Declare
Notes
Transcript
Main Idea
Main Idea
Beholding God’s glory compels us to declare it with our words, works, and worship.
Last year, we journeyed through a mini-series called Abide, Behold, Seek—a movement of internal spiritual formation in which we root ourselves in Christ, behold His majesty, and seek His kingdom. Today, we turn outward as we explore another three-part series that examines our responses. Now that we are filled on the inside, how do we pour into the lives around us? The commands in this series are to Declare, Disciple, and Multiply.
Today, we will discuss the first command to Declare—our Spirit-empowered response to God’s grace and glory.
The call to declare is not limited to Sunday morning songs or mission statements—it encompasses our words, works, and worship. It echoes a heart that has encountered the weight and wonder of who God is and is expressed with a mouth that cannot contain the beauty that it sees. Our daily lives can declare God's goodness in unexpected ways.
Today, we will discover what it means to declare God’s goodness by asking what, how, who, and when.
What Does It Mean to Declare?
To declare means to make known, to recount, to speak out loud. But what are we declaring?
• That God exists?
• That He created the universe?
• The gospel?
• His ongoing work in our lives?
• The truth and goodness of His Word?
Psalm 66 answers this question with poetic clarity. Let’s read it together.
Passage
Passage
In Psalm 66, the psalmist invites all the earth to shout, sing, and proclaim God’s awesome deeds. The passage begins with global praise (vv. 1–4) and then focuses on God’s mighty acts in history (vv. 5–7), His refinement of His people (vv. 8–12), and personal testimony (vv. 13–20). The scope of his declaration ranges from global worship to individual witness.
For the choir director. A song. A psalm. 1 Let the whole earth shout joyfully to God! 2 Sing about the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. 3 Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are your works! Your enemies will cringe before you because of your great strength. 4 The whole earth will worship you and sing praise to you. They will sing praise to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see the wonders of God; his acts for humanity are awe-inspiring. 6 He turned the sea into dry land, and they crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him. 7 He rules forever by his might; he keeps his eye on the nations. The rebellious should not exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, you peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard. 9 He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip. 10 For you, God, tested us; you refined us as silver is refined. 11 You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out to abundance. 13 I will enter your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows 14 that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress. 15 I will offer you fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will sacrifice bulls with goats. Selah 16 Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 However, God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned his faithful love from me.
This teaches us that declaring God’s glory is both communal and personal, historical and present, spoken and lived.
To answer the question posed earlier, there are many things we can declare about our great God, but it can be summed up in a single word: GLORY.
I - Glory
I - Glory
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples.
Glory— Kavod in Hebrew and Doxa in Greek—signifies the weight of majesty that accompanies God’s presence. It represents the recognition of a person's importance and the impact of their influence and actions within a community. In essence, it reveals His ‘godness’ to His people… every magnificent thing that He is and that we are not.
Visual Manifestations of Glory - The Old Testament describes many ways God’s glory physically manifested in this world:
• Pillar of fire and cloud in the wilderness
• The cloud of glory that rested over the tabernacle and temple
• God’s robe filling the temple in Isaiah’s vision, just to name a few…
Corporately, God’s people were led by the glory of His presence in the wilderness. When individuals encountered it, they fell face-first into the dirt in reverence, as if the profound weight of His glory pulled them to their knees in humility, awe, and worship.
That is the only proper response to His glory.
But then, there is the reaction. Once you have grasped the beauty, majesty, and sheer magnitude of God’s glory, you must express it. For those of you who have truly witnessed God’s glory in your life, you know that keeping it to yourself would be like sitting on a grenade, trying to contain its forceful blast. No, when you encounter the glory of God, you must declare it!
A declaration of God’s glory encompasses His:
A declaration of God’s glory encompasses His:
Acts in history
Attributes
Praise of His Name (worship)
Kingship
Refinement of His people
II - How?
II - How?
In Psalm 66 alone, we see 11 different ways to declare God’s glory:
Shout
Sing
Say
Worship
Beckon (come and see / come and listen)
Bless
Offer
Sacrifice
Speak
Cry out
Pray
And God has made it clear that He alone has a glory worth our worship and adoration.
8 I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
The Reformation captures this truth and priority in the Latin phrase "Soli Deo Gloria"— Glory to God Alone. It recognizes that God's glory is not just the highest value among many similar, competing values; it is the very purpose for which everything else exists.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
God receives all the glory, and as His image bearers, we were created to magnify that glory in this world. However, let us never forget that just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, we reflect God’s glory. We aren’t the light; we magnify His light and should never keep it hidden.
Let’s discover together how the declaration of God’s glory is threaded throughout scripture so we know when to do the same in our own lives.
III - When?
III - When?
1- Mountaintops
1- Mountaintops
Moses’s song of deliverance
1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted; he has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 4 He threw Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 6 Lord, your right hand is glorious in power. Lord, your right hand shattered the enemy. 7 You overthrew your adversaries by your great majesty. You unleashed your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble. 8 The water heaped up at the blast from your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said: “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.” 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Lord, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. 13 With your faithful love, you will lead the people you have redeemed; you will guide them to your holy dwelling with your strength. 14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan will panic; 16 terror and dread will fall on them. They will be as still as a stone because of your powerful arm until your people pass by, Lord, until the people whom you purchased pass by. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your possession; Lord, you have prepared the place for your dwelling; Lord, your hands have established the sanctuary. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
Moses' song accomplishes several vital purposes:
- It memorializes God's mighty act of deliverance.
