Who are We?: Glorify

Joshua Johnson

Joshua Johnson

February 18, 2018

Glorify: Praise and Worship - We desire to give God the glory through WORD, MOUTH & POSTURE.

Who are We?

Week 4

Glorify - Means Praise and Worship - Giving Honor, Acknowledging High Status, Splender. Making Exuberant statements about someone.

To glorify God means to live with such a passionate devotion to the Holy One, His person, His purpose, and His praise.

Passion for the glory of God begins and is possible, when we choose to reject our own honor, refutation and self-gratification.

Ephesians 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Our passion is to know Christ.

That should be our deepest pleasures.

We have to acknowledge that our hunger for Christ comes with Him and will not completely satisfy on the earth.

God is glorified when we acknowledge our dependence on Him for all good things.

Word, Mouth, and Posture

God is glorified when we express it in every area of our lives: workplace, church, home, and businesses.

- 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Two other words that describe Glorify is —praise and worship

Worship is central to our life in Christ and therefore is central to who we are here at NewNaz.

Worship, according to the dictionary means:

a) to show profound religious devotion;

b) to have intense love and admiration; and the definition

of praise is: a) to express admiration or approval for;

b) to express thanks and worship to God. 

In other words, praise and worship go hand in hand. 

Praising and worshiping God is not about a ritual, or prayer repetition. 

It’s not about spending a few minutes a day reading our bible or about reciting our wish list on a daily basis. 

True worship requires total commitment of our body, mind and spirit. 

It’s about exalting, adoring and acknowledging the God of the Bible.

It’s shouting…

Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done wonderful things,

To many times, worship is associated with singing. 

But there are certainly other types of worship.

I believe the most important way to show our devotion to God is through our everyday lives.  

When we strive to be Christ-like, loving and serving others, honoring and glorifying God, then we are truly worshiping Him.

2. We are hard-wired for worship

It's as natural as breathing.

Jesus said we were made this way because 'the Father seeks...worshippers'.

For example: Worship is more than just music.

If worship is just music, then what about all those people who can't carry a tune at all?

Also remember, Worship is not a style.

One person's music preference often sounds like noise to another.

But not to God - He loves 'joyful noise' and all the varieties it comes in. ()

Also, worship is not just for your benefit, but for God's.

Yes, there are personal benefits, but we don't worship to please ourselves.

Our highest motive should be to exalt God in whatever we do.

Finally, worship should not be confined to church.

Romans 12:1

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

That's what it means to worship!"

Where do we worship

We can worship God in church, in the garden, while we’re shopping or in the shower. 

Location doesn’t matter or how many people are involved. 

Worship can be done with a group of people, or by ourselves. 

When we come before the Lord with a pure and repentant heart, He will bless us with His grace and mercy. 

We can worship God through prayer, singing, raising our hands in adoration, dance, art, through the use of colors, playing instruments, media and video, etc.

"Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

      Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

      Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

The New International Version Chapter 16

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come before him.

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

      He is to be feared above all gods.

 The gods of other nations are mere idols,

      but the Lord made the heavens!

 Honor and majesty surround him;

      strength and joy fill his dwelling.

 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,

      recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

      Bring your offering and come to worship him.

   Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor." ( NLT)

To worship in truth we must:

• Have purity of heart

• Deal with any sin in our hearts and repent

• Have a spirit of humility

• Have a spirit of submission to the will of God

• Have a spirit of obedience

• Have a spirit of commitment

• Have a sense of wonder of who He is and have a sense of awe in His presence.

• Have an awareness of God's presence and be overwhelmed by His majesty

• Be speechless in His presence and allow Him to speak to us

True worship is not about us but it's all about God. 

We cannot worship God in truth with sin in our lives or if there is self-will in our hearts, because it is about God’s will for us and not the other way around.

The Bible warns us not to worship anyone or anything else. 

We are not to worship, saints, statues, angels, money, or celebrities. 

