God is GOD

 Part  2

Revelation 15:3-4

Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee,

For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” NASB

1 Chronicles 29:12 – 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. NASB

A. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone.  – God in His Sovereignty, dispenses as He pleases to all the peoples of the earth. Here the Scriptures says that God is the one who gives riches to the rich, honor to the honorable, and it is because He is the Ruler of all. Here the Scripture explicitly states that God has the power and the might to raise up or exalt someone, or give them strength. Obviously the inverse is true, if God decides to abase someone and make them weak, that is His prerogative. This is in fact resounded in the Scriptures in many places. God rules His creation, including the earth and men and angels by a mighty Providence. God is Sovereign over the prosperity and the poverty of everyone!

1 Samuel 2:7-9 – 7 “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He set the world on them. 9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. NASB

Exodus 4:11 – 11 And the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? NASB

Isaiah 45:7 – 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. NASB

In fact, God is Sovereign over the life and death of every creature. Man’s days are determined by God, He has set the limit and they cannot be exceeded. No one lives unless God decrees it and no one dies unless God decrees it. He is the Author, Giver, and the Sustainer of every living thing. He holds in His hand the lives of His beloved ones and that of His enemies also! Even Satan the father of lies, the destroyer, owes his next breathe to the Almighty!

Job 14:5 – 5 “Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with Thee, And his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass. NASB

Deuteronomy 32:39 – 39’See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. NASB

1 Samuel 2:6 – 6 “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. NASB

Job 12:9-10 – 9 “Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, 10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? NASB

Matthew 10:29-30 – 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. NASB

The Scripture plainly declares that God Sustains and maintains all things which He has created.

Hebrews 1:3 – 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. NASB

Job 34:14-15 – 14 “If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. NASB

Consider how gracious and benevolent God really is. Here He has a planet full of rebels and wicked sinners who profane His name and reject His authority everyday that goes by. Mankind takes His name in vain…..imagine this….they have made the name of God into a curse word! They worship all kinds of vain things and defame the name of God at every turn….they kill and murder their fellow man who have been created in his image and they mistreat and hurt and perform all kinds of immoral and indecent acts against one another to the point of unbridled passion…they steal and rob and covet and curse and maim, and hate, and profane every good thing that He gives so graciously……they spurn His wisdom and His teaching, which He has so patiently given…..they destroy the earth and the sky and trees and the seas……they drug their own children because they are too lazy to discipline them, and they even kill their own little babies because it is an inconvenience to love them and raise them because they cant abstain from their unbridled passion and lust for sex…..they heap abuse upon God’s people who love Him and stone and kill the prophets He sends to them…..and they kill the people of God even though God’s people have come to rescue them from all the folly of their great sins…by telling them how to be saved and reconciled to God…..this is a great irony indeed….!

Consider then, the kindness and patience of God in letting this globe turn even one more time! Indeed God is patient and kind…..beyond our comprehension…..

Therefore dear friends, knowing all these great things about Almighty God, what then should be our response to Him? How now shall we live, seeing that we have a great God who is in Heaven who is Sovereign and Providential over our lives…..look with me again at the text, verse 13…..

1 Chronicles 29:13 – 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. NASB

A. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. – Now here is a proper response to the knowledge of God’s Sovereignty, and of His great Providence and benevolence to us……. It is to acknowledge His greatness and power, and to humbly thank Him for WHO He is and that whatever we have has been given to us by Him. This why we are continually encouraged in the Scripture to be thankful….to honor God and His benevolence by being thankful in hearts….genuinely and gladly thankful for His goodness and His mercy to us…..

In closing let us consider Psalm 100 and its encouragement to us on how we should respond to our great God for all He is and all he has done for us!

Psalm 100:1-5 – 1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing. 3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations. NASB

God is GOD

 Part 1

Revelation 15:3-4

Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee,

For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” NASB

There was a day in the public culture in America that when someone spoke about God there was a general understanding of who or what God is and what the term meant in general. Sad it is……. that day has long since past. For many people in our culture, God does not even exist at all.

But even for those who still believe in  God, to the twenty-first century mind God is little more than an abstraction, an impersonal force, or if a Being at all, One far removed from this world and having little or nothing to do with our daily life.

Man therefore is a God unto himself. He is a “free agent” and therefore the regulator of his own life and circumstances. Such was the Devil’s lie at the beginning – “You shall be as God” (Gen.3:5). And a great lie it is, for man is not a God, and man does not regulate his own affairs apart from the Providence of God.

But this great deception has not just affected the public culture alone, but has had a huge impact on the way that we understand God in the evangelical Church. More than this, because of the great failure on the part of Church leaders in not properly presenting the fundamentals of our faith through clear exposition and teaching from Scripture, the biblical understanding of God is largely obscured if not completely redefined in the minds of many in the church. There has been a huge downgrade of theology and doctrine concerning God and His nature in the American Church in the last two hundred years. This has plunged the American Evangelical Church into a serious state of ignorance and robbed her of the glory of God and the greatest treasure she possesses, God Himself.

