(28) The Heart of Worship is Joyful & Excited

(Note: This is part of a continuing series of posts on The Heart of Worship & Psalm 95)

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,
Let us shout joyfully

The Hebrew word translated joy is also translated as “shout,” “rejoice,” “sing,” “sing aloud,” “shout for joy,” “sing for joy,” “cry out,” “shout aloud.” It means to give a ringing cry in joy, exultation, and praise. What is joy? Joy is “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation”

What is God telling us to do here? He’s telling us that our emotions should be engaged when we worship. We should be delighted in God’s greatness and glory. We should express this delight and joy in worship. This is an emotional expression. Rick Warren has pointed out that “Some people sing like they’re practicing to be ventriloquists. ‘Look, he´s worshiping and I barely saw his mouth move!’” Funny, but sad . . . and unbiblical. Worship must always be reverent, but that does not mean it has to be formal, subdued or subdued. The idea that worship must be restrained, subdued, somber, and dignified is distinctly UNBIBLICAL!

Make a joyful noise to the LORD,

all the earth;

break forth into joyous song

and sing praises!

(Psalm 98:4 ESV)

The clear command of the Hebrew translated, “sing for joy” and “shout joyfully” is unrestrained, excited, loud worship. Ruwa [“shout joyfully”] is used frequently in the Old Testament to refer to the loud shout given to call the army to battle or in triumph after a victory. In other words, God is telling us . . . God, not me . . . that we should shout exultingly in worship like those who are victorious in battle . . . or perhaps to put it in our context, when our team wins the game! 

Remember, not only are we worshipers . . . BUT we worship all the time! So, what does it say about me if I feel the freedom to get excited and shout for joy when my team wins or I get something I’ve been anticipating but I hold back when it comes to getting excited about God and shouting for joy in worship?

If I say I value God above everything else, that I worship God, and yet, I am inhibited in my worship, because of what others will think of me, than my actions say I value the opinions, acceptance, and approval of man more than I value God. At that moment, I have ceased to worship God!

Where did we get the idea that it’s ok to get excited, clap, shout, jump up and down and express joy when a ball team scores but it’s not ok to do this when we worship the greatness and goodness of God. We sure didn’t get this idea from scripture.

Remember when David was rebuked by his wife Michal for his worship at the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jereusalem? Remember David’s response to her? "I was dancing before the LORD, . . . I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! (2 Samuel 6:21-22 NLT)

"Worship is the believer's response of all that he is-mind, emotion, will, and body-to all that God is and says and does. (Warren Wiersbe)
 
Soli Deo Gloria

Next:  The Heart of Worship is Satisfied

(27) The Heart of Worship is Vertical

(Note: This is part of a continuing series of posts on The Heart of Worship & Psalm 95)

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD

In scripture we find both a horizontal, man to man expression of worship and also a vertical, man to God expression. Both are valid and both have their place in biblical, God honoring worship. But, while vertically expressed worship is appropriate in the absence of horizontal expression, horizontal worship is never appropriate if it is not joined with an ultimate focus on vertical worship.

Psalm 95 begins with a call to a vertical focus in worship: "O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD." Genuine, biblical worship always exalts God as the one to be worshiped. If it is not God-centered, exalting Him, praising Him, and delighting in Him it is not biblical worship.

Horizontal, man to man expression of worship is an act of giving testimony to others, declaring God’s goodness and blessing. Such testimonies are edifying, and certainly bring glory to God. They are an important part of worship, but their focus is more on us – it is communication one to another. In scripture, this declaration is joined with a call to others to turn the focus from the blessing to the blesser and worship of God for His goodness and blessing.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
(Psalm 105:1-3 NAU)

Here in Psalm 105, we see horizontal worship in an expression of what God has done, declaring His truth and glory. But notice that the focus on God’s blessing is in the context of a primary focus on worshiping God.

Vertical, man to God worship, has God as its primary focus, expressing adoration and praise directly to Him. Vertical worship leads us to worship God simply for who He is, not just the benefit we receive in relationship with Him.

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing,
I will sing praises, even with my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5 NAU)

So, worship should include a horizontal aspect of declaring God’s greatness to others. But, we must assure that this horizontal testimony and encouragement always directs the focus to God as the one to be praised. We must not stop at the point of focusing on the blessings. We must move beyond the blessings to worship the blesser.

But there is another important aspect of vertical, God-focused worship. Worship is simply about value. It is our response to what we value the most. True worship of God has at its core the belief that God is the highest value and is therefore worthy of worship above all else. Vertical worship is valuing God and His fame above everything else. Worship is declaring and demonstrating God’s worth above everything else.

Whenever I put anything above God I become an idolater. I can worship God or I can worship an idol. If I sing, "Lord, you are more precious than silver" and yet my choices in how I spend my money say I value something more than God (silver), my choices and actions say I don’t value God above all else.

We may not say we worship our stuff, but the volume of our actions speak louder than words. Worship is more about what we do from the heart than what we say from the lips!


Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Heart of Worship is Joyful & Excited!

(26) Getting Back to the Heart of Worship

(Note:  This is the first in a series of posts on The Heart of Worship & Psalm 95)

Worship is the very heart of God’s purpose for creating us. And make no mistake about it, we all worship, all the time. Worship is linked to what we value, honor, devote ourselves to. We are always living for something, worshiping something. If we choose not to give God what He desires, and worship Him, we will worship anyway, simply exchanging the creator for something He has created. We may worship an object, a person, or a goal, but we will worship something.

