“Glorifying God” is our purpose in life. It is what we live for! We were made to WORSHIP! Everything we do – all of our thoughts, words, and actions can become acts of worship when we live to GLORIFY THE LORD!
EVERLASTING GOSPEL
Revelation 14:6-7 – I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “FEAR GOD and GIVE GLORY TO HIM, for the hour of His judgment has come; and WORSHIP HIM who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
Special note:
- Fear God!
- Give glory to Him (for the hour of His judgment is come)!
- And WORSHIP HIM that made heaven and earth, and the fountain of waters!
Revelation 5:9-10 – “YOU ARE WORTHY to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,10 And have made us kingsand priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
CONTEXT TO THAT NEW SONG
Revelation 5:2-8 – I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “WHO IS WORTHY to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
the new song
Revelation 5:9 – And they sang A NEW SONG, saying: And they sang A NEW SONG, saying: “YOU ARE WORTHY to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,10 And have made us kingsand priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
MULTITUDES WORSHIPING JESUS
Revelation 5:11-13 – Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”3 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: 12 saying with a loud voice: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”3 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
JESUS IS OUR CREATOR
Revelation 4:11 – “YOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD, To receive glory and honor and power; for You CREATED all things, and by Your will they exist and were CREATED.”
Psalm 95:6 – Come, let us WORSHIP and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our MAKER…
Isaiah 43:7 – “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have MADE them for MY GLORY. It was I who CREATED them.”
Psalm 100:2-4 – Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.3 Know that the Lord, He 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 into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
ISAIAH 25:1 – Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
WORSHIP GOD
Revelation 22:9 – “…WORSHIP GOD!” (The True and Living God!)
We thank, praise, and worship God for who He is!
JESUS IS WORTHY OF PRAISE
2 Samuel 22:4 / Psalm 18:3 – I will call upon the Lord, who IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Special note: Remember Jehoshaphat’s singer’s/praiser’s (2 Chronicles 20)? According to the prophetic Word of the Lord given, they were sent in front of the army to sing and praise the Lord “for His mercy endures forever! The Lord fought for them, and they experienced a mighty victory over their enemies.
Whatever spiritual battles you may be facing right now, remember to faithfully praise the Lord in the midst of it, and the Lord can and will give you the victory (I Corinthians 15:57).
Psalm 145:3 – Great is the Lord and MOST WORTHY of praise; his greatness no one can fathom (understand).
WORSHIP IN THE FEAR OF GOD
Psalm 5:7 – But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; IN FEAR OF YOU I WILL WORSHIP toward Your holy temple.
WORSHIP THE LORD GOD – AND HIM ONLY
Exodus 34:14 – (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), …
Matthew 4:10 – …it is written, ‘You shall WORSHIP the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
SATAN’S TEMPTATION
Matthew 4:9,10 – And he (the devil) said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, and Him only you shall serve.’
God is looking for WORSHIPERS – not just worship!
I Peter 2:5,9 – …you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;…
John 4:23-24 – …the hour is coming, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPERS will WORSHIP the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
LOVING JESUS WITH OUR WHOLE HEART
Psalm 9:1;138:1 – I will praise You with my whole heart…
Psalm 111:1 – Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Psalm 119:2,10 – Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!… With my whole heart I have sought you…
Our whole life-style should be that of worship – to glorify the Lord. We willingly, cheerfully, and joyfully offer sacrificial praise and worship – sharing; with our bodies; our service; our substance; etc… We Magnify Him together (Psalm 34:3). We WORSHIP IN THE FEAR OF GOD!
Psalm 63:3-4 – Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 103:1 – Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
David was a passionate, whole-hearted worshiper!
2 Samuel 6:14 – Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; …
HALF-HEARTED WORSHIP IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
Revelation 3:14-16 – …‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (JESUS)
WE BECOME LIKE WHO WE WORSHIP
THE IMAGE OF GOD
Let’s be changed into Jesus image – we are created to be like Him!
Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in HIS OWN IMAGE; in the IMAGE OF GOD He created him; male and female He created them.
Romans 8:29 – …whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the IMAGE OF HIS SON, …
Special note: When we worship Jesus, we are changed, and transformed into His image. The beauty of Jesus is displayed in our lives as well.
2 Corinthians 3:18 – …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 by the Spirit of the Lord.
IDOLS
Psalm 115:4-8 – Their IDOLS are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are LIKE THEM; so is everyone who trusts in them.
