Let Us Glorify Our Great God
Introduction
What does it mean to glorify God? We’ve heard this expression countless times in Bible readings, Sunday School lessons, and sermons. What does it mean? The dictionary generally defines this word as, “…to exalt and honor (God), as in worship; to praise extravagantly; honor; extol” (Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, and David B. Guralnik, Editor in Chief Emeritus/ Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English, published by Webster’s New World Dictionaries, A Division of Simon & Schuster, New York, New York; pg. 575).
Various other theological writers define this word using terms such as: “to honour, adore…” (Brown- Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Definitions), “to magnify…” (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries), “adorn with glory” (Thayer Greek Definitions).
When one considers the definitions above, one dominant idea comes to mind—Praise. It is safe to say that the Word of God instructs us, as God’s blood-washed children, to give praise to God; not only with our lips, but with our lives as well. The words we speak should not dishonor God, or cause Him to be diminished in the eyes of others. Our works and ways should never bring reproach upon God, or reduce the respect of others for Him. The Apostle Paul stated this thought concisely when he said: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor.6: 20—KJV). Equally to the point is this Pauline injunction: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor.10: 31—KJV).
It’s not possible, in this relatively brief message, for me to exhaust all the reasons why the saints should glorify God. However, this morning I shall deal with three things about God, which I believe warrant our praises. Look at them with me.
Let us glorify our great God!
I. Our God Is The King Of Glory
Psalm 24:7-10, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
A. He Is King Eternally
Psalms 10:16a, “The Lord is King for ever and ever…” Psalm 29:10b, “…the Lord sitteth King for ever.”
Psalm 66:7, “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. 8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:”
B. He Is King Everywhere
Psalm 47:2, “For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.”
Acts 17:24, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;”
Folks, there is no place on earth where God is not King. There are a lot of places where people reject His kingship, but that makes Him no less of a king. Someone has noted: We can never talk about God behind his back. We cannot speak of God in His absence…The God who is being discussed is also there. The attitude people take to Him can never be merely theoretical. To deny Him is to spite Him to His face. A. Skevington Wood, Evangelism: Its Theology and Practice.
C. He Is King Over Everyone
1. He Is King Over The Saints
Revelation 15:3, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
2. He Is King Over Sinners
Psalm 47:8a “God reigneth over the heathen…”
3. He Is King Over All, And Over All He Is Sovereign
1 Chronicles 29:10-12. “Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all: and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”
Psalm 103:19, “The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.”
One day even Satan himself will be forced to openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11).
D. He Is King Extraordinaire
Exodus 15:11, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful (“to be reverenced”) in praises, doing wonders?”
Psalm 113:5-6, “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!”
1. He Is An Omnipotent King
Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”
Revelation 19:6b, “…the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
Is there anything that God can’t do? I think this little boy said it best: A young boy traveling by airplane to visit his grandparents sat beside a man who happened to be a seminary professor. The boy was reading a Sunday school take-home paper when the professor thought he would have some fun with the lad. “Young man,” said the professor, “If you can tell me something God can do, I’ll give you a big, shiny apple.” The boy thought for a moment and then replied, “Mister, if you can tell me something God can’t do, I’ll give you a whole barrel of apples!” Today in the Word, April, 1989, p.43.
2. He Is An Omniscient King
Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”
Hebrews 4:13b, “…but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him (God) with whom we have to do.”
1 John 4:20b, “…God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”
Have you ever felt like God made a mistake concerning some part of your life? Don’t forget that God knows all. He sees everything from beginning to end—as one great whole.
Elizabeth Elliot, in her book, Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward, [who was] unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child she had two great sorrows. One [was] that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other [was] that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall.
But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!” Elizabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman.
3. He Is An Omnipresent King
Deuteronomy 4:39, “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
Psalm 139:7-12, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
4. He Is An Overshadowing King
Revelation 17:14; 19: 16 (Christ is referred to here as, “Lord of lords, and King of kings…”).
II. Our God Is Kind And Good
A. God’s Kindness And Goodness Has Many Examples
1. He Is A Caring Provider
Acts 17: 25, “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”
Psalm 145:15, “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.”
Matthew 5:45b, “…he (God) maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”
2. He Is A Consummate Parent
Matthew 7:11, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
3. He Is Compassionate To Every Person
Psalm 103:10-11, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”
B. God’s Kindness And Goodness Is Part Of His Essence
2 Chronicles 30:9b, “…for the Lord your God is gracious and
merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.”
Nehemiah 9:17b, “…thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness…”
Psalm 86:15, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
The word “gracious,” in Ps.86: 15, means “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior” (James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, published by MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia, 22101, #2603 of the Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, pg. 41).
C. God’s Kindness And Goodness Has An End (Purpose)
Romans 2:4, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
2 Peter 3:9b, “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
III. Our God Is Ever Knowledgeable Of The Godly
Psalm 8:4, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalm 40:17a, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me…”
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”
Psalm 139:1-5, “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.”
Luke 12:6, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”