Psalm 95 has a lot to say about who we should worship and how we should worship. When we carefully study this Psalm phrase by phrase, we get a pretty comprehensive guideline for what God-centered worship looks like. In this Psalm we discover the true heart of worship. Read it slowly and thoughtfully.

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. 5The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.

6Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, 8Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9"When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. 10"For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11"Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

Certainly this Psalm isn’t an exhaustive guide for worship, but it does give a solid foundation and starting point for discovering the heart of genuine, God-centered worship. In this beautiful Psalm I see seventeen characteristics of the heart of worship that we will look at more closely.

The heart of worship is:
Vertical . . . Joyful . . . Excited . . . Satisfied
Purposeful . . . Thankful . . . Engaging . . . Musical
Focused . . . Awestruck . . . Humble . . . Expressive
Reverent . . . Submissive . . . Teachable . . . Active Faith.
The Heart

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Heart of Worship is Vertical

(25) When God Says, “Stop Worshiping – I Don’t Do Left-Overs!”

Everyone in our family loves left-overs. One time my wife cooked every dinner for a whole month in one Saturday. For the next month, we basically ate leftovers every day. It was great, just pick something out of the freezer and pop it in the oven or nuker.

But I know there are others who want a fresh cooked meal at every meal. I have met more than one person who wanted a cooked meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have a friend who absolutely will not eat left-overs of any kind at any time.

When it comes to worship, God’s like my friend. He wants our best efforts, He expects to have first priority. God doesn’t do leftovers.

The LORD of Heaven's Armies says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!"But you ask, 'How have we ever shown contempt for your name?' 7"You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar."Then you ask, 'How have we defiled the sacrifices? '"You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. 8When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 9 Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD of Heaven's Armies. 10"How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "and I will not accept your offerings. (Malachi. 1:6-10)

Let me try to paraphrase this passage in a nutshell synopsis. God is saying, "You’re disrespecting me and disregarding me. You don’t even treat me as good as you do your fathers or governors. You keep the best for yourself. You only give me what you don’t want for yourself, your left-overs. I don’t’ want your left-overs. In fact, please, just close the doors and stop coming if all you’re giving is the left-overs you didn’t want after serving yourself."

Remember, God told Israel to bring the best of their flocks, animals without blemish to sacrifice in worship. The people were keeping the best for themselves and bringing God the lame and disfigured animals they had no use for. All God was getting was the throw-aways.

But God doesn’t do left-overs. If all we have to give Him is our left-over time, energy, money, and attention, that we begrudgingly give then God says, "Keep it." Giving God only our left-overs is a grave offense of dishonoring and disrespecting Him.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking that the answer is to give God first place. This thinking is faulty because it tends to say, "Give God first place and once you’ve done that, the rest is yours." But the Bible teaches us that God desires, deserves and demands all our time . . . all our energy . . . all our money . . . all of our abilities . . . everything invested in the advancement of the worship and praise of His glory. Paul says, "Do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31)

Let me put this more practically and, well, bluntly with a few questions to ask yourself.

1. Is my daily time in God’s Word and worship determined by how busy my schedule is for the day and how much time I feel I can spare or have left over at the end of the day?
   
2. Is my church attendance based on whether or not I have something around the house I want to do, a game I want to watch, or some other activity I want to do?
   
3. How often do I skip church because I’ve got other things to do?
   
4. Do I make it a priority to be rested and well prepared to worship God or do I show up tired and distracted, thinking about what’s next?
   
5. Am I seeking to do ALL for the glory of God . . . to make my life, all of it, an act of worship?
   

When our worship is only the left-overs of our time, effort, and money, then God says, "Stop worshiping!"

God deserves that every thought of our minds . . . every beat of our hearts . . . every affection . . . every word . . . every ounce of our energy . . . be focused on Him . . . His exaltation, praise, and worship. He deserves that we continually, completely, and constantly give Him all the glory and honor with all of our energy. He deserves every thought . . . every affection . . . every energy . . . every heart beat . . .every breath. Soli deo gloria!


Soli Deo Gloria

NEXT: Getting Back to the Heart of Worship

(24) When God Says, “Stop Worshiping – There’s Sin In Your Life!”

Holiness is an all but forgotten pursuit of modern Christians. The popular cry is trumpeted from pulpits, "God loves you the way you are." This is true, but God does not leave us the way we are. He is on a mission to make us like Christ. God is on a mission to purge us of our sin. What does God do when we refuse to respond to His efforts to rid us of our sin? He tells us to stop worshiping.

Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting-- even your most pious meetings-- are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. (Isa. 1:13-15 NLT)

Wow! What sobering words. Look at what God says about their meetings, offerings, and prayers. God is saying, "Stop worshiping, close the doors, I can’t take it anymore, I’m disgusted!" Why? Because "Your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims."

We must not think that we can live as we please, living in sin and rebellion against God’s Word and then think we can go to church and worship God like everything is fine. The first step in biblical worship is always confession and repentance.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Palm 139:23-24 NIV)

This really does fly in the face of our contemporary "come as you are" mentality were the implication and in some cases the practice is devoid of reverence for the holiness and commands of God. I have known churches to allow practicing homosexuals and even unbelievers participate in leading worship.