Therefore I would like to address once more by way of reminder to us a few basic attributes of God, specifically focused on His Godhood.

AW Pink comments on this topic…..

“The Godhood of God! What is meant by the expression? This: the omnipotency of

God, the absolute sovereignty of God. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that God is God. We affirm that God is something more than an empty title: that God is something more than a mere figure-head: that God is something more than a far-distant Spectator, looking helplessly on at the suffering which sin has wrought. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that He is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” We affirm that God is something more than a disappointed, dis-satisfied, defeated Being, who is filled with benevolent desires but lacking in power to carry them out. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that He is “the Most High.” We affirm that God is something more than One who has endowed man with the power of choice, and because He has done this is therefore unable to compel man to do His bidding. We affirm that God is something more than One who has waged a protracted war with the Devil and has

been worsted. When we speak of the Godhood of God we affirm that He is the Almighty. To speak of the Godhood of God then, is to say that God is on the Throne, on the Throne as a fact and not as a say so; on a Throne that is high above all. To speak of the Godhood of God is to say that the Helm is in His hand, and that He is steering according to His own good pleasure. To speak of the Godhood of God is to say that He is the Potter, that we are the clay, and that out of the clay He shapes one as a vessel to honor and another as a vessel to dishonor according to His own sovereign rights. To speak of the Divine Despot doing “according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him what doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35). Therefore, to speak of the Godhood of God is to give the mighty Creator His rightful place; it is to recognize His exalted majesty; it is to own His universal scepter.”

In order to address this topic I would like for us to turn to a passage in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, where we see some basic theological statements describing God in the prayer of King David. In the context of this passage, the people of Israel have generously responded to God in giving much treasure toward the building of the first temple in Jerusalem, a plan that was first in the heart of King David, but later carried out by God’s decree, by Solomon David’s son. It is in celebration of this fact that David offers up His prayer to God.

Notice with me some of the key aspects of God’s nature here. He is highly exalted and forever blessed or praised. God is Almighty, a being of immense and transcendent power, He is all-powerful or omnipotent. He is Self-Existent, and He is Sovereign and He is Providential…… He is gracious and He is benevolent. God is a Being of infinite proportions and highest Authority and so He is said to be God over “Heaven above and the Earth below.”

Simply stated, God is GOD!

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

An Exposition – God is GOD

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 – 10 So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. NASB

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 – 10 So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

A. David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. –

Notice David “blessed the Lord.” This is to say he lifted up his voice and praised God. He gave God the glory due His name and praised Him “in the sight of all the assembly.” But this is a statement of fact, that is, God is “blessed, forever and ever!” This is to say that God will be forever praised and highly exalted as God. All His creatures will bow the knee and give Him the glory due His name, or they will be banished from His presence forever, a terrible fate indeed. He is the center focus in Heaven for all eternity, and we will forever ENJOY and ever spend the eons of all ages lifting up the high praises of God and celebrating the majesty and beauty of His glorious person. This is the purpose for which we were made, and the reason for which we were called by God and saved from sin; and also, by the way, the most fulfilling enterprise that we as human beings can engage in. Make no mistake, it will be our JOY and PRIVILIGE as it will take the endless ages for us to see and appreciate all of the immense riches of God Almighty through Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Chronicles 29:11 – 11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. NASB

A. 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty – What words can describe the greatness of God and His power? Surely we cannot describe the greatness of God because He is infinite and we are finite. Listen to the verse as it speaks of His greatness……His IS the power and glory and victory and majesty……

God is the source of all power –

Jeremiah 32:17– 17’Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee, NASB

God’s is the glory – this is to say that God is so intense in His perfection and virtue and goodness, that it causes His being to shine forth with a brightness brighter than the sun….and for Him to be famous and renown in all creation….who will NOT glorify God and exalt His majesty?….

Revelation 15:3-4 – Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” NASB

His is the victory…..He will always prevail with victory against His enemies –

Isaiah 42:13 – 13 The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies .  NASB

The dignity of His majesty is the most regal and beautiful, stately and splendid, magnificent  grandeur of all.

Psalms 96:4-9 – For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. NASB

B. indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD – The Scripture plainly declares that God created all things and is the Possessor of everything. Since God is the creator of all things, He also is the rightful owner and proprietor of all things. He possesses everything and therefore has a Sovereign Right or prerogative to do as He pleases.

Deut 10:14 – 14 “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. NASB

Job 41:11 – 11 “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.  NASB

Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. NASB

Psalm 89:11 – 11 The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them. NASB

Here God is pictured as RULER or DESPOT……He is the great KING and the heavens and earth are His dominion….. God rules and does as He pleases with anything and everything that He has made. God is totally free to do whatever He pleases.

Daniel 4:34-35 – For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’ NASB

Psalms 135:5-6 – 5 For I know that the LORD is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. NASB

C. and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. – The Scripture plainly declares that God is the highest authority and that He is the One who establishes all other authority in heaven and earth. This is to say that God is Sovereign or the Supreme Authority…..