- It teaches the truth about God's character and attributes.
- It magnifies God’s lordship over Pharaoh.
- It creates communal memory that could be memorized and passed down through generations.
- It establishes worship patterns that would influence Israel's identity as God’s beloved people.
In summary, it is doing the five things we saw Psalm 66 doing.
2- Valleys
2- Valleys
Even in the depths of grief, God’s people have learned to praise Him. Job is a clear example; even in his sorrow, he can still say, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” However, I want you to consider a lesser-known passage in Lamentations, which says:
21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! 24 I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”
This beautiful expression of God’s faithfulness is anchored in the middle of a book mourning the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. It illustrates that even in our deepest sorrow and pain, praise can flow from our mouths.
3. Everywhere in between
3. Everywhere in between
Mary’s Magnificat
46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.
Mary’s song accomplishes several vital purposes:
- It memorializes God's mighty act of provision.
- It teaches the truth about God's character and attributes.
- It magnifies God’s lordship over the created order of the world.
- It creates communal memory that could be memorized and passed down through generations.
- It establishes worship patterns that would influence Christian’s identity as God’s beloved people.
Praises like this are everywhere… woven throughout the Old and New Testaments…
Other New Testament songs and hymns include:
Deborah and Barak’s song of victory over the Canaanites. - Judges 5:1–31
Hannah’s song of thanksgiving after being barren. - 1 Samuel 2:1–10
Solomon’s Temple dedication prayer. - 1 Kings 8:22–61
Jehoshaphat’s song of praise before battle. - 2 Chronicles 20:21–22
Ezra and Nehemiah’s declaration of praise in the re-dedication of the exiles in Jerusalem. - Nehemiah 9:5-37
+ Many of David’s songs in the Samuels, Chronicles, and Psalms
Simeon’s Song of Praise during Jesus’ dedication in Luke 2:29-32
Paul’s Hymn of Christ’s Humility and Exaltation in Philippians 2:5-11
Paul’s Hymn of The Supremacy of Christ in Colossians 1:15–20
Culmination in Christ
Culmination in Christ
These threads—these declarations that span thousands of years culminate in the ultimate act of giving glory to God, as we lift high the name of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Pointing ourselves and others to Jesus is the ultimate declaration of God’s glory we could make.
IV. 🔥 Application Points:
IV. 🔥 Application Points:
As we conclude today, the next question we need to ask ourselves is, “How?” How do I incorporate the what, the who, and then when into my daily life? Or, in other words, how can I develop a habit of recognizing, acknowledging, and actively declaring God's glory on a regular basis?
1. Through Authentic Worship-
28 Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
Worship is arguably the most direct way we declare God's glory. When we sing praises, pray, or gather with other believers, we explicitly acknowledge God's worth and majesty. However, worship isn't limited to songs; it infiltrates every moment of our lives. True worship extends beyond Sunday mornings into Monday afternoons and Thursday evenings. As Romans 12:1 tells us, presenting our bodies as "living sacrifices" is our "spiritual worship." This means that when we dedicate our daily activities to God—when we approach our work, relationships, and even leisure with an attitude of reverence—we engage in worship because our lives become centered on Him, not on ourselves.
2. Through Faithful Obedience and Works - Another powerful way to declare God's glory is through obedience to His commands. Jesus said in John 15:8, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." When we align our lives with God's will and follow His commandments, we demonstrate the goodness and wisdom of His ways. Our obedience today—choosing integrity when dishonesty seems easier, practicing forgiveness when bitterness feels justified, or pursuing purity in a culture that mocks it—declares God's glory by showing that His ways are truly the best.
3. Through Your Words - In sharing the Good News, you turn conversations into celebrations of His glory. Your willingness to discuss your faith shows your belief that God's story is worth telling. Engaging in evangelism amplifies the voice of truth among many, allowing others to experience God's glory through your testimony.
4. Through Righteous Living
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
It is evident in your consistent godly character, especially during trials. Your life of integrity illuminates His glory the most. When others notice the difference in how you respond to challenges, treat others, or uphold ethical standards, they see God's character reflected in you. Your good works showcase the divine light that draws others to His truth. A life dedicated to His glory is the greatest proclamation you can make. It communicates volumes without an abundance of words and reaches those who may never enter a church or participate in a religious discussion.
Your beliefs about God and your encounters with Him shape how you declare His glory. The more accurately you understand and experience His character—His holiness, mercy, justice, and love—the more powerfully and authentically you can represent Him to others.
Every believer is a living testament to God's glory when we align our lives with His purposes. As we do this, we fulfill our highest calling—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our daily decisions, interactions, and priorities become little brushstrokes that eventually culminate into a beautiful portrait, declaring to the watching world: our God is great, and greatly to be praised.
To truly understand God's glory is not merely an academic exercise—it's an invitation to transformation. As you explore the depths of this divine attribute, you will find yourself drawn into something far greater than yourself, yet something for which you were specifically designed.
To live for God's glory is to embrace the essence of true purpose and fulfillment.
The weight of glory—that magnificent kavod— isn't a burden to carry but a reality to embrace. It calls us away from the small stories we tend to inhabit and invites us into the grand narrative where everything, including our lives, exists "from him and through him and to him."