What would God say to this? I believe He would say, "Stop it! . . .Close the church doors!" You can’t rebel against the Gospel and the Word of God and worship Him at the same time.

Perhaps with most of us our sin is less blatant and grievous. But are we guilty of downplaying our own sin? Do we take our sin lightly as we come before God in worship? Is our first act of worship Spirit-guided self examination, confession and repentance?

When there is known sin in our lives and we refuse to confess and turn from it, then God says, "Stop worshiping!" The first act of worship must be confession and repentance.

Soli Deo Gloria


Next: When God Says, "Stop Worshiping – I Don’t Do Left-Overs!"

(23) When God Says, “Stop Worshiping – You’re Heart’s Not In It!”

Can you imagine God telling us to stop worshiping and close the church doors? This is, in effect, what He says to the people of Israel . . . more than once! Why? Was it because their worship was unsound doctrinally? No. Was it because God didn’t approve of their worship style or the instruments they used? No. It had nothing to do with the content or style of their worship at all.

Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote . . . (Isaiah 29:13 NAU)
　
What’s the problem here? There’s no reason to question the content of their worship. They were saying the right things in worship. And, on top of that, they were doing it faithfully. They were showing up whenever the doors were open and saying the right things and singing the right words. But there was one big problem. The words were just words without heart. They were just going through the motions. They were just doing church. It was habit, ritual, tradition without heart. There was no joy or delight in God. There was no affection for God.

You shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your might.

(Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV)

In Hebrew thought, the heart was the center of personality. It was a word that summed up the totality of the real person inside the flesh and bones. The heart includes thoughts, values, emotions, and will. For the people in Isaiah’s day, they were exercising their wills, but their thoughts, values, and emotions were not engaged in worship.

Again, we need to note that God doesn’t just want acts of worship. God wants us to have hearts that love Him, delight in Him, are passionate about Him, and so, worship Him. The acts of worship whether they be spoken words, singing, clapping, raising hands, bowing, kneeling, dancing or any other act we are told to do in scripture must come from a heart for God. Genuine worship is more than the right thoughts, words, and actions. Genuine worship engages the whole person.

So let me ask you a question. Where are your thoughts when you are singing in church? Are your thoughts on the truth of the words you are singing? Is this truth about God a genuine expression of your heart as you sing? Or is it just words coming out of your mouth?

What are your emotions like when you worship? Are you filled with joy and delight in the God of glory? Is it a pleasure and thrill to gather with other believers to worship God? Are you touched to the core of your being by His greatness and majesty? Are you humbled, perhaps even to tears by the wonders of His grace, mercy and love?

When worship is nothing more than an intellectual, physical practice without the reality of a heart responding to the heart of God, then God says, "Stop worshiping!"

May we never have to hear God say,

"Stop worshiping, your heart’s not in it."

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: When God Says, "Stop Worshiping – There’s Sin In Your Life!"

(22) Authentic Worship

Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

(Psalm 111:1 NAU)

Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name!

(Psalm 103:1 NET)

God is looking for authentic worship! Authentic worship begins with accurate worship. Worship that is based on truth and expresses truth. But it is not enough for worship to be accurate. Even if the words spoken or sung are directly from scripture, this is not enough. God does not just want the head, He wants the heart. He doesn’t want us to just express the right words from our mouths. He wants to engage our hearts. Accurate worship must be coupled with authentic worship. Worship that comes from the heart.

Worship is not an unexpressed feeling, nor is it an empty formality. True worship is balanced and involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. It must be intelligent; it must reach deep within and be motivated by love; and it must lead to obedient actions that glorify God. (Warren Wiersbe)

Authentic worship must be built on accurate worship. Accurate worship must be expressed authentically from a heart that affirms the words, believes the words, feels the emotion of the words. The truth of the character and glory of God and the truth of the Word should produce a multifaceted response in us. It should impact our heads – our thinking. It should impact our hearts – our values and emotions. It should impact hour hands – our actions. Authentic worship involves our whole being, intellect, emotion and will.

Those of us who hold truth and holiness in high regard tend to do really well with the head and the hands when it comes to obeying God’s Word and worship. We are often lacking in heart. We shun feelings and expressions of emotion. Especially when it comes to worship.

I once had a friend tell me that His church taught that there should be no physical or emotional aspects to worship in worship. You were to sit or stand still and sing the words without any feeling. We will clearly see from scripture that this is totally unbiblical.

John Piper has pointed out, "Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead...True worship must include inward feelings that reflect the worth of God's glory."

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
(Psalm 32:11 NAU)

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: When God Says, "Stop Worshiping!"

(21) Accurate Worship

Man-centered worship is typically heavily oriented toward feeling and experience. The goal is to enjoy worship, feel something and have a positive experience in worship. If these goals are accomplished then it is called good worship. And while feelings and experience of God’s presence are an important part of biblical worship, there is much more than that. God is looking for accurate worship. Worship that is rooted in truth and is an expression of truth.

Jesus points out that the Samaritan’s worship was not based on an accurate understanding of God, "You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him."

Worship based on erroneous thinking and view of God is not worship at all. So, we must first turn our hearts to the truth of God's Word as it reveals His character. If our worship is to be pleasing to God, we need to know God . . . know His character . . . see His glory. It is not enough that we worship with all our hearts if our heads are filled with wrong concepts of God. Paul points out this flaw in Israel’s pursuit of God.