Romans 13:1 – 1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. NASB

God is highly exalted above everything that is. Therefore God exalts Himself above us and everything and commands that we worship Him, because it is right and proper to do so.

Exodus 20:2-3 – 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. NASB

Consider how appropriate this is? Would it be right for some other being to occupy God’s great seat of authority? Would it be proper for a creature to somehow be exalted above the One who created it? Indeed this cannot be, otherwise He would not be God. This is why idolatry is the great sin of mankind, as we seek to give improper place to some thing other than God who should properly be exalted in our view as King and Sovereign over us! This is high treason against the greatest majesty that exists!

Who can speak of what a great sin that unbelief in God truly is? Who can describe the folly and shame that this represents? Shall we slap the hand that feeds us? Shall we rail with clinched fist against the One who holds our life’s breathe in His hands? This is why God exalts Himself above us and commands that we worship Him, because it is right and proper, it is in reality the highest good of the creature to worship and praise the creator!

More than this, it is the most loving thing for God to do…..because only when we finally relate to God properly, through our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel, bowing the knee to His authority through repentance and Faith….only then can we live and be saved from death….in fact this is eternal life, John 17:3 “that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent…..you cannot live until you come to God through Christ, and if you never do, you will die and forever abide in death….

In fact God warns us that we must humble ourselves under His mighty hand for He has fixed a day of reckoning for all those who reject His authority…..

Isaiah 2:11-12 – 11 The proud look of man will be abased, And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty, And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. NASB

But not only is God Sovereign, but He is Providential….that is, He exercises providence over all things in order to achieve His own ends….look with me again at verse 12…..

All Things For Good

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good

to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB

And we know – This in fact something we are assured of, it is the promise of God. It shall not fail, for it flows from the mouth of the Almighty God, who cannot lie, and whose power and knowledge are beyond comprehension. Again and again the scripture reassures us of things we have certainty of such as…

1 John 3:14 – 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, NASB

2 Corinthians 5:1 – 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. NASB

We are certain of this truth because it is “according to His purpose” and none can thwart God’s purposes and His plans. This not a wavering matter. The apostle did not say “we think,” or “we hope” but rather “we know.” This according to Paul, we can count on, God works all things for good for His saints!

God causes all things to work together – The Providence of God

Consider with me the weight of this statement…..God causes all things to work together! Here we see the great hand of God working in the midst of all things to make them work together for a purpose, for His purpose. Make no mistake, God is bringing all things of all times and ages, all men and women, all angels and demons, all nations and peoples, every planet and star and whatever can be named to an expected end! God is causing all things to work together! Consider with me for a moment the scripture……

Hebrews 1:1-3 – 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. NASB

Colossians 1:15-17 – 15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —  all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. NASB

Job 34:14-15 – 14 “If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. NASB

Acts 17:24-28 – 24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said,‘ For we also are His offspring.‘ NASB

Ephesians 1:11– In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, NASB

Look closely with me at what the apostle says…….

·      God causes – God is the primary cause behind everything that happens, and He uses the means of secondary causes to accomplish His sovereign will.

·      all things – This is happening with “all things.” Not some things, or most things, but “all things.”

·      to work together – He is working them “together” so that they cooperate to bring to pass His expected end!

God arranges the circumstances of history according to his purpose and plan- God is very diligently governing this creation He has made. It is all coming to pass exactly like He planned it, He will be sure to see that it does. The rain falls on the good and the bad, both peace and calamity come from God. Every authority which is on the earth has been established by God. All the events of human history had the divine approval before one of them ever came to pass. God rules on the Throne in heaven!

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 – 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name NASB

all things to work together for good to those who love God

Do you love God? Is He your treasure and are your affections set on Him! Here is a promise for you! Here is a promise where we can find hope, assurance, comfort, faith, and strength to endure the race! God is working for our good!  This God of Providence, the Almighty is working all things together for our benefit, for our well-being, for our joy, for our eternal hope and blessing! This is to say that no matter what happens(if we love God and are “the called”), whether good things or bad things, joys or sorrows, pleasures or pains, mercies or judgments, God is working them for our ultimate good and well-being! Consider with me some of the things that work for our good……..

·      The worst things – God uses the worst things of life for our benefit.

Ø      The worst things drive us to God where we have all that we need

Ø      Our sorrows work for our good driving us to find comfort and rest in God alone

Ø      Our pains work for our good causing us to look to God to find healing and strength

Ø      God’s judgments and discipline bring about a harvest of righteousness and peace in our lives – They cleanse from our sins

When trial or trouble comes my way, it is God who holds me in the palm of His hand. More than this, we have the promise of eternal life with God in that place where there is no more crying or dying or pain. God our Father is even working everything for our own good having at all times our best interest in His mind. He will care for us, He will shepherd us, he will protect us and love us until we reach our home!

·      The best things – God uses the best things of life for our benefit.

