In The Presence Of Greatness

Brief Introduction: Have you ever been in the presence of someone or something where you know that you are in the presence of true greatness?

Examples…Places like Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon, or people such as Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods or your favorite recording artists.

Manmade structures like the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty or the Super Dome.

My Example: Marched in Super Dome for Saints game, during our warm up some Saints players came out…one being Stan Brock.

Transition: The prophet Isaiah records in scripture about his experience in the presence of true Greatness. The greatness that Isaiah witnessed was eternal and everlasting.

If we are going to consider worship, we need to first of all ask this:

What is worship?

More than a style of music…Secret: It ultimately has nothing to do with hymns or praise songs.

Webster’s defines it as, from the Old English word weorthscipe… reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence

OR a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual

OR extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem

Worship is our acknowledgment to God that He is indeed God and we are not.

So, that is what worship is…now, what should worship entail, we can find those principles in Isa 6: 1-8.

I. In God’s presence we see God for who He is, vs. 1-2

Applic: God has called us to go deeper in our relationship with God and in our worship so that we can see God for who He really is.

Two things we discover about God when we go into His presence:

a. His majesty and glory.

Psa 147:5, “Great is our Lord and abundant in Power”

Examples of who He is: Creator, sustainer, provider.

b. His holiness

“Holy, Holy, Holy…” v. 3, same in Rev 4 with John

I’m not sure if you have ever considered this, but of all the attributes and words used to describe God, “Holy” is the only one used in triplicate.

Examples: Love, awesome, mighty…

“Holy” is the only attribute of God that we find in scripture that is in triplicate.

Not only is He is holy, He is Holier and He is Holiest.

And when we worship God and see Him for who He truly is, we first and foremost should see that He is holy.

2. In God’s presence we see ourselves for who we are, vs. 3-6

Applic: Think about this, when we are worshipping God and we are in God’s presence we are under the “Lights” of His holiness and righteousness.

Under those lights our sins and sinfulness is made clear.

We see our need, much like Isaiah saw His need and God cleansed Him.

God came to earth to cleanse our sin.

Rom 3:10, “There is no righteous, not one”

Rom 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.”

It is when we see our need, we cry out to God to save us…and He answers with salvation, with grace, with mercy, with love, and with life and life more abundantly.

3. In God’s presence He prepares us for service, vs. 6-8

Applic: God prepares us in corporate worship and in private worship to be his instrument, BOTH CORPORATE AND PRIVATE!!!

Go to: 2 Tim 2:21

Brief Conclusion: God has called us to “Reach Up” to him in worship.

As a believer He has given us the rights and the privilege to enter into His presence both corporately and privately.

AW Tozer said “God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole life there.”

Have you experienced being in God’s presence?

Have you experienced that this morning? If not, why?