When God Is Magnified

Transcription

1 When God Is Magnified When God is Magnified... p. 1 (Psalms 69:30-32) I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. T he Psalms are probably one of the books in the Bible that most Christians will find themselves turning to time and time again for comfort and encouragement. Dr. Samuel Schultz writes in his book, The Old Testament Speaks (Harper and Row), that the Psalms express the common experience of the human race. Composed by numerous authors, the various psalms express the emotions, personal feelings, attitudes, gratitude, and interests of the average individual. Universally, people have identified their lot in life with that of the psalmists. It is a natural response for Christians to desire to worship and magnify the God of their salvation. (Psalms 40:16) Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. (Psalms 34:3) O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 48:1) Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Listen, if we have joined ourselves in faith to the living Son of God, Jesus Christ, shouldn t our hearts have a yearning desire to say with Paul...

2 When God is Magnified... p. 2 (Philippians 1:20) According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. So, what are some genuine aspects of true worship? Genuine worship involves, first of all... I. A Desire To Praise God (Ps. 69:30) When it comes to true worship of God, there must be within the Christian the desire to praise God. In verse thirty, we see at least two very important levels of praising God. Every Christian that truly wants to worship God should have a desire to praise God, first of all... A. On a personal level 1. David resolved within his heart that he would praise God himself. He wouldn t depend on others to bring about proper worship and praise, he would do it himself. a. So many people will come to church expecting the church to provide worship. [1] It is not the responsibility of the church to bring about worship, that is an individual matter. [2] The church provides the right atmosphere in which we can genuinely worship God the way He would be pleased.

3 When God is Magnified... p. 3 b. Worship is a matter of the heart and if the Christian is not in the right frame of heart, true worship will not take place no matter how wonderful the circumstances. (Psalms 138:1-2) I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou has magnified thy word above all thy name. 2. David was a musician and one way he would worship God was through song. a. Music is an extremely important aspect of setting the right atmosphere in our church service for worship. b. Music in a church service will Either give praise to God and help us worship Him, or it will praise the performer causing us to glorify that person. c. It is my firm belief that everyone who brings the special or plays an instrument or sings in the choir should, first of all, be sure their own hearts are right for worship. This will truly come out in the performance of the music. (Hebrews 2:12)...I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. B. On a precise level 1. David said that he would magnify God with thanksgiving.

4 When God is Magnified... p The word magnify has two meanings and can be illustrated with two different scientific instruments. a. The microscope takes something that is small and magnifies it to appear greater than it really is. b. The telescope takes something that seems small and insignificant, but in reality is big, and magnifies it to be as great as it really is. c. David was saying that through his song of praise and thanksgiving to God, he would magnify God to the people to be as great as He actually is. 3. Christians aren t called to be microscopes in their portrayal of God where, like con-men, magnify their product to be more than what it actually is; Christians are called to be telescopes, where we are to feel, think and act in such a way that it magnifies God to be as great as He really is. And notice, it is in the context of singing. 4. Any Christian who sings or plays in the midst of the congregation and brings glory or attention to themselves, is a Christian who is a microscope trying to make themselves bigger than they truly are. And when you get right down to it, that is nothing more than pride, which is a sin. True worship in song magnifies God to be as big as He truly is and makes us as small as we

5 When God is Magnified... p. 5 truly are. Asaph had an understanding of this when he wrote... (Psalms 77:11-13) I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? II. A Desire To Please God (Ps. 69:31) A. Recognizes the preferences of God 1. God prefers worship over works. a. In the context, David is saying that the act of praising God with a song, with thanksgiving, and by magnifying Him above all others, was more pleasing to God than all the animal sacrifices that could be given. (Isaiah 1:11) To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burntofferings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. (Psalms 50:13-14) Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: b. The reference to horns and hoofs means mature animals over three years of age. These sacrifices were expensive. c. The reference means that a heart of praise is more pleasing to God than expensive sacrifices.

6 When God is Magnified... p. 6 (Heb. 13:15) By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 2. God prefers consecration over ceremony. a. No ceremonial sacrifice is so acceptable to God, who is Spirit, as that which is spiritual (Spurgeon, The Treasury of David). b. God is more interested in the condition of our heart than in a ten year attendance award pin on our Sunday attire (Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor). (Psalms 51:16-17) For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. d. Samuel emphasized to Saul that a right heart of obedience is better than ceremonial sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. B. Recognizes the priorities of God Did you realize that God has some priorities for us in this life? In other words, God wants to do some things for Christians that are pleasing Him. 1. To make us secure in this life. (Pro. 16:7) When a man s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

7 When God is Magnified... p To make us like the Savior in this life. (Mat. 3:17) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (John 8:29) And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 3. To make us servants of God in this life. a. For those in the pulpit. (1 Thess. 2:4) But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. b. For those in the pew. (1 Thess. 4:1) Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 4. To make us a standard in this life. (Heb. 11:5-6a) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him To make us shine in this life. (Heb. 13:15-16) By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. True worship involves a desire to praise God and a desire to please God. When these two aspects of worship are practiced, the natural

8 When God is Magnified... p. 8 result will be another act of true worship, and that is... III. A Desire To Promote God (Ps. 69:32) When we are worshipping God in spirit and in truth, the natural response to that is to promote God, to magnify Him above all other things. When we do that, David tells us that there will be two things to consider. First of all... A. The recipients of our promotion of God 1. The saints will be a witness to our worship of God. a. The humble = the meek or the poor as in (v. 33). Specifically, those who are also going through sorrows like David. (Psalms 69:1-3) Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. (Psalms 69:29) But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. b. When we truly worship the Lord God In spirit and in truth, other Christians see this and are encouraged to set their hearts right and join in with the worship of God. 2. The sinners will be a witness to our worship of God. Undoubtedly, within a congregation, there will be those who

9 When God is Magnified... p. 9 are yet unconverted. a. When true worship is present the Holy Spirit can freely move, without hindrance, drawing sinners to Christ. (1 Chronicles 16:29) Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Psalms 95:6) O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. (John 4:23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. b. I often wonder how many times we might have hindered the Holy Spirit in a service because we were not worshipping correctly. (Matthew 15:8-9) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. B. The results of our promotion of God 1. Rejoicing The humble shall see this, and be glad. a. The humble, the meek, the poor souls who are going through difficulties will see our worship of praise as we magnify the Lord, and they will rejoice as they join in with our worship. b. Not only will they rejoice as they join in with worship, but David is saying that they will also rejoice

10 When God is Magnified... p. 10 in how God has delivered him from his sorrowing. 2. Reviving and your heart shall live that seek God. Others will see what has been done on my behalf and take courage, and be strengthened. As a result, they will also learn to trust that God will help them out of their sorrows and desperation. They will, in spirit, be revived. RPBC: Mechanicsville, VA 11/24/13 & 12/1/13 & 12/15/13 AM Services Service was cancelled on 12/8/13 because of forecast of bad weather.