Ø      He fills us with His blessed Holy Spirit, the fruit

Ø      He gives us the treasures of His Word, His promises

Ø      His angels camp roundabout to keep us secure

Ø      We receive His mercies everyday – abundant grace

Ø      We have everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him – He is an all-sufficient resource

Ø      He gives us richly all things to enjoy

Consider further what things God has done to secure our eternal well-being and the surety of His purpose for our good!

·      It is by grace – We have all these benefits by God’s umerited favor. We didn’t earn it, indeed we couldn’t earn it, it was God gracious love that motivated Him to save a people for Himself not according to anything we have done but for His own purpose.

2 Timothy 1:9 – 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, NASB

·      It has been secured by Christ, it will not fail – This favor of God which we now possess is “In Christ” and “because of Christ.” Jesus paid it all, He purchased us which His atoning sacrifice on the cross and satisfied the requirements of God’s righteousness on our behalf. It is finished, it is bought and paid for, it is a done deal, we have been justified once and for all!

Romans 3:21-24 – 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus

·      It is eternal – God is eternally pleased on our behalf in Christ! We shall never die, we have passed from death into life(John 5:24), none can snatch us from His hand(John 10:28), and nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ!

Romans 8:37-39 – 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB

It is abundantly clear from these things that we have a sure hope and certainty of ultimate good which shall shortly be our possession forever. When all of the mighty working of providence is complete, we shall lie down and rest in the eternal kingdom of God and none shall ever harm again for the coming ages of all eternity! We shall be perfectly fulfilled, joyously happy, and completely  satisfied and overflowing with the marvelous blessing of God, world without end!

to those who are called

Dear friends, were you so wise as to look for the Savior that you might find Him and trust Him? Were you so smart that you figured out that God’s salvation in the death of His Son was the hope for your soul? Did you work salvation for yourself by the strength of your arm? Did you possess the light of life in your dark soul by the work of your helpless will? I tell you NO! You were a helpless wandering, aimless sheep, lost on the mountains in the land of Nod til the Savior bright and true called you by name to return to His fold! It was the voice of God which “called you out of darkness” ( 1Pet 2:10) and “brought you to Himself.” (Ex 19:4, John 6:44) It was His divine choice which decided to set His love upon you and “set your destiny beforehand” (Rom 8:29-30)  by His own purpose and grace.

Romans 8:28-30 – 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. NASB

This calling which you have received had its origin in the heart and mind of God, long ages before the world was ever created.

Ephesians 1:4-6 – 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. NASB

Make no mistake about it, He called and you came by a power which was not your own. Indeed you could not even see the Kingdom of God until your were born again by the regenerating power of God’s Holy Spirit. You may not understand it yet, but let me make this suggestion…..you should spend your days thanking and glorifying Him for His electing grace rather spending your days arguing with Him about His rights to do it! What wonderous love is this that would call us His people who are not His people? Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Father , Son and Holy Ghost!

according to His purpose

Here is the divine plan behind all of the mysterious providence of all of the ages of God’s boundless creation, it is all according to the purposes of God.

Lamentations 3:37-38 – 37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? NASB

God has a plan! God has a purpose and He will surely do it!

Isaiah 46:9-11 – 9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure‘; 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. NASB

Yes He will! He has a plan for our well-being, a plan for our good! God is working for our good saints, and we have a sure hope which is unchanging, immovable and will come to pass in due time!

Notice with me…….

·      His plan is for our good!

Jeremiah 29:11-14 – 11‘For I know the plans that I have for you,‘ declares the LORD,‘ plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13‘And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14‘And I will be found by you,‘ declares the LORD,‘ NASB

·      He is pleased to do it!

Luke 12:31-32 – 31 “But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock , for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. NASB

·      He is uses all things to bring it to pass!

Romans 8:28 – And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB

Practical helps we can find here!

·      We can trust in and rely upon God! – Psalm 9:10

·      Be thankful for every circumstance! In good times and in bad! 1 Thes 5:18

Christian Love in the Church – Part 3

1 John 3:18

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue,

but in deed and truth. NASB

Colossians 3:13 – 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. NASB

A. bearing with one another – Here explains the patience he mentioned in the verse before, that is, suffering long with each other…“bearing with one another”…..enduring each others failings, and even their injuries toward us..we are not to be easily provoked with others, but rather willing to bear others burdens and weaknesses….many times these may be things that annoy us or irritate us, but we are to patiently bear with these……

B. and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you – And when we have been offended, or irritated or provoked by a brother or sister, we must forgive…“forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” …..forgive, you must forgive…

Mark 11:25-26 – 25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.  26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” NASB

Christians must forgive…..this is our way of life…this is Christ’s way of life…our entire union with Christ is based in the forgiveness of our own sins….this is how we became Christians, we were forgiven….and this is the primary thing that distinguishes us from the unbeliever….we have been forgiven…..therefore we must be willing to forgive, and to love and to heal. We must not hold the sword of vengance but rather the healing salve of forgivness.

