God who does what He pleases.
psalm 115:1-3
1. God alone is to be glorified (115:1-3).
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth [or, faithfulness]. Why should the nations say, ‘Where, now, is their God?’ But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. ” Four lessons:
A. BE CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE ANY OF GOD’S GLORY FOR YOURSELF.
The repetition, “Not to us, not to us” shows the probability that we all have for taking some of God’s glory for ourselves. In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give my glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.” In Isaiah 48:11, He repeats, “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.” But in spite of these clear declarations, we’re all prone to take at least some of God’s glory for ourselves.
The most common error with regard to salvation is that it is on the basis of our good works.
Go up to anyone on the street and ask, “If you were to die and stand before God and He asked, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’ what would you say?”
You will most likely hear, “I’m a basically good person,” or some similar answer.
Even among those that profess to know Christ as Savior, there is a strong tendency to take at least some of the credit for salvation
When we try to take credit for our salvation, when we think any good deed that we do will help earn our way to heaven, we just the same as spit in Jesus' face. He alone, is responsible for our salvation. Nothing we do, or have done makes us worthy of salvation, only the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Even after God has saved us, we’re still prone to take credit for things that are due completely to His grace.
The Corinthians were boasting in their spiritual gifts. Paul asks them (1 Cor. 4:7), “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” All that we have spiritually is because God was gracious to us. We were dead in our sins, children of wrath, when He graciously raised us up to new life (Eph. 2:1-5). All the glory should go to Him.
If you come accross a religion which magnifies man, flee from it as far as you can….
Here is a test for you to compare it, and by it you may tell whether a thing is true or not. Does it glorify God?
Then, accept it. If it does not, if it glorifies man—puts human will, human ability, human merit, into the place of the mercy and the grace of God—
The bible tells us that all things come from God, they exist by His power, and are intended for His glory.
B. WHEN WE PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS, WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO TARNISH THE IMAGE OF GOD.
The application is, we should never do anything that would give unbelievers a basis for taunting, “Where, now, is their God?”
It is especially tragic when Christians fall into sin and are exposed in the news media.
The world mocks us and our God. It is tragic when Christian 's are not ethical. Again, the world mocks our God. If we claim the name of Christ, we must not do anything that would tarnish His glory among unbelievers
C. GOD ALONE IS TO BE GLORIFIED BECAUSE OF HIS LOVINGKINDNESS AND HIS MERCY AND GRACE.
The psalmist prays that God will give glory to His name, “because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth” [or, “faithfulness”]
. Lovingkindness is another word for God’s grace
. Our salvation, rooted in God’s choosing us before the foundation of the world
(Eph. 1:4-6 .4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
The shortest psalm in the Bible calls us to do so (Ps. 117:1-2), “Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!”
If it were not for His grace, we’d all be lost, with no hope. If it were not for His faithfulness, none of us would endure. Meditating on these two qualities will cause you to glorify Him.
D. GOD ALONE IS TO BE GLORIFIED BECAUSE OF HE IS OVER EVERYTHING..
The Bible tells us that Christ came, who is over all.
Note, again, verse 3: “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”
This is one of many verses that teach that God is sovereign over everything in the universe.
Psalm 103:19 proclaims, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.
” The humbled Nebuchadnezzar declared (Dan. 4:35), “But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
The chastened Job declared (42:2), “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted
In Isaiah 46:9-10, God declares, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’”
After explaining that He will call Cyrus as the man of His purpose, God adds (Isa. 46:11), “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.
” Ephesians 1:11 says that God “works all things after the counsel of His will.”
When the psalmist says that God does whatever He pleases, he does not mean that He is unpredictable.
Rather, it means that He is able to accomplish whatever He purposes to do and He does it because it pleases Him to do it.
I. God Does As He Pleases
2. Psalms 135:6, "The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
3. Daniel 4:34-35
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
Don't ever try to put God in a box. The universe can't contain Him, what makes us think we can control God?
I love the song, "How big is God..
Though man may strive to go beyond the reach of space
To crawl beyond the distant shim'ring stars
This world's a room so small within my Master's house
The open sky's but a portion of His yard
How big is God? How big and wide His vast domain
To try and tell, these lips can only start
He's big enough to rule His mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart
As winter's chill may cause the tiny seed to fall
To lie asleep till waked by summer's rain
The heart grown cold will warm and throb with life anew
The Master's touch will bring the glow again
The creator of the universe, the Almighty God who spoke this world into existance,,wants to have a personal relationship with you and me.. think about that for a moment.
2. Is. 46:9-11, "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."
3. Is. 55:8-11, ""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD."As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watfor which I sent it"
4. Rev. 17:17, "For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled."
God is unlike us in that He does just as He pleases
When you read in the Bible, where God says,, thus saith the Lord, you will soon, then read where it says, and it came to pass
III. God Is Complete In Himself: He Does Not Need Us
1. Acts 17:24-25: 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things
2. I Chron. 29:14, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
3. Psalm 50: 7-15, "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
4. God’s Image as a Rock
5. Romans 11:34-35, "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
6. Have you ever met folks who think they are doing God a favor? Whenever we do something for God, we are merely responding to His goodness, doing our duty to Him, not a favor.
7. God just wants us to thank Him when He does something for us. Remember when Jesus healed the 10 lepers, and only one came back to thank Him. Jesus asked the question, where are the other nine.
CONCLUSION
1. God is not desperate. God doesn't need your or me, but He wants to have a relationship with us.
2. But God wants us to walk with Him, and talk to Him, (song and He walks with me and He talks to me. and He tells me I am his own.)
3 God's nature is love, He loves us with an everlasting love, and He wants to bless us.
4. HE wants to bless those that truly love Him, those who seek Him, and desire to be close to Him.
