, David says! At Jesus’ triumphal entry, into Jerusalem, when the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His disciples for giving Him honor as Messiah, Jesus told them that “…if they kept silent, the very ROCKS would cry out…”  We are called to worship God for the wonder of His creation AND for the wonder that all creation worships Him!

-Worship God Now!

And, then, David instructs Israel to worship God NOW because they’ll be worshiping God for all eternity—“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: “Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting” (v.34). We don’t know a lot about heaven; but, worship will be part of it!

-Worship Beyond Imagination!

It’s a clear sign that a believer hasn’t spent a lot of time in prayer & the Word—seeking after God—when they express fear that an eternity in heaven may get boring!  After a BILLION years, we’ll still not know our God completely! But, I’m certain I will find Him more fascinating than all the Super Bowls & Star Trek reruns I’ve ever watched! As David finished his sermon, the text says that all the people said “Amen” and “Praise The Lord” (v.36).  And, there was great joy as God dwelt with His people. The disciples also had great joy as God, the Messiah, dwelt with them during his 3 1/2 year ministry leading up to the cross. And, in heaven, Revelation reveals that “God will dwell among us”; and, forever we’ll worship Him!

 

Worshipers Remember God’s Work!

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-Don’t Forget What He’s Done!

Have you ever considered that a proper worship of God includes your “memories”? It’s not proper worship to be disengaged with our minds! King David tells Israel to worship God by remembering all that’s He’s done for them:  “Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced” 1 Chronicles 16:12.  In other words, give testimony to the work that God is doing; and, has done in your life! “Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe” Psalm 107:2. We worship God when we stand, before our church faith community, and testify to the way God is working in our lives! The NIV actually translates Psalm 107:2 like this:  “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story…”

-God’s Working In You!

If you’re truly seeking after God, in your life, He will show you how busy He is in your life! Your life will be intentional and purposeful! You’ll have “stories” to tell of the wonderful ways that God is at work. Notice that David follows that up by telling Israel to worship God by remembering His covenants! I’m thinking we don’t do this enough—at least not in my church! We don’t remember enough & rehearse enough that God is a covenant-keeping God:  “Remember His covenant forever—the promise He ordained for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant” 1 Chronicles 16:14-22.

-Remember The New Covenant!

At the “Last Supper”—on the night that He was betrayed—Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” REMEMBER the New Covenant, He says! Here’s why we can be secure in our salvation—because God has made a covenant to save us when we put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross; and, He keeps us saved & seals us through that covenant confirmed by Jesus’ shed blood! And, then David turns his attention to the nations—”Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples” 1 Chronicles 16:23.  Making disciples, of Christ, is worship!

-We Worship By Making Disciples!

The making of disciples is NOT just a New Testament “thing”!  It was never God’s plan, for Israel, to keep His salvation to themselves! David continues, “…all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens…”; “Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength” 1 Chronicles 16: 26,28. Israel, like the Church, was to be a peculiar people and a priesthood, of believers, to the world! It is the destiny, of future history, that one day, “…every TRIBE, every NATION & every PEOPLE GROUP will be gathered around the throne of God to WORSHIP Him…” Revelation 7:9.   Have you ever considered that it’s an act of worship when we make disciples? It honors Jesus’ commission! REMEMBER THAT!