Colossians 3:14 – 14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. NASB

A. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity – Here he writes, “beyond all these things”….if putting “on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness, and patience” isn’t enough…or bearing with one another and forgiving one another were not enough added….here he tells us “beyond all these things”……“put on love” ….Here is the crown that rests on the head of all other Christian virtues, it is Love….This is the substance of Christianity! This is the great and foremost commandment! This is the purpose for which we were made, to put on love….

1 John 4:16 – 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love , and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. NASB

Are you in Christ….then your life is to be characterized by love….

Here Paul writes that love is….. “the perfect bond of unity”….love is the “perfect bond,” it is the glue that holds us together….love for our brethren holds our hearts together in the inner man, where there is a sweetness of charity toward our brothers, and a longing to see them blessed and benefitted…..to see them propsered and healed, cared for and lacking nothing….love is “perfect” to motivate our hearts for our brother’s good and brings us together as one….it is the “bond of unity”….love for our brothers and sisters the harmony that holds our hearts and lives together as one…it is “the perfect bond of unity”…though we may have many other Christian virtues, if we have not love, these lack the completeness and the harmony that is motivated by love….love must be the reigning principle in all our virtues…

And when we love, we strengthen the quality of all the others virtues…listen, if you love, you can be compassionate, and kind….if you love, you can be humble and gentle….if you love, you can be patient and bear with even the most difficult people… if you love dear Christian….you can even forgive……and then we are truly Christ’s disciples….when we abide in love…..

Colossians 3:15 – 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. NASB

A. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts – Here see the Prince of Peace in His rightful place, “ruling in your hearts”…..Let PEACE RULE….this is profound….let PEACE preside in your “hearts,” sit as King there, govern and control you…..dear Christian, does the peace of Christ RULE your life? Why should you live in the tumult and tossing of the sea…why should you live in conlict and strife with your brethren? “let the peace of Christ rule in your HEART” ….let it rule in the inner place, we no one sees but you and God, let your thoughts and intentions in your “heart” be ruled by Christ’s peace…. When a man loses his peace, it is an awful proof that he has lost something else; that he has given way to evil, and grieved the Spirit of God. While peace rules, all is safe… Let harmony and calmness season your thoughts toward your brothers and sisters…

B. to which indeed you were called in one body – Family, This peace, Paul says, is that “to which we were called”…. He “called us” to peace…. “in one body”….we were called to peace and harmony with our brethren, let us therefore let peace rule and reign among us…. we were “called” by God to peace…to King Jesus, the Prince of Peace….we will answer the call and lay down our swords?….why should we fret?….do we not have eternal life?….are we not loved by God?….will He not see us through til the end, when we will lie down and rest in His peace forever??…Rest your soul now in the promise of God….we will lie down in peace…. (Hos 2:18)

C. and be thankful – “And be thankful” …..that is, to be appreciative of the benefits we have received from God….to be grateful, to have gratitude in our hearts….to realize that even though we deserved death, and rightfully so, Christ has of His free Grace given us life……even though we offended Him, and blasphemed His name by our countless sins, and even though we provoked Him to anger 10,000 times by our rebel thoughts, words and deeds….He has repaid us with kindness and mercy and love…. Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?……family, let us rejoice with thanksgiving for the grace of our God!

Christian Love in the Church – Part 2

1 John 3:18

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue,

but in deed and truth. NASB

Colossians 3:13 – 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. NASB

A. bearing with one another – Here explains the patience he mentioned in the verse before, that is, suffering long with each other…“bearing with one another”…..enduring each others failings, and even their injuries toward us..we are not to be easily provoked with others, but rather willing to bear others burdens and weaknesses….many times these may be things that annoy us or irritate us, but we are to patiently bear with these……

B. and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you – And when we have been offended, or irritated or provoked by a brother or sister, we must forgive…“forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” …..forgive, you must forgive…

Mark 11:25-26 – 25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.  26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” NASB

Christians must forgive…..this is our way of life…this is Christ’s way of life…our entire union with Christ is based in the forgiveness of our own sins….this is how we became Christians, we were forgiven….and this is the primary thing that distinguishes us from the unbeliever….we have been forgiven…..therefore we must be willing to forgive, and to love and to heal. We must not hold the sword of vengance but rather the healing salve of forgivness.

Colossians 3:14 – 14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. NASB

A. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity – Here he writes, “beyond all these things”….if putting “on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness, and patience” isn’t enough…or bearing with one another and forgiving one another were not enough added….here he tells us “beyond all these things”……“put on love” ….Here is the crown that rests on the head of all other Christian virtues, it is Love….This is the substance of Christianity! This is the great and foremost commandment! This is the purpose for which we were made, to put on love….

1 John 4:16 – 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love , and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. NASB

Are you in Christ….then your life is to be characterized by love….

