Seeking First His Kingdom (part 2) - "Glorifying Him as God"
Introduction. One of the greatest things we can do to make our service to God our highest priority, seeking Him first in every way, is to develop the awe and reverence for Him as our Creator. When we have written deeply in our hearts: “of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36), we will never lose our awe and fear. God is the source of all joy and everything that makes our life worth living. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” (Jas. 1:17). Yet He is more than the source! He is also the purpose and reason for everything. As Job observed, we came into this world naked and we will leave the same way. Our hope is to please, honor, revere, and obey Him, so He will count us worthy of eternal life. When we are acutely aware that every word, every thought and every action can bring us an eternal weight of glory, we are strengthening our sense of awe, reverence and respect toward Him.
Yet the influence of the “evil companions who can corrupt our good morals” must be ever in our mind (1Cor. 15:33). Our greatest fear of influence is “concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.” (Ps. 36:1). Because we live among a people who no longer fear God, it is easy for us to lose our own awe, reverence and fear! There is little fear of God in the schools teaching our children. There is very little awe of God in the time we spend in entertainment, reading books, or watching television. Even many of those who call Jesus “Lord” only “have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power.” (2Tim. 3:5). Truly we are “strangers, sojourners, pilgrims and exiles,” among those who have lost their fear of God and must “come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” (2Cor. 6:17).
It is a very slippery slope that leads back to “having no fear of God.” There are four small and often imperceptible steps that have led to disaster for countless multitudes: “although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Rom. 1:21). Like us these were people who “knew God.” They were His people, who knew He was their Creator and were serving Him.
The first step, which is the most difficult to define or see: “they did not glorify Him as God.” Slowly, the feelings of reverence, awe and fear of God slipped away from them. With tiny steps, they slowly changed. The relationship began to grow stale and the emotions slowly faded.
With this loss of reverence came the second step. They slowly lost their gratitude and appreciation for all His gifts and blessings. They started taking Him for granted. Words of thanks were spoken, at first, but the true feelings were slowly lost and the joy of salvation became empty.
The third step occurred as their thoughts became empty and futile. As Moses warned: “you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’” So many today see their wealth and power exactly like this. They have forgotten that “the Lord your God, it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” (Deut 8:17-18). Slowly the heart loses its awe and fear.
Finally, their senseless heart was darkened and they could no longer even see that they had fallen into this trap. When others sought to reason with them, they could no longer even see or understand that this had happened to them. The alarm that would have called them to their senses in the early moments had faded and nothing was left but empty conceit, pride and selfishness.
It is imperative we look for the signs and symptoms of this terrible spiritual malady that has destroyed so many before us. Many times, in the history of God’s people it took just one generation. Joshua’s generation served God faithfully and with great devotion, yet: “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Jdg. 2:10). How could such a thing happen so quickly? Even Moses’ warning didn’t help. “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” (Dt. 4:9-10)
This counsel must be taken to heart or we too could fall! We must “diligently keep ourselves” by monitoring and assessing the glory, fear and respect we give to God each day along with our gratitude and appreciation for His gifts. Are we still “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20)? Are our prayers sincere emotional pleas or mere forms and empty words? As we worship on the first day of the week? As we sing “and make melody” do we feel and mean the words we sing? Is our giving with gratitude and joy? Are we hearing His word with reverence? As we take the Lord’s supper do we remember with awe and thanksgiving that Jesus died for us? Are our amens given with emotions deeply felt or just an empty word? God knows our heart and if we are wise, we do too. Are Isaiah’s words true for us? “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” (Isa 29:13). If we are to avoid any of these things that have happened so often before, all must “diligently keep yourself, lest you forget.”
