VICTORY IN JESUS!

No matter the challenges of the present, all believers are assured of conquest in the future. Ultimately, we have victory in Jesus!  It is an inexorable march of triumph over all the forces of hell. We see this in Revelation 15. 

Then, we will hear THE MUSICIANS, “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God,” (v. 2). The victors form this mighty chorus. They play harps that echo through the holy halls of Heaven. 

Consider THE MESSAGE,  “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!’ “ (v. 3). These are the saints who have been saved and the message in their music is to praise the Lord who has redeemed them. Two songs with one message are sung. 

“They sing the song of Moses,” extolling how God redeemed Israel from Egypt by the blood of the Passover Lamb. He brought Israel out from their bondage to make of them a covenant people. 

They also sing, “the song of the Lamb,” showing how that lamb of the Old Covenant was fulfilled by the blood of Christ on Calvary in the New Covenant, redeeming sinners from every tribe and tongue. 

The musicians and their message arise from THE MOTIVATION,  “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.’ ” (v. 4‬‬). How can we help but reverence God and rejoice in Him—to bring glory to His name which is above all names!  He is holy, but has made a way for sinners to be made holy through redemption and regeneration, so that, “that He might be just and the justifier one who has faith in Jesus,” (Rom. 3:26).

Let’s warm up by singing E. M. Bartlett’s song, “Victory in Jesus!”

I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory

Chorus

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

Verse 2

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing pow'r revealing
How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,"
And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

Verse 3

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood!

YOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD!

God alone is worthy of our praise. Heaven abounds with His worship. He is the Creator of all and the existence of all creation is not only by Him, but for Him. The Lord is the originator of all things and the object of all thanksgiving.

God alone is worthy to receive GLORY. Glory is the very essence of His being and the vocal expression of our blessing of Him. He is altogether glorious.

God alone is worthy to receive HONOR. He is the Most High and merits our highest praise. He is above all. 

God alone is worthy to receive POWER. Omnipotence is the theological term. God is all-powerful, for so the word means. He is the Almighty.

Our worship will be the order of eternity. So, on earth we are to rehearse for that heavenly chorus that we will join someday!  I pray that you reflect on God’s glory, honor, and power today, then on the Lord’s Day assemble with God’s people in His house to give Him the worship He desires and deserves. Thus, you will get a foretaste of Heaven!

LIVING IN THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is not meant to be only a holiday, but a holy devotion—not an event, but a lifestyle!  This is in contrast to the negativity we observe all about us these days. 

Negativity produces toxicity. There are many unhealthy churches because of the poisonous attitudes preached from pulpits and parked in pews!  

If ever a man had an excuse for complaining, it was Paul in the circumstances he finds himself in as he wrote to the Philippians. But, instead there is an expression of celebration!  Joy flows from the pages of this letter, and the crescendo is reached in 4:4-20. 

Paul calls us to PRAISE, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” (v. 4-5). We make the choice to praise. While the circumstances may be bad, the Lord is good—and we rejoice in Him. Because He is always good, we can always rejoice. No matter how you feel, God is unchanging. 

A grateful heart toward God will gender a gentle spirit toward others. Ultimately, we know the Lord is with us and is literally returning soon!  It will be OK!  Hallelujah!

The Apostle commands us to PRAYER, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” (v. 6). The formula is simple to say—though challenging to do—and that’s why few do it!  But, here it is: worry about nothing, pray about everything, be thankful for anything. 

Are you facing a challenge that is beyond you?  Then, why worry about it?  Will worry fix it?  Give it to the One who in His sovereignty permits it and in our supplication will help us. Indeed, we can express thanksgiving even before the situation changes—and this is faith verbalized. Do we believe Romans 8:28?

Those living in thanksgiving are promised PEACE, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (v. 7-9).  A supernatural peace flows from the Infinite God. You cannot explain it, but you can experience it. I am not sure how electricity works, but I’m not going to sit in the dark until I do!  In the dark times, claim the peace of God that will brighten your days. 