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. (Romans 10:1-2 NAU)

Sincerity is not enough! If worship is based on error, no matter how sincere the worshiper, it is not true worship! And so, we must know God accurately, based on scripture’s revelation of God’s nature and character.

"Worship must be both accurate & authentic. God pleasing worship is deeply emotional & deeply doctrinal. We use our hearts & our hands . . . If worship is mindless it is meaningless" (Rick Warren)

True worship has both objective and subjective aspects, and we must maintain this balance. . . If we do not submit to some kind of objective revelation, some Word from God, then our worship is ignorant and probably false. (Warren Wiersbe)

Worship that honors God is an accurate expression of biblical truth. This expression of biblical truth in worship requires that we keep two great truths about God in mind. The worship of God is simultaneously about an infinite God who is beyond comprehension and an intimate God we can know. Worship must hold on to both these truths.

It is worship of the God of infinite glory who dwells in marvelous light unapproachable (1 Tim. 6:16). This is called God’s transcendence meaning that God is above and beyond us in every way. Our worship must recognize God's transcendence and should arouse attitudes and emotions of reverence, awe, and wonder, even speechlessness.

But it is also the worship of the God who is our Father and personal friend (John 15:14; Jam. 2:23). This is referred to as God’s immanence meaning that we can come near to God and interact with Him and have close fellowship with Him. The immanence of God arouses attitudes and emotions of intimacy, love, and passion.

Some worship tends to do well at spotlighting and expressing God’s transcendence. Some does well at focusing on God’s immanence. But it need not be one or the other and one should never outshine the other. We need to reverence God and we need to celebrate God. We need awe and we need intimacy. They should go hand in hand, be reciprocal, and complement one another.

As we will see, scripture calls us to very reverent, humble, and contemplative expressions of worship that is quiet, even silent. Scripture also calls us to exuberant, expressive, and celebratory worship that raises the roof. We need both.

Soli Deo Gloria


Next: Authentic Worship

(20) Theo-centric Worship

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Psalm 29:2)

To worship is to place value in something that leads to honoring it, venerating it, exalting it, drawing attention to its worth and seeing it as worthy of praise. So, worship begins in the heart where something or someone is valued and then, worship is expressed in some action.

I am a firm believer in worship. Really, this whole blog is about worship. It could even be called a handbook on the purpose and content of worship. Why, because worship is for God and about God, the glory of God. Biblical worship is God-centered.

So, a correct view of God is vital for proper worship. As Tozer points out, a correct view of God, "Is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse."

In scripture, worship is not just something we do on Sunday. Worship is to be a lifestyle of exalting God in everything we do. But, in the scripture, we also see a major focus on focused worship; expressing God’s glory verbally and with music. In fact, this is a major theme of scripture. In the book of Exodus, 25 chapters are devoted to the construction and worship of the tabernacle. Leviticus is a 27 chapter guide to worship practice for Israel. The Psalms formed the Jewish hymnal. There are several commands to worship in the New Testament and principles to guide us in that worship.

Worship of the glory of God is the theme and essence of this blog. The expression of worship through our lifestyle, speaking, songs and other acts of worship liturgy are an important aspect of worship, personally, privately, and publically. So, we will need to spend some time considering biblical principles for worship. We start with the words of Jesus as He instruct the Samaritan woman on principles of worship.

" So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?"

Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming-- indeed it's here now-- when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:20-25 NLT)

The focus of this woman was on determining the proper place and method of worship, "Who worships the right way and in the right place?" Jesus’ response shows us that worship is not about these external things. It is first a foremost about truth and the heart, not methods. God desires a deeper worship than just going through the motions. He is seeking worshipers who truly know Him and exalt His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: Accurate Worship

(19) The Lens of Theo-centric Theology

When you look through a frosted window, you get a distorted view of everything outside. When you look through the lens of man-centered or another fallacious, clouded theological lens, you get a distorted view of God and everything else in life.

Dan Dehaan points out in The God You Can Know that, "Christians believe in one big, bold miracle – God. As a result, everything else fits into place. The rest of the world denies God, the Creator, and needs a miracle to explain everything created."

A correct view of God puts everything else in proper place and perspective. Many of the struggles in our lives are a result of losing perspective on who God is. We see so much pain, sorrow, and difficulty around us, and our view of God gets distorted. It is only when we get a clear focus on the greatness and character of God that we can properly view and respond to the challenges and painful circumstances of life. A. W. Tozer explains this:

The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long; but even if the multiple burdens of time may be lifted from him, the one mighty single burden of eternity begins to press down upon him with a weight more crushing than all the woes of the world piled one upon another. That mighty burden is his obligation to God.

The great need in life is not to make sense of the problems of life and find solutions for them. The great need of life is to know God in all His glorious character. The great need of life is to understand how to live life in light of God’s glorious character. The great need of life is learning how to glorify God in the challenging circumstances of life. This can only happen when we have an accurate, biblical view of God. Life begins and ends with a clear view of the character of God.

We get confused and can’t make sense of life . . . We need to know the God of all knowledge and wisdom. We think we know the answers and end up dead wrong . . . we need to follow the God with the perfect plan. We run out of time and get impatient . . . we need to rest in the timing of the eternal God. We are weak and run out of energy to keep going . . . we need to be renewed by the almighty God. We loose heart, get discouraged, feel like giving up. God says, "Have you forgotten who I am?"