Special note: Reportedly, heathen idolators gathering to worship their idols soon display similar characteristics. For instance, if the idols have gross, ugly looks on their faces, with their tongue sticking out – the idol worshipers start manifesting those same kind of visual expressions…
A number of years ago I assisted some of the members in our fellowship in destroying a big idol at their house. Recently, when I went there for a birthday party, this is what I saw in their yard. In the shrine that once displayed an idol, they now have a Scripture verse! (see below). The shrine has now become a frame for a new message, and witness! Glory to God!
OMBU TREE STORY (Argentina)
(The following story is told by Dick Eastman – Director of Every Home For Christ (EHFC) in his book, “Heights of Delight”). (1)
Before sharing the story, let’s take a quick look at the Ombu tree of Argentina…
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE OMBU TREE
The Ombu tree of Argentina has an umbrella-shaped canopy, and is also called “Umbrella Tree”. It grows to be a huge tree – as high as 40 to 60 ft; and 40-50 feet wide. It is designed for storage of water. The trunk and branches contain 80% water (it is resistant to fire). It is classified as one of the toughest trees in the world – it can survive insect attacks; storms; hurricanes, and wild-fires.
Here’s a few pictures of the gigantic, historic Ombu tree of Argentina…
CASEROS, ARGENTINA
A team of worshiping intercessors prayer-walked through neighborhoods of their city, Caseros, in Argentina – declaring God’s praises over the homes, and praying for them. The teams presented the gospel in their language, and gave out invitations to watch a presentation of the Jesus film in their language.
After door-to-door evangelism was completed, the Jesus Film was shown in the public square. Ø The large screen was set up beneath a huge 200 year-old ombu tree (a treasured historic site in their community). At the conclusion of the Jesus film, over 100 people prayed to receive the Lord.
Caseros had a strong presence of Satanic cults. (Reportedly, for every evangelical church there was 5 or 6 satanic worship centers.) Showing the Jesus film under the huge ombu tree was significant because for a long time this had been the site of area-wide satanic worship gathering every week. They would bring sacrifices to Satan there. Sharing and proclaiming the gospel in this particular place brought spiritual confrontation, which became apparent in the days immediately following the film showing.
Several days later, without apparently any plausible (reasonable) explanation, the 200-year old ombu tree mysteriously “exploded” and split in half, falling to the ground. The noise was heard many blocks away. It was obvious that the tree had fallen as a result of spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness…!
Our God is an AWESOME GOD! He is much MORE POWERFUL than our enemy, the devil! Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world! (I John 4:4)
(There’s more to this amazing story, to be continued next post – “True Worship – 2B”) …
Jesus is Worthy of our Worship – Let’s LIVE LIVES THAT ARE WORTHY OF JESUs, too!
Ephesians 4:1 – I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to WALK WORTHY of the calling with which you were called…
I Thessalonians 2:12 – …that you would WALK WORTHY of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
Colossians 1:10 – …that you may WALK WORTHY of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;…
Special note: We should live in a way that is WORTHY of our calling. 3 ways that we can do that —
- Fully pleasing Him!
- Being Fruitful in every good work! (Jesus said, “our Father is glorified when we bear MUCH FRUIT!” John 15:8)
- Increasing in the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! (Knowledge is one of the key Christian virtues mentioned in 2 Peter 1)
2 Peter 1:5-8 – giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 17:3 – …this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Paul’s good example:
Philippians 3:7-10 – …what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…
TRUE WORSHIP
Romans 12:1 – And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly THE WAY TO WORSHIP HIM.
HOW?
WORSHIPING… Whole-heartedly; Humbly; With Holiness; With True Love; With Thankfulness; With Praise; By our Life-style & Conduct; Through Good Works; In a way that is Pleasing to the Lord; by Demonstrating Faith; Being ready for Jesus return; through Obedience –Doing the will of God…
What are some of the ways WE can GLORIFY GOD?
Praise Him with our lips – Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 51:15; 63:3,5; 119:171. Obey His Words – Psalm 50:23; I Samuel 15:22; John 14:15, 21, 23; Isaiah 1:19; Hebrews 5:9; I Peter 1:22. Pray in Jesus name – John 20:31; . Produce spiritual fruit – John 15:8; Romans 1;13. Demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit – Colossians 1:10; Galatians 5:22-23. Give generously, and be faithful with our tithes and offerings – 2 Corinthians 9:13; Malachi 3:1. Live honorably among unbelievers – I Peter 2:12; Matthew 5:16. Be faithful even when persecuted – I Peter 4:16.