His peace will function as a sentry, so that when the devil seeks to make you doubt, that peace will drive the enemy away. When we choose to meditate on the true, noble, just, pure, lovely, the good reports, the virtuous, and praiseworthy, that peace of God will fill our soul!  

Paul is an example. He practiced what he preached!

Rely on God’s POWER,  “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (v. 10-13). No matter the physical state Paul found himself in, he had the spiritual power to rejoice in the Lord—and that not a little, but a lot!  Whether he was abased or abounding, famished or full, he knew the resources of the Almighty Christ. That same Savior is with us!  The promise is not of power to do what you want to do,  but what you ought to do—and that is truly only what we should want to do anyway.

Trust in God’s PROVISION, “Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound.  I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ” (v. 14-19).  The progress of the Gospel moves on the provision of support from God’s people.  God so loved the world that He gave, and if we love Him, and the church that is Christ’s bride, as well as the lost He died to save, then we must give also. 

Thank God for the faithful giving of His people across the centuries and that is why we are saved and have opportunity to continue investing in that which is of eternal significance. 

Our giving is not about fulfilling a grudging obligation, but a glad offering. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. It is a matter of the heart and an expression of worship. If you trust God by giving, He promises to supply all your needs. You cannot out-give God.

We are reminded in conclusion of our ultimate PURPOSE,  “Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (v. 20‬‬). All the universe is moving toward the glory of God. It is all about Him—His praise and worship. Whatever happens, however we feel, no matter the conditions, we are assured that ultimately it all redounds to His glory. It is God’s proper desire and rightful due. Living in thanksgiving is about giving God glory. It will be the order of eternity, so it is time we start practicing on earth!

Let us choose to be living in thanksgiving!

DECLARING THE GOODNESS OF GOD

“Oh, how great is Your goodness...!” (Ps.31:19a). David declares the goodness of God—and we should too!  Here are some ways we may:
 
• Express Gratitude—Praise Him for His goodness!  Give voice in worship, for God is worthy of our praise.

• Exclude Grumbling—This is a sin against His goodness!  God takes this seriously.  Israel was judged and a generation of grumblers died in the wilderness. Don’t be like that. It is an affront to a good God.

• Exercise Faith—You can trust Him for He is good.  Do we believe it?

• Embrace Grace—Stop trying to earn His goodness.  God will not be indebted to you.  He is good because it is His nature to be good.  We are bad because it is our nature to be bad. That is what makes God doing good to us to arise from the glory of His grace!

• Exhibit Goodness—We are never more like God than when we do good.

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt.‭5:44-45‬).

This is why God loves a cheerful giver!  We are reflecting Him!  God’s goodness is to be a focus of my life.

AN APPOINTMENT TO KEEP

Read Psalm 5.

There are some appointments we should keep today.  David met with God first thing in the morning as he prayed.  Will you?  He came before his King in surrender.  He cried out to his God in supplication.  Before he looked into the face of men, he looked up to the face of his Master.  Can you think of anyone more important to see today?  

He is a holy God.  David felt the gravity of this appointment.  Let us come before Him in repentance.  It is an awesome thing to be in His presence.  We do not come causally or carelessly, and yet we are invited through grace to come.  God is waiting for you.  Will you keep that appointment?

The second appointment we should keep today is to gather at the house of God for worship.  There is an appointed hour and place to meet with God’s people to celebrate His goodness together.  

David speaks of coming into God’s house “in the multitude of Your mercy.”  By rights we should all be in hell today, but God has shown mercy in that we are alive.  Having sought His salvation, we can now sing and shout for joy in that God has shown us mercy on top of mercy.  

The world is a hostile place.  David had many enemies. Yet, the house of God was a sanctuary—a place of refuge for his soul.  I need that.  You need that.  Will you keep that appointment?

What will be your attitude and activity today as you come before the Lord and meet with His people?  Will an overflowing heart of love and joy be exuberantly expressed?  God deserves our praise.  He has taken us through another week, and so we are privileged to thank Him for what He has done, as we anticipate more blessing to come in the week ahead.  With favor He surrounds us as a shield. 