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT)

Without doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God, and the weightiest word in any language is its word for God. (A.W. Tozer)

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: Theo-centric Worship

(18) God Like Us

We live in a world today where we have lost sight of the God revealed in scripture. We have formulated a God who fits with our sensibilities. We have created a God who is just like us.

For some, truth about God and the acts of God revealed in scripture do not sit well with them and so they are faced with a crisis of belief. Do I accept this God or reject Him? Many reject the God revealed in the Bible because He insults their pride, their sense of self-worth and fairness.

They see God commanding Israel to wipe out an entire civilization – men, women, children, and animals. And they don’t want anything to do with a God like this. They see God condemning man to Hell and they don’t want anything to do with a God like this. They don’t think God has any right or justification for doing such things to the highest of all evolved beings. They don’t want anything to do with a God who exercises His righteousness, holiness, and justice in acts of vengeance and wrath. Because, in their minds, man does not deserve this, they view Him as some Godzilla-like monster. To them it is just arbitrary, evil and the unrestrained outpouring of violence on the nobelist of beings who are undeserving, good people.

But God is not Godzilla. This is perception of God is incomplete and inaccurate. It is built on an inaccurate view of man. It is a view that is corrected when we see the God revealed in the scripture in the totality of His Divine nature.

God is not Godzilla.

God is not your grandfather. God is often brought down to the level of man so that He is familiar, kind, lenient, cozy, a and warm grandfatherly type. The mind-set is that grandfathers don’t discipline. They’re always kind, gentle and loving. The view of God is that He smiles down on us no matter what we do, no matter what the condition of our hearts. People who view God this way will overemphasize the love of God and exalt it as the one defining attribute of God that governs all others.

Some of us may see this as the distorted view of liberal theologians. But unfortunately, even some orthodox, conservative theologians fall into this error. We will deal more thoroughly with this error and the truth of scripture on this matter when we study the love of God. But for now, consider this:

"God is love," and some have taken his words to be a definitive statement concerning the essential nature of God. This is a great error. The words "God is love" mean that love is an essential attribute of God. Love is something true of God but it is not God. (A.W. Tozer)
God is love. But God is also holy, just, righteous. Around the throne of God it is not the love of God that is focused on, it is His holiness (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4) . . . "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, almighty."

God is not your grandfather. Love is just one of the attributes found in the essential nature of God.

God is not your genie. God is often seen as being there for man's benefit. They act like God is their personal genie, existing to grant their wishes whatever they may be, whenever they are demanded. This is closely related to the error of overemphasizing the love of God. Many people act like God exists to serve them. God exists to fulfill their desires and make them happy. God exists to make me healthy, wealthy and successful in whatever I want to do.

Some preachers are preaching this every Sunday. Time magazine reports that "61% of American Christians tell pollsters they believe God wants them to be financially prosperous." (Read their sobering article, Does God Want You To Be Rich? at www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1533448,00.html

Sadly, much of Christianity today is about what God can do for me. People attend church, put money in the offering plate and maybe serve in some program because they believe this is how they get the blessing of God. They do their religious acts like Aladdin rubs Genie’s lamp. They are only in it for what they hope to get out of it from God in the form of "the good life" now. And the "good life" is all about material, physical things of this world.

God is not your genie!

God is not Godzilla. He is not your grandfather. He is not your genie.


Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Lens of Theo-centric Theology

(17) The Importance of Theo-Centric Theology

When you start with the wrong roadmap, headed in the wrong direction, you’re going to end up in the wrong place. Now that’s profound isn’t it? Perhaps not, but it illustrates an important principle that applies to theology and doctrine.

Before I explain this further, it might be good to make sure we understand what we’re talking about when we use the words doctrine and theology. Doctrine is simply a statement of what we believe to be true. Another word we use for this is "theology." The word theology literally means the study of God. And this is where so much of our doctrine goes wrong. It doesn’t begin with a study of the character of God as revealed in His Word.

Too often, we start doing theology and establishing our doctrine with the wrong roadmap and headed in the wrong direction. Far too much theology and doctrine is man-centered. Because of this, we look at the wrong thing and we look for the wrong thing. Many people get tripped up because they do theology and formulate their doctrinal beliefs with this wrong starting point – man-centered theology that begins with a wrong view of humanity, human reason and reasoning ability, man’s goodness and intrinsic value. Man-centered theology tends to view and formulate doctrine based on how it effects or impacts man. Instead of letting scripture speak for itself, it is filtered through what makes sense to man and man’s concepts of what is right. Most often, this leads to error in belief about the character of God, the nature of man and doctrine related to sin and salvation.

This was the error of Job and his friends who thought themselves counselors in theology. They began with wrong thinking about God, man, and suffering and so, they came up with wrong conclusions regarding the horrific pain in Job’s life. It didn’t make sense from the perspective of man and their views of suffering and God. The "theologians" concluded Job must be guilty of sin. It didn’t fit with their man-centered theology that said Job couldn’t be suffering for any other reason but sin. Job had this same theology but he declared his innocence and so he questioned if God really knew what was going on. But then, God responded,

"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2)

God goes on in some length to show them that He is the creator, man is the creation. God’s knowledge and wisdom is infinite, man’s is very limited. God is the center of the universe, not man. Job and his counselors needed to be humbled before God and start with a Theo-centric theology.

Theology must be governed by scripture and must begin with the one who is the beginning, creator and source of all truth. Theology must begin and end with a focus on the character and glory of God. Theology must be God centered, that is, Theo-centric.