Anyone or any thing that becomes more important than God, and turns our hearts away from Him is an idol or a false god.

God says in

“I am the LORD your God .....You shall have no other gods before me." When the devil tried to tempt Jesus in , Jesus rebuked him and said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written:

'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

If we choose to worship false gods, God’s word says in

“Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.”

I certainly don't want to live my life without God’s mercy!

NIV

         Praise God in His sanctuary;

1 Praise the Lord. 

         Praise Him in His mighty firmament! (Heavens or the sky)     

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise Him for His mighty acts;

2 Praise him for his acts of power;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!     

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

praise him with the harp and lyre,

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,

praise him with the strings and pipe,

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!  

praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  

Praise the LORD! ( NKJ)

Praise the Lord.

In closing I want us to take a look at -

In closing I want us to take a look at

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

Jesus left Judea and as he was heading to Galilee to take a walk through Samaria.

Jesus asked a woman for something to drink while being at the well.

She was shocked and said - You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan.

While in Samaria Jesus meets a woman at a well.

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 

John 4:21-26

22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

The biggest questions that man can entertain is, what is God like?

The biggest questions that man can entertain is, what is God like?

What comes into our minds when we thing about God?

The answer to this question is foundational.

Our answer not only affects our worship but our living.

Every failure in worship, or in doctrine or practice, can be traced back to wrong thoughts about God.

When the churches concept of God in any ways blurs, not only does worship suffer but moral standards suffer as well.

When we see who God is and what he requires and when we subscribe to these things in the very depth of our being, we will take seriously his plan for relationships in life.

—

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

Anotherward’s, We must be people of the Word, because the clearest revelation of God that we have is in his Word.

Anotherward’s, We must be people of the Word, because the clearest revelation of God that we have is in his Word.

John would later record

Jesus’ words in his High Priestly prayer:

“Sanctify them in the truth; the your word is truth.

We must be a people that think that Worship is not just a mindless activity.

God seeks those who will worship “in spirit. “

The Greek is quite clear here.

It does not say “in the Spirit” but “in Spirit”

He is not talking about worship in the Holy Spirit.

He is talking about worship with our human spirit.

This is worship THAT comes from the depth of our being.

Authentic worship happens only when the very core of our being is employed in worshiping God!

-

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

In vs. 23 —- The central reality in worship is not that we are seeking God, but that he is seeking us!!!

JESUS SEEKS THE WOMAN.

JESUS ASKED HER FOR A DRINK

JESUS exercised grace and mercy.

This is a Christian Idea

The Jews never thought of it this way.

The wonderful thing about worship is the expectancy within the shadow of God!!

-

17 The Lord your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with singing.”

God seeks worshippers!!!

God seeks worshippers!!!

Conclusion

On SLIDE

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 4:23

4:23. With the advent of the Messiah the time came for a new order of worship. True worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God (3:21; 14:6) and the one and only Way to the Father (Acts 4:12). To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. To worship in Spirit is to worship in the new realm which God has revealed to people. The Father is seeking true worshipers because He wants people to live in reality, not in falsehood. Everybody is a worshiper (Rom. 1:25) but because of sin many are blind and constantly put their trust in worthless objects.

Are we worshipers who worship him in “Spirit and in Truth”

The Samaritan woman had no such privileged - There were Gentiles.

The Samaritan woman asked? Are you the Christ?

Whether it was then or sometime in the future, that woman began to worship “in spirit and in truth” -— she believed what Christ said…

Perhaps it has never been your experience to actually worship “in Spirit and in truth….

In order to Glorify His name

We need the Messiah.

We need to believe.

You need to receive him just as that woman did, in the revelation of the truth of what he is —-the God who holds the universe together, the God who became man and died and rose again for you..

YOU NEED TO BE BORN ANEW.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS you will be able to worship him in “Spirit and in Truth”

There is nothing more important than what we think of him and how we worship him.

Nothing!!!

May we heed his words and worship Him “in Spirit and Truth.”