THE MAJESTY OF MUSIC

Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a new song,

And His praise in the assembly of saints.  (Psalms 149:1)

People are passionate about their music preference.  That is primarily a generational matter—our age often dictates the style of music desired.  The form of our worship whether expressive or reserved is primarily an emotional matter—it has to do with the way we are wired up personally.  But, in all this discussion of styles and sounds, the most important thing isn’t the way we worship but who we worship; not our method but our motive.  Worship isn’t primarily about you or any other human being—it is about God!  

In God’s hymnal—the Psalms—we find them building to a crescendo of worship (149:1-3).  The hymn book of Israel closes with a great summation of the nature of worship and a summons to utilize sacred melodies in that most holy activity.  The repeated call is to praise the LORD.  We can shout His praises, speak His praises, but the emphasis here is on singing them.  We use the medium of our voice!  There is nothing wrong with the old songs and traditional music.  How much sound doctrine I have learned from those old hymns written by men and women with hearts hot for God and heads filled with biblical theology. Tried and true, we should never abandon them.  But, there was a time when they were contemporary music!  The church in ages gone by often resisted them and rejected them as worldly.  What do you do with phrases like this, “Sing to the LORD a new song”?  That’s contemporary music!  

Blessing God is the focus, but receiving a blessing is a fruit.  Though what we receive is secondary, it is real nonetheless (Ps.149:4-5).  “He will beautify the humble with salvation.”  That’s personal blessing.  Music has a power to touch us at the very core of our being—that’s why we are so passionate about it.  Music can cultivate the soil of the sinner to receive the message.  It can encourage a weary saint and bring them joy. 

The text is primary and the tune is secondary (149:6-9).  The melody of a song is subordinate to the message.  If a song isn’t Scriptural, it isn’t sacred!  Now, let me see if I can upset almost everyone!  I have heard songs set to shaped notes, sung with great enthusiasm in four-part harmony that did not have a thimbleful of Gospel about them.  I have heard choruses set to pulsing rhythms, sung with great emotion that could just as well have been sung to your boyfriend or girlfriend as to God!  What honors God is His Word!  He says that He has magnified His Word above His name (Ps.138:2).  If the words are Scriptural, whether they are accompanied by an organ or an orchestra, whether sounding like Bill Gaither or Bach—you can even rap it like Lecrae—it’s OK!  We all have our preference and God prefers spirit and truth—His Word is truth! 

You can worship God anywhere and you should (150:1).  The psalmist mentions the firmament—the vast expanse of heaven.  There is just something that moves us in the majesty of creation—a sacred tabernacle.  But, usually that is private and personal worship.  For corporate worship there is a sacred gathering place!  You should worship God with every means and by all means (150:2-6)!  Music has such a power to move us!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!  (150:6)

THE POWER OF PRAISE

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.  (2 Chronicles 20:22)

Last century brought two world wars, and there is reason for concern that a third may come in this century—and is building even now.  Be that as it may, one thing is certain—we are in an age-old spiritual conflict between God and Satan.  Both demand worship, and that is why worship involves warfare.  In 2 Chronicles 20 we observe this battle and discover God has given us a powerful weapon—praise!  This is how the Jews routed their foes and how we can live in victory as well.

We have a fierce FOE (v.1).  The Moabites and Ammonites were allies in arms—a real enemy attacking God’s people.  Our warfare is spiritual, but no less real.  Satan is ever seeking the worship only God deserves. This is how a beautiful angel became the devil (Isa.14:12-15). One third of the angels bowed to him and were cast out with him!  Satan used the same line to entice Adam and Eve, “You will be like God.”  He would test the Last Adam, Jesus, similarly, by offering Him the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would offer him worship.  The devil’s obsession with having worship and his hate toward God means that he will fight against true worship at every point.  Yet, it also means that the power of praise is how we can thwart the enemy.

God’s people can be a mighty FORCE (v.18-22).  Jehoshaphat responded to the enemy by seeking God and fielding an army (v.3-19).  The weapons used, however, would not be carnal—they would be spiritual.  The choir would lead the battle and faith would bring the victory!  It was God’s power that would be unleashed and prevail, and the channel through which God’s might would flow would be the praises of His people!  We may not realize the significance of our songs and the power of our praise, but rest assured, Satan knows and will do all he can to keep us from true worship.  The early church had little money, negligible influence, and yet conquered the greatest military power the world had known.  Within a few centuries, the Roman legions proved no match for the Christian soldiers.  A worshipping church experiences winning warfare.

