Exalting Our God

L.O.V.E. Like Christ . .

in Exalting our God

January 29, 2006 Jay Robison Deuteronomy 6:12-18

Deuteronomy 6 children of Israel entering into promised land

It was culmination of a miracle from slavery to promised land

But be careful! Do not forget the LORD vs 12 NCV

Forget God? How can we do that? Purpose to worship

Exalting=Worship which means WORTH-SHIP Old English

we engage our mind, emotions, & will

to gratefully acknowledge the worth of our God.

No other human activity as lofty as that of adoring God.

Worship is a verb active, how do we do it? In addition to Singing praying preaching reading, Bible says worship by; Sitting, I Chronicles 17:16 Standing, Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. NKJV

Walking, Psalm 48:12

Dancing, Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name w\dancing,

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.

II Sam 6:16 As ark of LORD came into city of David

Michal saw King David leaping\dancing before LORD

Leaping Acts 3:8 crippled man who Jesus healed walking

leaping and praising God

Eyes up, Psalm 123:1

Eyes down, Luke 18:13 “The tax collector, standing at a

distance, would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on

his chest because he was so sad. He said, ‘God, have mercy

on me, a sinner.’

Bowing, & Kneeling, Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship & bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Face down, Revelation 7:11 All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders & the four living creatures, & they fell on their faces before the throne & worshiped God, Clapping, Psalm 47:1 , clap your hands, all you peoples!

Shout to God with the voice of triumph! NKJV

Lifting hands, Psalm 63:4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

Sitting, I Chron 17:16; Standing, Ps 33:8; Walking, Ps 48:12 ;

Dancing, Psalm 149:3; II Samuel 6:16; Leaping Acts 3:8;

Eyes up, Psalm 123:1; Eyes down, beating chest Luke 18:13;

Bowing, and Kneeling, Psalm 95:6; Face down, Rev 7:11;

Clapping, Psalm 47:1; Lifting hands, Psalm 63:4;

In all these focus was on God not the people

They were drawn into relationship w\God

& expressed their love for God

Worship is an interaction between people and God

Choose real God to worship but real people as well

Used to say: ecclesia reformata et semper reformanda. Latin

“The Church is reformed & always needing to be reformed.”

Never get it right. Respond to new waves of God’s spirit

Form for worship

The LORD your God you shall fear; him you shall serve,

and by his name alone you shall swear. Vs 13 NRSV

3 Components of Worship\Exalting God above expressions

Of worship Different

1. FEAR OF GOD

What does it mean to fear God?

Do we have to be afraid of God as a tyrant?

Quaking because he may haul off and smack us

Is God capricious unreasonable, unruly?

William Temple British preacher worship is to quicken the conscience by the Holiness of God; to feed the mind w\the truth of God; to purge the imagination by the beauty of God;

to open the heart to the love of God; to devote the will to the purpose of God.

Recognition that when worship meet God

Being beyond us, not just a big buddy or mentor

But almighty God, descriptions of who God is

Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent

God is AWESOME !! Fear=reverence

because worship a god w\little “g” always end up empty.

All have replaced God with things less than God

Recognize where we are\what we face Steven Curtis Chapman

“In gospel we discover we are far worse off than we thought

& far more loved than we ever dreamed

Worship Elevating OURSELVES, OTHERS, & OUR WORLD

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9

Worship causes us to think what if thoughts, new ideas

Possibilities perspectives, insight,

We all came w\things on our minds

In worship, we discover that God is at work in our lives.

At work in our hearts, through our circumstances

Works in us individually, and collectively

As elevated to God express love, C.S. Lewis “We praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment.

It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are;

the delight is incomplete till it is expressed

Worship not a have to but wow when I look at life