I Corinthians 10:31 – …So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it ALL for theGLORY OF GOD.
Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS (praise) to God the Father through Him.
TRUE WORSHIP
WORSHIP is not just on Sunday, but happens every day and all the time in all of life.
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
John 4:23-24 – TRUE WORSHIPERS will WORSHIP the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to WORSHIP Him. …those who WORSHIP Him MUST WORSHIP in spirit and truth.”
Real worship is more than singing songs, real worship involves what Paul said to the Romans – “your body as a living sacrifice.”
Romans 12:1-2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.
True worship shows God He is of the highest value in our life, worthy of praise, and adoration – by our lifestyle, the WAY WE LIVE!
FALSE WORSHIP
FALSE WORSHIP is the opposite of TRUE WORSHIP!
Matthew 15:7-8 (ESV) – You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, BUT THEIR HEART is far from me; …
Special note: The Lord is not just looking for a pretensive show, or lip service only. He sees the heart. He wants WHOLE-HEARTED WORSHIP!
ILLUSTRATIONS OF TRUE WORSHIP
Story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) —- (They didn’t worship the false god, / They were faithful/loyal/obedient in WORSHIP).
David (2 Samuel 6) — bringing the ark to Jerusalem (Passionate / whole-hearted / obedient WORSHIP).
Noah (Genesis 5-8) — (His heart was right / He believed and trusted God / He sacrificed with thanksgiving when leaving the ark).
Abraham – (Genesis 17-25; Romans 4) —(He was strong in faith, giving GLORY TO GOD!)
Blind man healed… John 9:35-39 – Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And HE WORSHIPED HIM.
King Jehoshaphat and the singers… 2 Chronicles 20:21 – …he (King Jehoshaphat) appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:“ Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.”…(and the enemies were defeated).
Mary – (the sister of Lazarus and Martha – Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37; John 11:2) – (extravagantly pouring alabaster box of precious ointment at the feet of Jesus; sitting patiently at the feet of Jesus to hear His Words).
Mary – mother of Jesus (Luke 1:46-55) ) The Magnificat – she magnified the Lord.
Wise men… Matthew 2:2 ,11 …saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to WORSHIP HIM.”… And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and WORSHIPED HIM. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Elders (& heavenly hosts – Revelation 4:10) – worship Jesus.
Special note: Of course there are many more illustration of TRUE WORSHIP and also FALSE WORSHIP. We will include some of them in the next post.
The PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren has greatly influenced the nations. It has blessed and helped millions of people, world-wide. It shares some helpful teaching about our primary purpose in life. The following entries highlight some of the emphasis regarding worship in chapters 7-10 of that book… (2)
Proverbs 16:4 – “The Lord made everything for His own PURPOSES!” (NLT)
“Glorify” the Lord!
Live for the GLORY OF GOD!
“The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the reason that everything exists – including you. God made it all for His glory! Living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives.”
Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive GLORY and HONOR and power. For you created everything.” (NLT)
I Corinthians 10:31– …do all to the glory of God.
Ephesians 3:21 – to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Romans 11:36 – For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen. (NLT)
“Everything was made for God’s glory and pleasure. You were planned for God’s pleasure! You exist for His benefit, His glory, His purpose, and His delight. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. Bringing pleasure to God is called – WORSHIP!”
Ephesians 1:8 – God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (NLT) / having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, … (NKJV)
Psalm 147:11 – The Lord is pleased only with those who WORSHIP HIM and trust his love. (CEV)
“God’s glory is best seen in Jesus!”
John 1:14 – …the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His GLORY, the GLORY as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
“Sin is failing to give God glory!”
Romans 3:23 – …all have sinned and come short of the GLORY OF GOD!
LOVING AND DELIGHTING TO WORSHIP
“We bring glory to God by worshiping Him. We worship God by enjoying Him, motivated by love, thanksgiving, and delight (not just duty)”
“Worship is more than praising, singing, and prayer to God. It is loving Him, and giving ourselves to be used for His purposes. When you live your life for God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship.”
- Special thanks and appreciation to Dick Eastman, “Heights of Delight”, Regal Publishing; 2002; pages 42-47
- Special thanks and appreciation to Rick Warren, “The Purpose Driven LIfe” Zondervan; Grand Rapids, Michigan; excerpts from Day 7-10, pages 53-84.