This must then be our driving FOCUS. 

Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”  (v.20)

As we look to God, lean on Him, and loudly praise Him, He is glorified and pleased to pour out His power.  Authentic worship from the heart—that springs from a sense of urgency, that is expressed with a depth of intensity, will yield lives of victory.  The gates of hell will fall before such a church.  Go to countries where there is persecution and poverty and you will find such fervent and sincere worship.  It is not mere religious activity!  American casual Christianity has produced the lukewarm heart of the church at Laodicea.  They boasted, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” but Jesus said they were actually, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked….”  (Rev.3:17) The church is too often inhabited by consumers looking to be gratified than a church of celebrators desiring for God to be glorified!  How will we respond to this truth?

HE ALONE IS WORTHY

You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals….  (Revelation 5:9)

The throne of God has a prominent place in the book of Revelation, being mentioned thirty-four times.  There are four references in chapter five.  This chapter shows us the purest worship.  We prepare for worship hereafter by our worship here.  Far too often we get on the throne and demand a worship experience about our musical tastes, the style we enjoy, and the feelings we want, when true worship bows to the One on the throne and focuses on Him.

The chapter commences with a scroll being presented (v.1).  This scroll represents the title deed to the universe. It is covered in writing on front and back indicating that nothing more can be added.  The contents are hidden—it is rolled up and sealed with seven seals.  That deed to creation was Adam’s, but he forfeited it when he sinned, and surrendered dominion to Satan’s clutches.  Now, all creation groans under the curse, longing to be redeemed from bondage.  Who is worthy to take the scroll?

Search is made throughout the universe (v.2-3).  No angel in heaven above, no man on earth, nor demon in hell is qualified to take the scroll.  None are worthy.  This breaks John’s heart (v.4).  He sees the world full of sin and the sorrows it brings.  He longs for deliverance to come.  Is there not a redeemer?

Oh yes there is!  One alone is worthy! Christ, the Lamb of God, has prevailed (v.5-7)!  He prevailed in the wilderness when tempted by Satan.  He prevailed in the garden when He drank the bitter cup.  He prevailed on the cross when He paid the redemption price in full.  He prevailed over the grave when He conquered death!  John lifted his head bowed in despair, brushed away the tears from his eyes, and looked up expecting to see a Lion, but was shocked to see a Lamb.  This Lamb is one that had been slain—the wounds of Calvary testifying to His accomplished mission of redemption.  He has seven horns—speaking of power; seven eyes—speaking of perception; seven Spirits—speaking of presence.  Thus, Jesus is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent!

The four living creatures and twenty-four elders respond by bowing before the Lamb (v.8).  The four living creatures symbolize all that which He has created.  The twenty-four elders represent all the redeemed of all the ages.  Heaven is seen as a place where praise is sung and prayers are stored.  That instruments are strummed may not surprise us; that intercessions are secured may startle us.  Prayer is spiritual and eternal—its efficacy such that even after we are dead those prayers remain before God’s throne.  In His time and way, He will answer—even if we are in heaven!

In heaven we will sing a new song (v.9-10).  The message is not new, but the melody is!  There are those who insist that any new music is bad music.  In church, they only want the old songs. Yet, do we not realize there was a time when those old songs were new songs?  Heaven is filled with music and I want to warm up for that choir by singing God’s praise here!

There will be a sevenfold doxology sung in holy harmony (v.11-14).  The Lamb of God will be the subject of that worship.  Music will pervade the atmosphere in glory.  God made creation to utter joyful sounds—whether a bird to twitter or a human to sing.  The Lamb alone is worthy of our praise.  Amen?  Amen!