Here Paul writes that love is….. “the perfect bond of unity”….love is the “perfect bond,” it is the glue that holds us together….love for our brethren holds our hearts together in the inner man, where there is a sweetness of charity toward our brothers, and a longing to see them blessed and benefitted…..to see them propsered and healed, cared for and lacking nothing….love is “perfect” to motivate our hearts for our brother’s good and brings us together as one….it is the “bond of unity”….love for our brothers and sisters the harmony that holds our hearts and lives together as one…it is “the perfect bond of unity”…though we may have many other Christian virtues, if we have not love, these lack the completeness and the harmony that is motivated by love….love must be the reigning principle in all our virtues…

And when we love, we strengthen the quality of all the others virtues…listen, if you love, you can be compassionate, and kind….if you love, you can be humble and gentle….if you love, you can be patient and bear with even the most difficult people… if you love dear Christian….you can even forgive……and then we are truly Christ’s disciples….when we abide in love…..

Colossians 3:15 – 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. NASB

A. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts – Here see the Prince of Peace in His rightful place, “ruling in your hearts”…..Let PEACE RULE….this is profound….let PEACE preside in your “hearts,” sit as King there, govern and control you…..dear Christian, does the peace of Christ RULE your life? Why should you live in the tumult and tossing of the sea…why should you live in conlict and strife with your brethren? “let the peace of Christ rule in your HEART” ….let it rule in the inner place, we no one sees but you and God, let your thoughts and intentions in your “heart” be ruled by Christ’s peace…. When a man loses his peace, it is an awful proof that he has lost something else; that he has given way to evil, and grieved the Spirit of God. While peace rules, all is safe… Let harmony and calmness season your thoughts toward your brothers and sisters…

B. to which indeed you were called in one body – Family, This peace, Paul says, is that “to which we were called”…. He “called us” to peace…. “in one body”….we were called to peace and harmony with our brethren, let us therefore let peace rule and reign among us…. we were “called” by God to peace…to King Jesus, the Prince of Peace….we will answer the call and lay down our swords?….why should we fret?….do we not have eternal life?….are we not loved by God?….will He not see us through til the end, when we will lie down and rest in His peace forever??…Rest your soul now in the promise of God….we will lie down in peace…. (Hos 2:18)

C. and be thankful – “And be thankful” …..that is, to be appreciative of the benefits we have received from God….to be grateful, to have gratitude in our hearts….to realize that even though we deserved death, and rightfully so, Christ has of His free Grace given us life……even though we offended Him, and blasphemed His name by our countless sins, and even though we provoked Him to anger 10,000 times by our rebel thoughts, words and deeds….He has repaid us with kindness and mercy and love…. Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?……family, let us rejoice with thanksgiving for the grace of our God!

Christian Love in the Church – Part 1

1 John 3:18

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue,

but in deed and truth. NASB

Believing the Gospel and being saved from sin and death, reconciled to God and to His Son is the most wonderful blessing from God that we could receive. It is a marvelous privilege to have our sins forgiven and to now have a loving relationship restored between us and God. The Christian life is filled with the amazing blessings of joy and peace, and our life takes on new meaning and purpose as we surrender our life to Christ Jesus the King.

This also comes with the amazing benefit of the Fathers love, becoming a child of God and being adopted into His family, the church. As John writes,

1 John 3:1 – See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. NASB

Along with this blessing of being in God’s family, also comes the responsibility to treat one another with love and respect. We are to treat the members of God’s family with the same love that He has loved us with and walk after Him and follow His example of love and care for each other just as He commanded us.

John 13:34-35 – 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NASB

In order to examine this responsibility of love to one another more closely, lets look at the passage in Colossians 3:12-17.

Colossians 3:12 – 12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; NASB

A. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved – Here the Apostle reminds them of their election by God and of the Love of God which was upon them from the beginning….that they are “chosen of God”…..it is no small thing that they would be “chosen of God,” …..this speaks of their divine election, the decision in the heart and mind of God to save these Colossians from before the creation of the time….. Paul writes in many places of this election….consider…

Ephesians 1:4-6 – 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. NASB

2 Thessalonians 2:13 – 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. NASB

See here the free grace of God expressed to a helpless people, a people who had earned God’s wrath, but instead received His mercy…..and therefore they have become His “holy and beloved” saints! Paul speaks here that they are both “holy” and also “beloved”…. First that they are “holy,” that is set apart by God to be His special people, the Greek word here is hagios which means sacred or morally pure, consecrated or cleansed for special use, and is also used for the English NT word saint. Moreover he describes them as “beloved,” that is they are dearly loved by God. Notice here God’s disposition toward His church, He “dearly loves” them. And because He has decided to love them, He has “chosen” them and set them apart from all other people in the world for His own purpose, to be His own people, His saints, His holy ones,

Titus 2:14 – who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. NASB

And so Christ’s people in His church are His “chosen, holy and dearly loved” people! Amazing,…. wonderful,…. marvelous! It is for this reason that we have a great responsibility to one another in the church and are to treat the other people in the church around us with the utmost love and respect. Therefore Paul will now describe how we are to treat one another.