Few have been as faithful to God as Solomon. God chose his father David to be king, then chose him to build His temple. God spoke to him and gave him great wisdom and wealth. Solomon watched as God answered his prayer and His glory filled the entire temple. Yet slowly, imperceptibly, his wives turned his heart, and before he died, Solomon was building temples to idols and worshipping them. He had failed to monitor the glory and thanks he was giving God, he too slowly became futile in his reasoning, and his senseless heart was darkened. When God sent a prophet to warn him, instead of heeding, he sought to kill him. If Solomon could fall after all this, clearly no one is safe. But this was not an isolated incident. Throughout the Judges and the Kings, one generation would know the Lord. The next would forget all his benefits and cast him off.
There are many signs today that our country and our brethren are following this path. We must carefully consider our worship. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” (Ps. 89:7). Do we greatly fear, respect and honor God in our worship on the first day of the week?
Such things begin before we leave home. Realizing we are about to enter the presence of our Lord, do we give careful thought to how our attire and appearance reflects our reverence? Paul warned women to dress: “with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly.” God warned Moses to: “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5-6).
Our worship of the Creator of the heaven and the earth is not a casual time. It is not like other activities. We are not going out to dinner. We are not going to the movies, out shopping, or to work. We are coming into the presence of God and among His people to worship and show our reverence. Everything is different! This is the assembly our God has called us to gather and honor His Son Jesus Christ. Everything should be approached with fear and reverence. The only real difference between Moses at the bush and us coming to worship is our attitude. We are commanded to show fear and reverence in every possible way. Do we arise with these thoughts?
Our children need to be taught both by example and command that coming to services is not like going to a restaurant, game, school event, watching TV, going to the movies, or any secular activity. The clothing reflects our respect to God, our demeanor reflects our respect for God, what we do and don't do also reflects our awe and reverence for the occasion.
Those growing casual in their attitude toward God will show by their actions that some of that holy awe and reverence is no longer influencing them. When people chew gum in worship or bring coffee to services, they are reflecting a very casual attitude. When they allow their children to draw or use their phone, they likewise reflect a casual attitude. This is not compatible with:
“Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 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.” Rev. 15:3-4
Conclusion. Walking by faith and not by sight, and having the eyes of our heart enlightened takes careful thought and continual monitoring. It is too easy to slip and allow our hearts to become darkened. We must be constantly vigilant about the emotions and attitudes we observe within ourselves, in our children, and in our brethren. When we see things that reflect a casual attitude toward being in the presence of God, we need to see it as a threat to the well-being of the congregation and never forget, a little leaven can leaven the whole lump.
Yet the influence of the “evil companions who can corrupt our good morals” must be ever in our mind (1Cor. 15:33). Our greatest fear of influence is “concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.” (Ps. 36:1). Because we live among a people who no longer fear God, it is easy for us to lose our own awe, reverence and fear! There is little fear of God in the schools teaching our children. There is very little awe of God in the time we spend in entertainment, reading books, or watching television. Even many of those who call Jesus “Lord” only “have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power.” (2Tim. 3:5). Truly we are “strangers, sojourners, pilgrims and exiles,” among those who have lost their fear of God and must “come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” (2Cor. 6:17).
It is a very slippery slope that leads back to “having no fear of God.” There are four small and often imperceptible steps that have led to disaster for countless multitudes: “although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Rom. 1:21). Like us these were people who “knew God.” They were His people, who knew He was their Creator and were serving Him.
The first step, which is the most difficult to define or see: “they did not glorify Him as God.” Slowly, the feelings of reverence, awe and fear of God slipped away from them. With tiny steps, they slowly changed. The relationship began to grow stale and the emotions slowly faded.
With this loss of reverence came the second step. They slowly lost their gratitude and appreciation for all His gifts and blessings. They started taking Him for granted. Words of thanks were spoken, at first, but the true feelings were slowly lost and the joy of salvation became empty.
The third step occurred as their thoughts became empty and futile. As Moses warned: “you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’” So many today see their wealth and power exactly like this. They have forgotten that “the Lord your God, it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” (Deut 8:17-18). Slowly the heart loses its awe and fear.