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits….  (Psalm 103:2)

Your attitude determines your altitude.  Among the instruments in the cockpit of a plane is the attitude indicator.  It shows the relationship of the wings to the horizon.  If you want to climb higher, it requires an attitude adjustment.  That is true spiritually, as well.  If we want to soar, we must adjust our attitude according to the heavenly horizon.  If our attitude is set relative to earth’s perspective, then we’ll never take off.  What would happen if we adopted the attitude of gratitude displayed in Psalm 103?

We should be grateful for God’s benefits (v.1-5).  The Psalmist underscores this with the phrase, “forget not all His benefits” (v.2b).  There are so many.

The key benefit is forgiveness of iniquity (v.3a) for it unlocks the door other blessing.  It is the greatest provision for our gravest poverty.

The Great Physician—Jehovah Rapha—heals us body and soul (v.3b).  Someone asks, “Do you believe in divine healing?”  What other kind is there?  There is the guarantee of ultimate healing in the resurrection.

God redeems us (v.4a).  This means we are set free by payment of a price.  Jesus did that on the cross!

The Lord crowns our head (v.4b).  God promises a crowning grace.  The New Testament also teaches there are crowns we may win.  In heaven, we will cast all our crowns at the feet of Jesus recognizing that any crown given is for His glory.

God satisfies our needs (v.5a).  Only He can.  Everything this world offers is like trying to satisfy your thirst by drinking water from the ocean—the more you take in, the thirstier you become.

The Lord renews our strength (v.5b).  As the eagle molts--shedding feathers and gaining new ones so he can continue to soar—we exchange our weakness for God’s power.

Furthermore, we should be grateful for God’s bounty (v.6-10).  The text testifies that God is “abounding in mercy,” (v.8b).  The first stanza of the Psalm is personal and the second one is national.  In verses 1-5, there is a solo, and in v.6-10, the choir adds their voices.

God gives abundant liberty (v.6).  Israel had been oppressed in Egypt, but God set them free.  There are injustices and inequities in this sin-cursed world, but the hope that God may deliver us now, and will assuredly right every wrong in the end.

God bestows abundant life (v.7).  God led and fed His people through the wilderness and brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey.  In a place of barrenness, they had blessedness!  God has pledged to meet all our needs, too.

God grants abundant life (v.8-10).  It takes Him a long time to become angry and a brief time to forgive.  By grace He give us the eternal life we cannot deserve, and in mercy keeps us from the hell we do merit.

Finally, we should be grateful for God’s benevolence (v.11-22).  It is, “So great…So far” (v.11-12).  The song builds to a crescendo—from personal, to national, and now universal—the voice of every creature, terrestrial and celestial, blending their voices in a symphony of praise!

There is extensive mercy (v.11-14).  It is three-dimensional: in height (v.11), breadth (v.12), and depth (v.13-14).

There is enduring mercy (v.15-18).  Here we see a contrast between our frailty and God’s faithfulness.

There is exhaustive mercy (v.19-22).  The word, “all” is used nine times in this Psalm.  

Old Graham Scroggie put it well, “Those whom the Lord blesses should bless the Lord.”

THE BLESSING OF BEING IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house….  (Psalm 84:4a)

If the worship of God—privately and publicly—is not a passion for us, we have reason to question the reality of our faith.  From Genesis to Revelation, the persistent picture is of God’s people worshipping in personal devotion and public demonstration.  All history is moving to a day when every knee bows in worship.  Eternity will be consumed with worship.  If you don’t enjoy worship on earth, how do you expect to enjoy heaven?  At the core of a genuine encounter with God is the response of worship.  That is certainly front and center in Psalm 84.

Three times in this Psalm, the sons of Korah sing of the blessing of being in the house of God.  In verse 4, it speaks of the blessing of dwelling there—not a casual occurrence, nor a compulsory obligation, but a consistent observance.  There is passion in the author’s voice as he extols the beauty of God’s house (v.1).  You cannot imagine this writer rising in the morning and grudgingly saying, “I’ve got to go to the house of God,” but gladly shouting, “I get to go to the house of God!”  Which characterizes our attitude?  This gives us a spiritual x-ray into the heart (v.2).  The true worshipper expresses envy of the birds he sees nesting in the house of God, lodging near the altar (v.3).  