B. put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience – He says, “put on a heart”…notice here he gets right to point. If you are going to love and respect your family in Christ, you must do it FIRST in your heart, that is, it must be sincere and genuine(Rom 12:9).….make sure it lives in your heart, in your longings and affections, in the deepest part of your being…..And what should live there…. “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”….Ah Hah! Now this is how a Christian is to live….and this is how a Christian is to love….especially other Christians…in fact it is by this love for other Christians that we know we are really Christ’s disciples….

1 John 3:14-18 – 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. NASB

Here in Colossians 3:12, Paul describes what this Christian love looks like practically in our life….it is, “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”…. Here is how we treat one another in the church….

In Compassion…..are you concerned about others?….we are to be moved in our inner self with concern for others….to be considerate and loving toward others in our hearts, with a godly longing and affection….and to put this concern to action and do something about it….and compassion in our hearts moves us to mercy and kindness with our hands….

In Kindness….we are to be kind to others, to express benevolence and goodwill to people…with real action….in good deeds and kind words…we are to devise ways to bless our church family, not to ignore or to harm them…we must help them when they are in need and we speak to them with words that encourage and benefit them.….we should be a blessing to others, not a curse…we should serve them in love, with mercy in our hearts….

Humility…..we are to humble ourselves before others…we are to lower ourselves before others, to make ourselves of no account and others of much account…. to consider others as more important than  ourselves….as Paul writes in Philippians….

Philippians 2:3-5 – 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, NASB

Humility is the chief characteristic of godliness in the Christian Life…..it is the wellspring of all other virtue….Humility is the opposite of pride…..we must forsake our pride if we are to love other people….we are not to be puffed up and conceited toward others, considering them of less account than ourselves, but rather to regard them as higher than us, to make ourselves low, and to do this with sincerity in our hearts….pride is the chief enemy of our souls and humility is the medicine which kills pride…..May God help us to humble ourselves before Him and before our church family…..

Gentleness and Patience …. “Gentleness” is that quality of character whereby we have restraint and temperance in our attitude….it is to have self control over our emotions, in a meek and mild way….and this we cannot do with out “patience,” that good fruit of the Spirit that allows us to bear with others and to suffer long toward them without complaint….to suffer without complaint… we are to be gentle and patient toward God’s people, with meekness and temperance, with kindness and compassion in our heart…we are to treat them as soft and  gentle lambs, not as roaring and fierce lions…Christians are to be gentle and patient people, especially toward our brother or sister, for whom Christ died….

Are you having problems in your marriage?…..problems in your family relationships?….problems getting along with people in the church?…Hear the Word of the Lord….. “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness, and patience”…….

From my January 2009 Sermon at HCF ABQ……

A High View of God – Part 2

Psalm 95:3-6

3 For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. NASB

Acts 17:26-27 – 26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, – This is to say that God is the One who created all the nations with a very definite intended purpose. He is the One who confounded the language at Babel and dispersed the nations to the four corners of the earth.

having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, – God is the One who raises nations up and tears them down. He “appoints the times” of their prosperity and the times of their demise. He determines how much land they will posses and where there dominion shall stretch….“the boundaries of their habitation”….

27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; – Why did God make mankind to live upon the earth and establish their times and boundaries? That “they should seek Him”….”that they might grope for Him and find Him”…learn here the great ignorance, foolishness and unrighteousness of the nations of mankind…when they ought to contemplate his wisdom and all His works, and thus come to a knowledge of his existence and character…..each one having the opportunity to come to know Him…..instead have gone after all other gods and rejected the true and living God….

9. Romans 1:20-22 – 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. NASB

In contrast then, to fallen mankind, it is imperative for us who would “follow Jesus” to pursue Him and lay hold of Him….This then we state as a Core Value for Christian people…..To know God and to love Him is the all-consuming passion of our lives. There will be no rivals in God’s kingdom for His esteem and devotion. This is why Jesus states in Matt 22:36 that the great and foremost commandment is, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This means that we are to love God with everything that is within us. It means we are to devote to Him everything we own and every part of our life.

·      with all your heart – this speaks of our emotions, our inner being is to be wholly devoted to God with strong affection

·      with all your soul – This means, to love God more than our life, to be willing to give up your life to him, and to devote it all to his service; to live for him in all we do, and to be willing to die at his command.

·      with all your mind –  We are to love God with our intellect, with all the powers of our mind, bringing our memory, thought, imagination, reason,judgment, and all our mental powers, as willing subjects to bow at God’s feet in adoration and love. To love His Word and His Gospel more than we do the vain thoughts of our own minds, the entertainment, comedy and communications of the world, and to give firstfruits of our time unto the meditation and worship of God.

·      with all your strength –  with all the faculties of soul and body. To labor and toil for his glory, and to make that the great object of ALL our efforts.

