We are in a series called Glory Revealed. Worship is to glorify God. We were made to worship, and everyone worships something. Not all worship is of God. That is why the first of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” God is the One and Only! He expects, and is worthy of, our loyalty. There is room for only ONE God. Idol worship seems so primitive and third world, but every day we have idols and false gods that compete for the throne of our heart. We do our bowing and serving to our bank accounts, credit cards, smart phones, search engines, calendars, and computers. Every sin that we struggle with comes back to idolatry. If we don’t humble ourselves before God, He will gladly do it for us (i.e., Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, etc.). Whether you spend eternity in heaven or hell depends on who you worship. Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the LORD. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Here are three reminders about worship:
His Name Alone
In Exodus 33 we read, “Then Moses said, ‘Please, let me see your glory.’ He said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the LORD’ before you” (v. 18-19). When God declares His name, He declares His glory. What light is to the sun, what water is to wet, what blue is to the sky, glory is to God. We do not add anything to God when we give God glory, but He is blessed by it. Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” It is not about the name of a church or a pastor or a person, it is about the name of Jesus. “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness” (Ps 29:2).
His Praise Alone
Psalm 66:2 says, “Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.” I grew up singing hymns about God. They were instructional. They teach great biblical truths. I want the kids in our church to know these great hymns of the faith. If God is present, should we not also be singing to Him and not just about Him? The Psalmist said “sing to the Lord” in Psalm 9, 27, 30, 57, 68, 89, 96, 104, 147, and 149. In Ephesians 5:19, Paul said to make music with your heart “to the Lord.” Praise is horizonal. Examples are found in Psalm 34 when we read, “Let us exalt his name together” and in Ephesians 5 when Paul says, “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs….” Worship is vertical. The Bible is specific on how we worship and give glory to God. It talks about using our mouth, voice, eyes, head, hands, legs, and feet. Psalm 8:1-2 says, “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” God inhabits praise and it drives the enemy away! God is seeking worshipers that will worship Him in spirit and in truth, with heart and head (Jn. 4:23-24).
His Cross Alone
Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). God’s plan from beginning to end was for us to be adopted through Jesus to the praise of His glory and grace (Eph. 1:4-6). Grace was not an afterthought. God makes no “uh oh.” Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God? All the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to the once and for all sacrifice for sin. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” We give God our highest praise we trust him, believe, and live to the praise of His glory.
The Bible was written so we would know God. In the beginning, God. In the end, God. Jesus came and lived a perfect life that you cannot live and died for your sins so that you might have a relationship with the One who made you and died to redeem you. Do you know Him? The invitation is to Come adore Him, Christ the Lord. For He alone is Worthy!