The second blessing of being in the house of God is given in v.5-9.  It is there that we find strength to face the challenges of life.  We need that for we are reminded that the Christian life is not a picnic, but a pilgrimage (v.5).  It wasn’t easy in those days for worshippers to make their way to the Temple. They had to set their heart steadfastly or they would never make it—the long and winding road that traversed deserts and rose sharply upward to Jerusalem.  Despite the effort required, there is no sense that the worshipper saw this as a burden, but focused on the blessing.  How much modern man “suffers” to ride in a car, down a paved road, in order to sit on a padded pew, in a room that is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter!  Those ancient worshippers traveled through the Valley of Baca to get there.  The word means, “sorrow.”   Yet, the prospect of worship transformed the harsh place into a happy place (v.6).  I have seen those who trekked to the house of God through a deep valley of tears, and saw them radiant and refreshed from an encounter with God in worship.  Here we find grace on top of grace (v.7).  These new resources flow to us each week as we call upon the Lord (v.8-9).

The third blessing is that of  a renewed faith (v.10-12).  This man wasn’t giving a grudging hour occasionally, but was delighting in worship.  He wasn’t fidgeting and gazing at his watch.  He had eternity in mind.  This man had rather spend a day in worship than a thousand with the wicked.  The sons of Korah took their task seriously.  They were the greeters and singers.  Our goal is to meet God and experience Him.

THE GLORY OF GOD

 

for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.  (1 Kings 8:11b)

We sometimes use terms without knowing what they mean and talk about doing a lot of things that we don’t do.  Worship is one such thing.  What is worship?  The term has to do with declaring the worth of God.  Jesus said there is only one true kind of worship—that which is in Spirit and truth.  But what does that mean?  It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words. In 1 Kings 8, there is a picture of true worship.

The Glory of God was manifest in the house of God (v.1-11).  When the children of Israel left Egypt, God led them through the wilderness by the glory cloud. When the tabernacle was constructed that cloud filled the sanctuary.  Now, Solomon’s temple has been built and God’s glory invades it.  The glory of God is the manifest presence of God.  God had been with them, but now they saw the evidence.  It was in the house of God that the glory of God was experienced.  Did you know that Jesus has promised that in a special way, He would always be among those, even two or three, that assemble in His name?  We may not encounter His manifest presence, however, but we need that!  It is when man takes a backseat and God takes over.  The ministers sat down as God became the focus.  That’s where worship begins.  It is all about Him. If we do not encounter God we haven’t worshipped.

Solomon shares Scriptural truth (v.12-21).  He has taken on the role of a shepherd.  That is what a pastor is.  God’s design was for His leaders to shepherd His people.  That included the responsibility to feed them the Word of God.  Solomon’s father, David had been a prophet and now we find the King preaching a sermon.  In fact, in the book of Ecclesiastes that Solomon authored, he called himself the Preacher.  Well, here is quite a sermon!  The theme of his message is the character and faithfulness of God.  When we come together for worship, we must be drawn into a passionate pursuit of God.  We see the face of God in the Word of God.  We hear the voice of God in the Word of God.  Whether that truth is shared in teaching or testimony, communicated in song or sermon, it is the way God speaks to us.

God’s plan for His house was that it be a house of prayer, so what better way to dedicate it than with prayer (v.22-61)?   This underscores the centrality of prayer to the worship experience. Again, this prayer was God-centered.  Solomon begins by praising God for who He is and thanking Him for what he has done (v.22-30).  In awe of God’s holiness, he confesses the people’s sinfulness. (v.31-40). Then He prays for blessing (v.22-53).  Note Solomon’s position (v.54) with knees bowed in humility and hands raised in expectancy.  He blesses the people and blesses God and shares the path to continued blessing—obedience (v.55-61).

The proper response to God in worship is the offering of sacrifice (v.62-66).  We do not offer animals, but what the writer of Hebrews called spiritual sacrifices.  To offer our lives up to Him is the supreme sacrifice we can render. The outcome of the worship was an expression of great joy. That’s how they left the house of God that day. Shouldn’t it be the same with us?