Therefore if we value God because He is supremely valuable, then we must love Him with a wholehearted devotion which manifests the true love that we do have for Him. Good Christian, can we look at your life and see the evidence of your love for God? Or is something in your life competing with Him for your love and devotion? Only when we come to love God with our whole being will we be truly satisfied. Only then will we be content and fulfilled! This is the purpose for which we were made.

10. Deuteronomy 10:12-14 – 12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? NASB

Acts 17:28-29 – 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ 29 “Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.  – God is the Father of all Creation. He is the Sustainer of all of Life! He is the one who gives us life and breath and all things! He has made us to glorify and enjoy Him, to know Him and to love Him….for we “are His offspring”…. We were created in His image so that we could experience His excellency as God, and enjoy His eternal goodness and mercy!

And so we seek to constantly build up the Church by preaching and teaching relentlessly about who God is and what He is like….so we would have a Core Value like this ……The continual proclamation of His character and nature is a fundamental element in our worship.

As we have discussed, we have a very high view of God. Therefore it only follows naturally that we must learn of Him. Because God is incomprehensible in so many ways, it is a constant endeavor to learn of all the glorious attributes of God. God is glorious. His glory consists in the overwhelming and overflowing beauty which stems from the sum total of all His attributes working together in perfect harmony. God is perfect in His holiness, justice, wisdom, power, grace, mercy, and love. God is so magnificent, so awesome, so wonderfully mysterious that it will take us many ages and ages to experience the glory of His riches. His resources and His attributes are inexhaustibly vast.

Ephesians 2:7 – 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. NASB

As we have seen, this is our great duty, it is to know and to love and to worship God. Therefore we press on into a greater knowledge and understanding of His being, His character and His nature, we seek to know who God is and what He is like. As this knowledge becomes more and more clear to us, we then have a further understanding of His purposes and ways, and gain deeper insight into who we are, why we exist, and how we can glorify God. Clear knowledge of God from the Bible is the kindling that sustains the fires of affection for God. It causes us to be raptured away into the glory of God and His wonderful being and to worship Him. God’s greatness can hardly be comprehended but we are told again and again in scripture to tell of His wonderful greatness to the generations after us.

11. Psalms 145:1-5 – I will extol Thee, my God, O King; And I will bless Thy name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless Thee, And I will praise Thy name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Thy works to another, And shall declare Thy mighty acts.  5 On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, And on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate.  NASB

To make God the center of our preaching and our corporate worship is to say that we are “God- centered.” This of course would be in contrast to being “man-centered” which would be humanism….and to worship the creature rather than the Creator….. 

Acts 17:30-31 – 30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” – Here the Gospel call of repentance is announced and the fearful Day of the Judgment of God through Jesus Christ is proclaimed. In times past God has overlooked the foolishness and ignorance of the nations in rejecting the knowledge of Himself….but no longer….now He has come and manifested Himself through our Lord Jesus, and made His person, His ways, and His purposes crystal clear for all to see. Moreover, He has commanded repentance and warned that He is coming in judgment and given a refuge through the Cross for all to come and be forgiven, washed and made worthy to stand in His presence. God is now “summing up all things in Christ” and bringing the History of the world to a climactic end as He destroy evil, death and hell forever…and creates a new heavens and a new earth, in which His people will lie down in peace forever and ever, world with out end….

And so the Great God of Heaven and Earth is to be worshipped….so we would express this as a Core Value for all Christian people….In fact this is the definition of worship, to ascribe worth to God and to see, comprehend, experience and exalt the glory of God – To worship is to “ascribe worth to something.” It is to honor OR lift up and exalt something above ourselves and to savor and cherish its nature and virtues. Since God is the paragon of all virtue, then to “see and comprehend” His virtue is to ascribe worth to the MOST WORTHY things. Because God is the most worthy and highest, the most transcendent and glorious of all, then the truest and highest form of worship is to ascribe greatness and glory to God.

Psalms 96:4-6 – 4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. NASB

Consider then the “experience” of the glory of God in worship. When we are able to comprehend the glory of God by understanding the great truths about His person and nature, and delight in Him, then we are able to experience the wonder of His mysterious and incomprehensible nature. As the Spirit of God brings illumination to the Word of God, bringing understanding to the God’s character and nature, His ways and means, and the purposes of God, we experience the “unveiling” or “revelation” of God and “partake in the divine nature.”

2 Peter 1:2-4 – 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. NASB

One great benefit of true worship is the transforming process it carries out upon us. As we ascribe worth to God and we value and truly treasure His attributes, we become like Him. We become like what we value and worship. Because these are the things that we value, if we truly value them in our hearts, then our sincere desire to possess these values will motivate us to treasure and cherish them and this will transform us into His image as the Scripture clearly teaches…..

12. 2 Corinthians 3:18 – 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. NASB

Conclusion: Therefore, on the basis of the fact that God is the highest and most worthy of all, and that the truest form of worship is to see and comprehend and delight in His person and truth, we seek to always “exalt Him” or “lift Him up.” We seek to have a “High View of God.”……