Perhaps one of the greatest books ever written on the glory of God is The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. In it, he writes, "I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God."

Millard Erickson in Christian Theology agrees, "The doctrine of God is the central point for much of the rest of theology. One's view of God might even be thought of as supplying the whole framework within which one's theology is constructed and life is lived."

Our study of theology must begin with a study of God. It must be centered on God as God and man as creation. God was who He is in eternity past, before man was created. So, we must get a firm grip on what scripture reveals about God, apart from the implications of these truths on humanity. This is difficult, but it must be pursued. Whenever the scripture declares truth about the character of God and His ways that does not sit well with us, we must return to this truth. God is God. He always has been and always will be. We are His creation.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: God Like Us

(16) The Glory of Eternity

Paul looked froward to the glory of eternity when he said, ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee will bow– in heaven and on earth and under the earth– and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Philipians 2:10-11 NET)). He said this right after he described Jesus’ humility in going to the Cross. What a contrast! From the most humbling, degrading and horrific circumstances man can imaging to glory that is far beyond man’s imagination!

The reason every knee will bow to Jesus’ lordship and give glory to the Father is that His worth will finally be fully appreciated. John sees this worth described and worshiped in Heaven when He is given the privilege of a glimpse of Heaven.

Revelation 4 and 5 are a vignette of the worship that will go on in Heaven through eternity. In chapter four, the majestic and mysterious angelic beings cry out in constant antiphonal worship, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (4:8)" They continually, "give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever (4:9)." Around the throne of God there are 24 "elders" who most likely represent the redeemed Church. Here the Church is seen casting their crowns received for faithful service down in worship at the feet of God. As they do this, they proclaim, "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

This is the beginning of the end. The vindication of God’s glory is beginning. God’s wrath against sin and rebellion is about to be unleashed, His judgement against those who refuse to willingly bow in worship. But before this happens, God vindicates the justice of His coming acts of judgement and wrath. He demonstrates that the recipients of judgement are fully deserving of this judgement.

The scene in Heaven is hushed as the hosts of Heaven wait for one who is worthy, justified in unleashing the judgement of God. And then it happens. One steps forward. One who looks like a lamb that has been slain. He takes possession of the scrolls that declare and unleash God’s judgement. And all of heaven bursts forth with the declaration of His worth, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth (5:9-10)."

Worthy! Why? Because Jesus is the lamb who gave His live for the redeemed. These are a people who have been ransomed, "for God." Its all about Him and the worship of His glory. These are a kingdom and priests "to our God." These are the ones who exist for eternity in their priestly role of giving honor, service, and worship to the God of glory!

John's glimpse of this glorious scene in Heaven comes to a close,

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:11-14 NIV)

May we, this day, bow, shout, sing, delight in, praise, and worship the Triune God of glory. He is worthy of our praise now, and for all eternity.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Importance of Theo-centric Theology

(15) The Glory of the Church

In a world of mega-churches, TV churches, celebrity preachers, business model strategies and programs for church growth, its sometimes hard to see the true glory of the Church being demonstrated. It seems that the glory of the church and its pastor is the most important goal for some churches. But this is a huge distortion and masking of the true glory of the church.

In Ephesians three, Paul talks about the glory of God’s "eternal plan" to bring together Jews and Gentiles in the Body of Christ, the Church. He marvels over this incredible plan and the magnificence of the Church.

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.. . . . 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, . . . . 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:6, 10-11, 14-21 ESV)

God created the cosmos to demonstrate His glory. All of the 330,000 species of plants, all of the nearly 1.3 million species of animals, the beautiful and magnificently varied terrain, the sometimes delightful, sometimes terrifying elements of weather, and the billions and billions of stars and planets in the universe were all created by God to display His glory. Now, Paul tells us that God created the Church to demonstrate His glory as well.

How does Paul describe the glory of the Church? He sees millions upon millions of people from Jewish and gentile background – in fact, from many unique backgrounds (Gal. 3:28) all brought together as members of one Body, one Church. He sees brothers and sisters in one family. And He sees the glory of God.

The glory of the Church is all wrapped up in the unity of the Church. The glory of the Church is seen when the redeemed set aside secondary differences like worship style, dress, hair style, etc., and even minor doctrinal differences, accept one another without passing judgement on each other in these secondary issues, and live together in unity and love. Scripture makes it clear that the areas for separation or division are matters of significant doctrine such as denial or perversion of the person of Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 4:4-5) or the work of Jesus Christ (Jude 4, Gal. 5:1-12). Paul clearly outlines the areas where agreement is essential:

There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV)

It is around these essentials that Paul says we must "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

The church is not some invisible, virtual group of wonderfully gifted and holy individuals who fulfill all God intended for us. Rather it is the ordinary people gathered week by week, warts and all, who struggle to worship and serve God, and together seek to understand his love. It is his power at work in us, and not our virtues, that bring him glory. – Bob Morris

The glory of God in the Church is seen in the beauty of love and unity. This is not a unity based on complete uniformity or conformity, but rather in the presence of diversity.

To God be glory in the Church!


Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Glory of Eternity

(14) The Glory of the Gospel

We see the pictures of tribal people and the maps that show us where all the unreached people are. We are urged with great passion, "We need to go into all the world and preach the Gospel or these people will go to Hell." The view of missions and the preaching of the Gospel is often very man-centered. But, biblically, missions and the preaching of the Gospel is ultimately God-centered.