Finally, their senseless heart was darkened and they could no longer even see that they had fallen into this trap. When others sought to reason with them, they could no longer even see or understand that this had happened to them. The alarm that would have called them to their senses in the early moments had faded and nothing was left but empty conceit, pride and selfishness.
It is imperative we look for the signs and symptoms of this terrible spiritual malady that has destroyed so many before us. Many times, in the history of God’s people it took just one generation. Joshua’s generation served God faithfully and with great devotion, yet: “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Jdg. 2:10). How could such a thing happen so quickly? Even Moses’ warning didn’t help. “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” (Dt. 4:9-10)
This counsel must be taken to heart or we too could fall! We must “diligently keep ourselves” by monitoring and assessing the glory, fear and respect we give to God each day along with our gratitude and appreciation for His gifts. Are we still “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20)? Are our prayers sincere emotional pleas or mere forms and empty words? As we worship on the first day of the week? As we sing “and make melody” do we feel and mean the words we sing? Is our giving with gratitude and joy? Are we hearing His word with reverence? As we take the Lord’s supper do we remember with awe and thanksgiving that Jesus died for us? Are our amens given with emotions deeply felt or just an empty word? God knows our heart and if we are wise, we do too. Are Isaiah’s words true for us? “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” (Isa 29:13). If we are to avoid any of these things that have happened so often before, all must “diligently keep yourself, lest you forget.”
Few have been as faithful to God as Solomon. God chose his father David to be king, then chose him to build His temple. God spoke to him and gave him great wisdom and wealth. Solomon watched as God answered his prayer and His glory filled the entire temple. Yet slowly, imperceptibly, his wives turned his heart, and before he died, Solomon was building temples to idols and worshipping them. He had failed to monitor the glory and thanks he was giving God, he too slowly became futile in his reasoning, and his senseless heart was darkened. When God sent a prophet to warn him, instead of heeding, he sought to kill him. If Solomon could fall after all this, clearly no one is safe. But this was not an isolated incident. Throughout the Judges and the Kings, one generation would know the Lord. The next would forget all his benefits and cast him off.
There are many signs today that our country and our brethren are following this path. We must carefully consider our worship. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” (Ps. 89:7). Do we greatly fear, respect and honor God in our worship on the first day of the week?
Such things begin before we leave home. Realizing we are about to enter the presence of our Lord, do we give careful thought to how our attire and appearance reflects our reverence? Paul warned women to dress: “with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly.” God warned Moses to: “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5-6).
Our worship of the Creator of the heaven and the earth is not a casual time. It is not like other activities. We are not going out to dinner. We are not going to the movies, out shopping, or to work. We are coming into the presence of God and among His people to worship and show our reverence. Everything is different! This is the assembly our God has called us to gather and honor His Son Jesus Christ. Everything should be approached with fear and reverence. The only real difference between Moses at the bush and us coming to worship is our attitude. We are commanded to show fear and reverence in every possible way. Do we arise with these thoughts?
Our children need to be taught both by example and command that coming to services is not like going to a restaurant, game, school event, watching TV, going to the movies, or any secular activity. The clothing reflects our respect to God, our demeanor reflects our respect for God, what we do and don't do also reflects our awe and reverence for the occasion.
Those growing casual in their attitude toward God will show by their actions that some of that holy awe and reverence is no longer influencing them. When people chew gum in worship or bring coffee to services, they are reflecting a very casual attitude. When they allow their children to draw or use their phone, they likewise reflect a casual attitude. This is not compatible with:
“Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 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.” Rev. 15:3-4
Conclusion. Walking by faith and not by sight, and having the eyes of our heart enlightened takes careful thought and continual monitoring. It is too easy to slip and allow our hearts to become darkened. We must be constantly vigilant about the emotions and attitudes we observe within ourselves, in our children, and in our brethren. When we see things that reflect a casual attitude toward being in the presence of God, we need to see it as a threat to the well-being of the congregation and never forget, a little leaven can leaven the whole lump.
- “The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! 2 The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy.” (Ps 99:1-3).