Intro: 1. What does worship make you think of?
2. Bible does not give a "definition" of worship,
but does describe it in many ways
3. WORTH - SHIP - TO ATTRIBUTE WORTH
4. Our Worship should attribute to God the Highest Worth
a. Because God is Worthy
b. Psalm 96 and Psalm 29
5. Reasons we should ascribe to God extreme worth:
I. He is Holy
A. Holiness of things usually means "dedicated" or set apart
B. Holiness of God speaks of his "otherness" (opposite of common)
1. Most today do not understand what Holiness is all about
2. Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts..."
3. Song "Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I"
-We are like a worm trying to comprehend God)
C. Encountering the Holiness of God
1. Would strike Horror into the heart of a person
2. Biblical people who encountered God's Holiness:
a. Isaiah 6:1-5 - I am ruined
b. Exodus 19:16-25; 20:18-21 thought they were going to die
c. Job 40:1-4; 42:4-6 - When was the last time you repented
in dust and ashes?
d. Luke 5:8 - After miraculous catch, Peter "Go away
from me, for I am a sin
e. Rev. 1:11-17 - Fell at his feet like a dead man
3. People who treated God as Holy received mercy
D. Do we reflect God's holiness in the way we worship
1. God is not our "buddy"
2. Tension: "Holy Holy Holy" transcendent God is near
II. God is Omnipotent
A. Omnipotent means all powerful
B. In the Old Testament, he displayed his physical power
1. In Egypt with the Plagues (Exodus 1-14)
2. In the Conquest at Jericho (Joshua 6)
3. Through the Judges (such as Gideon)
C. In the New Testament He displayed his power through the cross
1. Colossians 2:13-15- Made a spectacle of them
-Satan struggles against God, only to find God using
his efforts against him
III. God is all knowing (and all present)
A. God knows you intimately
B. Psalm 139:1-6, 7-12, 13-16 - God knows, can't run from God,
he knew you before born
C. God sees our every thought
1. Makes me want to cry out, "Woe is Me"
2. But God cares
3. Luke 12:7 - "the very hairs of your head are numbered,
do not fear, you are of more value than many sparrows"
D. Can be thankful that even though God is Holy, he is also loving
IV. God is loving and merciful
A. This is the attribute of God we seem to like the most
B. Images to describe the love of God
1. Father and his children - N.T. God is called our father
2. Isaiah 49:15 - A mother and her child
3. Hosea - A man and his prostitute wife whom he
continually goes after
C. Lord does not give up on us
1. He disciplines us because he loves us as our children
2. Romans 8:38-39
D. I John 4:10 - "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He l
loved us and sent His son to be a propitiation for our sins
Concl:
1. One thing God does not want is ignorant worship
2. He has revealed enough of himself both through nature and his word to worship him intelligently
3. He has revealed that
a. He is Holy
b. He is Omnipotent
c. He is All knowing
d. He is Love
4. Our response to each attribute - Prostrate ourself, worship God,
we are unworthy
a. God will grant mercy (Isaiah lips cleaned by coal from altar)
b. Worship leads to service (Isaiah then volunteered to serve God)
5. Used to kneel in the old days when praying
6. Question:
Have I given much thought to our God who is holy
Have I ascribed the glory due his name?
- In worship service
-In the service that my worship leads to?