Awe Inspiring
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last few weeks we have been studying the theme “Biblical Worship” with a particular look at the specific words translated as “worship” from the N.T. and their counterparts, if applicable, in the LXX.
Thus far we have looked at the most prominent word translated as worship “proskuneo” which means to “bow down before.”
Last week we then looked at “sebomai” which means to “express devotion towards.”
Today we will be looking at the Greek word “sebazomai.”
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Though this worship is talked about concerning idols it is clearly indicating that the Creator of the universe should receive this worship “not the idols” and therefore is that worship we should hold to toward our God.
This word deals more with the attitude that leads to worship and is thus carried throughout the acts of worship.
Therefore, It is to worship based on the “awe” or “reverence” for God.
With that in mind I would like us to consider an acrostic with the word AWE as it relates to “sebazomai.”
Admiration
Admiration
Veneration Of God.
Veneration Of God.
The word veneration means, “admiration, respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person.”
In light of that definition, when it comes to our God, he is worthy of our veneration or admiration.
We should be respecting God because we are inspired by his dignity i.e. his goodness.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
We should be respecting God because we are inspired by his wisdom.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
We should be respecting God because we are inspired by his dedication.
God is dedicated to our salvation.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God is dedicated to our righteousness.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God is dedicated to our eternity.
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Summary
Summary
Our “sebazomai” or worship should be impressed upon us by our veneration or admiration of our God inspired by his dignity, wisdom, and dedication.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
This awe towards our Creator should hone our focus on worship to also be…
Wholly Observed
Wholly Observed
Defining The Word.
Defining The Word.
The word wholly has two definition, both of which are applicable to our lesson today.
The first definition is, “to the full or entire extent: completely”
The second definition is, “to the exclusion of other things: solely”
These two definitions are exactly what our worship, especially our assembled worship, should be reminded of.
The Full Extent.
The Full Extent.
“to the full or entire extent: completely” Our worship, influenced by our awe of God, should be done to the fullest extent.
By that I mean we should never be ok with “short-cuts” concerning our worship of God.
I know we joke around at times about “how many songs are sung,” “how long a prayer goes,” or “how long the sermon is” but the reality is, if we our worship is inspired by our awe of God, we simply will never actually “want worship to end” and will actually be “sad that it is coming to a conclusion.”
In Psalm 63:1-4 we can read of the attitude I’m trying to get across.
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
The one in awe of God is wanting to wholly worship his/her God, no short-cuts, no time limits, only a desire to fully and completely worship “their” God, “their” Creator.
The second definition of “wholly” dealt with…
The Full Exclusion.
The Full Exclusion.
“to the exclusion of other things: solely.” Our worship, influenced by our awe of God, should be done to the exclusion of everything else.
By that I mean we should never let excuses stop us from worshiping our God.
There is a question I have asked many over the years in different iterations that goes something like this, “Do you think God will bless “such and such” more if you stop what you are doing and worship him when time to or if you skip worshiping him to do the “such and such?”
Let’s take that to a more practical level today.
Do we think God will bless our crops more if we skip worship to plant or harvest or if we stop for worship and then go back to planting or harvesting?
Do we think God will bless our studies in school skip worship to study or if we stop studying, go worship, and then go back to our studies?
Do we think God will keep us more safe on a trip if we skip worship to travel or if we stop in our travels, worship, and then get back on the road?
Along this line of thinking I’m reminded of God said in Malachi 3:10 to the Israelites.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Again the psalmist expresses this truth of “wholly observing” his worship of God to the exclusion of everything else in Psalm 84:1-4.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
Summary
Summary
Our “sebazomai” or worship, based on our awe for God, should yearn to worship to the fullest extent and to the exclusion of anything that would keep us from worshiping like we should.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
This awe of our Creator should not only hone our focus on the required “wholly observance” of worship but that we should get to know our God properly to worship properly through…
Evaluation
Evaluation
All Or Nothing.
All Or Nothing.
As we have observed in the last two points, when it comes to God it is “all or nothing.”
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
That means if we are going to worship out of an awe for our God, to the fullest extent and exclusion of all other things, we better know our God.
We must evaluate who our God is through his word.
On Sunday evenings this is one of the things we have been doing and have evaluated who God is by way of his name. Thus far we evaluated or found God to be…
LORD Almighty (Genesis 17:1).
The Most High God (Genesis 14:18)
The LORD my Banner (Exodus 17:15)
The LORD By Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
The LORD that Heals (Exodus 15:26)
The LORD that Sanctifies (Leviticus 20:8)
The LORD of Peace (Judges 6:24)
The LORD of Host (Psalm 24:9-10)
The LORD is There (Ezekiel 48:35)
To evaluate God, through his word, is expected by God.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Summary
Summary
The God of Abraham, Isaac, David, Peter, Paul, and you and I’s is a God that wants us to evaluated him and know that he is worthy of our awe.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Brethren, let each of us understand the impact of the word for worship “sabazomai” in our worship of our God.
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.