Paul states that "Through [Jesus Christ our Lord] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles," now watch this carefully, "for His name's sake." (Romans 1:5)

"For His name’s sake" is literally, "for the sake of the Name." Kenneth S. Wuest explains that this is, "an Old Testament expression speaking of all that God is in His being, His majesty, glory, power, holiness, righteousness. It is used in the sense of character or reputation."

Why did God choose to extend His grace to Paul? For His glory. Why did God appoint Paul as an apostle? For His glory. Why did God commission Paul to preach the Gospel? For His glory. What was the purpose of the Gentiles coming to faith? God’s glory. The glory of the Gospel is the exaltation of the glory of God from start to finish. The Gospel is God-centered, not man-centered.

John tells us that the New Testament church missionaries, "Went out for his name's sake." (3 John 1:7) The believer’s commission to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth is a commission to spread the recognition and worship of the glory of God. This is done by leading people to faith in Christ and then discipling them toward maturity in Christ and worship of the glory of God.

John Piper has stated the truth so clearly, "Missions exists because worship doesn’t." Missions is needed to reach the people who are not worshiping God in order to lead them to worship God through the preaching of the Gospel.

Yes, God loves the lost. Certainly God has compassion on the lost. But not because they are so worthy of being saved, but rather, because He is so worthy of having worshipers. In fact, that’s what makes Him so worthy of praise. That’s the glory of the Gospel and the glorious message of missions. God regenerates man . . . redeems man . . . restores man . . . so that man can know the God of glory and participate in the most glorious privilege and experience man could ever enjoy . . . delighting in God . . . magnifying God . . . worshiping God. That’s the glory of the Gospel. That's the glory of missions.

God saved a wretch like me! I had no special value, I had nothing to offer. Far from having anything positive to offer, all I had was my sinful, rebellion. And God transformed me to make me see His glory and worship Him. That’s the message of missions. That’s the glory of the Gospel.

The glory of the Gospel is the exaltation of the glory of God from start to finish. The Gospel is God-centered, not man-centered. Let’s go out and lead others to be worshipers of the glory of God!


Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Glory of the Church

(13) The Glory of Redemption

"If you were the only person on earth, God would have sent His Son to die for you." You’ve probably heard this said before by someone wanting to emphasize how much God loves you. I don’t believe there’s actually any valid biblical support for this warm-fuzzy statement and perhaps we’re really missing something significant in that statement anyway. I once heard Joni Eareckson Tada point out another perspective on this. She said this statement points out how great one person’s sin is that it would take the infinite worth of the Son of God to pay for that one person’s sin.

This statement is born out of a very common mind-set Christians have when contemplating redemption. When we think about redemption, we tend to think about forgiveness and eternal life. We focus on the benefits we receive. We make redemption man-centered. And it is to an extent. But, redemption is not the end. It is a means to an end. That end is the worship and exaltation of the glory of God. Redemption is ultimately God-centered, not man-centered.

Redemption provides the means by which man can enter into a love relationship with God. In God's working out His purpose in creation, He paid the price necessary to satisfy the penalty due for man’s sin committed against Him so that man might come to know him personally and intimately as the one true, unique God.

It is in Paul's ministry and writings that we can most clearly distinguish God's purpose as it relates to redemption. Ephesians two makes it very clear that the "praise of God's glory" is the great purpose of redemption.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:1-12)

What a beautiful and astounding description of all we have in Christ. It is essential that we know these truths and take them to heart. But notice the ultimate purpose all these benefits are designed to lead to. We were predestined to adoption as sons, "to the praise of the glory of His grace." That’s a purpose statement. It tells us why we received our status as children of God. It tells us that God’s ultimate purpose in redemption is the praise of the glory of His grace. The ultimate purpose of God in redemption is not man-centered, it is God-centered.

And just in case we missed the point in verse six, it is repeated again in verse twelve. Here, Paul tells us that we were predestined by God, "according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory." Our salvation is "to the end that" or for the purpose that we would exist to the praise of God’s glory. Redemption is ultimately about showcasing the glory of God. God redeemed us to demonstrate His glory and purchase a people for His own possession who would demonstrate and declare His glory.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 )

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. (1 John 2:12)

If you have thought that redemption is all about man, how much God values man and man’s salvation from sin, you need to expand your thinking. Redemption is about how much God values having a redeemed people who will worship and exalt Him and His glory. Redemption is a means to the end of God being glorified. Redemption is ultimately God-centered, not man-centered.

Redemption is another act in God’s great script in His-story of His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Glory of the Gospel

(12) The Glory of the Cross

The Cross is the center of history. Everything before the Cross pointed forward to the Cross. Everything after the Cross points back to the Cross. Why? Because the Cross is the fullest, most complete display of the glory of God. God's redemptive work in rescuing man from spiritual and physical death and imparting life to man is the greatest display of the entirety of His glorious nature. The Cross is all about the glory of God. It is, in its ultimate purpose, God-centered, not man-centered.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)

But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

The glorious thread of redemption runs all through the scriptures right from the Garden of Eden pointing forward to the Cross. In Gen. 3:15, God declared that, " The serpent will bruise His (Messiah’s) heal, He (Messiah) will crush the serpents head." Abraham was told by God that he would bless the world through Abraham’s seed. The Passover, celebrating Israel’s escape from Egypt also celebrated the coming of a sacrificial Lamb. And the sacrificial system of Israel was in fact, the most extensive preview or God's glorious redemption.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:11-12)

God established a very intricate and detailed plan for the Tabernacle and for sacrifices. But they were incomplete in that they only dealt with external cleansing offering no remedy for a guilty conscience. Christ died as the one, perfect and final sacrifice for our sins. All of history before the cross looked forward to the cross.

All of redemptive history, as intricate and glorious as it was in its on rite, palled in significance to the cross. All of the Old Covenant ceremonies, feasts, and sacrifices were merely a shadow looking forward to the cross. That's the centrality of the cross!

We tend to focus our attention on the display of God’s great love when we talk about the Cross. But there is so much more on display at the Cross. The Cross does showcase the love of God, but the Cross also showcases the wrath of God. God’s redemptive work in rescuing man from spiritual and physical death and imparting life to man is the greatest display of the entirety of His glorious nature. In the most glorious act of redemption . . . at the cross, God showcased His glory.

At the Cross, God displayed His righteousness, holiness, justice and wrath. God demonstrated that He could not ignore sin. God is righteous and holy. Sin has to be dealt with. Sin must be punished, eradicated. God is a God of justice and wrath. At the cross, Jesus took the sin of the world on Himself, God poured out His wrath on Jesus. Sin is dealt with, righteousness is granted. God’s justice and wrath are satisfied . . . at the Cross.

At the Cross, God displayed His sovereignty, power, knowledge, presence, eternality and immutability. God was not helpless to have a people who would honor His glory. God had a plan and made a promise. He executed His plan and fulfilled His promise with flawless precision and timing. God enacted His eternal plan, entered into the plight of humanity and conquered sin and death forever . . . at the Cross.

At the Cross, God displayed His love, grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, and faithfulness. God desires to give man the greatest gift He could ever receive: Personal relationship with the God of all glory. A relationship of delighting in knowing Him and worshiping Him. God promised it to man from the Garden of Eden. God demonstrated the extent of His desire to give the gift of Himself to man by sacrificing His Son so we can be free to love Him and live with Him . . . at the cross.

Redemption is a glorious display of the essential nature of God!

The central moment of all history . . . the greatest display of God’s eternal glory, indeed the very reason that God made the world and worked out all of history was to bring things just to that point – to the fullness of time, to the minutely and flawlessly prepared stage for the mightiest of all acts – that central moment was the eternal Son of God’s taking on human flesh, accomplishing a perfect obedience, and offering himself up as a substitutionary sacrifice to accomplish eternal redemption in magnificent, brilliant display of God’s glorious greatness.

The central event . . . the main act in all history, orchestrated by God for the display of His glory is the cross.

How great is the display of who God is on the Cross of Calvary!

How great is the display of God’s glory at the Cross of Calvary!

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Glory of Redemption

(11) Reciprocal & Shared Glory

When it comes to climbing the tallest, most unforgiving mountains in the world, you want to make sure you have the best equipment. You check and double check to make sure you have everything you might need. You plan your climb carefully, trying to anticipate every possibility. And, you make sure you have the right climbing partner. Your partner can make or break you. You need to be sure that your partner shares your thinking, your philosophy of climbing, and your goals. You don’t want your climbing partner going off on her own, switching strategies and goals when you’re half way up a sheer ice wall.
　
On October 2, 2008, the father-son team of John and Ryan Dahlem stood arm in arm at 26,906 feet on the summit of Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest mountain. They share the joy that they have shared five times before when they had reached the highest peaks on five of the planet's continents. A truly amazing accomplishment built on determination, passion and a profound unity of mind, will, purpose and plan.

(Read more at www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/ocpeople/article_2193950.php)

But the determination, passion, and profound unity of mind, will, purpose and plan of this father-son team pales when we consider the divine Father-Son team. Their unity was, and is absolutely unwavering and extends to the most minute detail of mind, will, purpose and plan. And it all focuses with laser-sharp precision on the glory of the triune God.

The life and death of Jesus is one of reciprocal glory. The Father working to glorify the Son while the Son works to glorify the Father.

Therefore when [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. (John 13:31-32 NAU)

Consider these powerful verses phrase by phrase. Jesus says, "Now is the Son of Man glorified." It is time for Jesus to go to the Cross and He identifies the Cross as that which will display and bring Him glory. We will think about the glory of the Cross more fully in the next post, but for now, recognize that the Cross is a magnificent display of Christ’s glory.

Jesus continues, "And God is glorified in Him." The glory of the Cross is not Christ’s alone. The magnificent display of the glory of Christ also showcases and magnifies the magnificent glory of God the Father. It is the divine Father-Son team that together are glorified in the Cross.

"If God is glorified in Him (Jesus), God will also glorify Him in Himself." The Father will receive glory in the Son and the glory He receives will also be the Son’s because the Son is glorified in the Father. When either one receives glory, the other receives glory. They share the same glory.

Jesus ends this statement by declaring that the Father will, "glorify Him immediately."

It’s time. Time for the brilliant, earth shattering, pivotal display of the glory of the triune God . . . at the Cross . . . in the Cross . . . through the Cross.

The life and death of Jesus is one of reciprocal and shared glory. The Father working to glorify the Son while the Son works to glorify the Father. They work together in flawless unity of mind, will, purpose and plan . . . its all His-Story of His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next: The Glory of the Cross