Adoration of God Alone
Today we will be reading from 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Adoration. I don’t know if you realized this but every song we sang this morning contained the word “adore” or “adoration”.
“Father, I adore You … Jesus, I adore You … Spirit, I adore You…”
“Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee …”
“It is You we adore, it is You praises are for …”
“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee …”
“With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings.
You are my ev’rything and I will adore You …”
You see, adoration was originally closely associated with worship.
The Greeks used it almost exclusively in the worship of their idols.
However, today babies are adorable, puppies and kittens are adorable. Adoration is given to popular musicians and actors and actresses.
Adoration is a line of wigs by the Eva Gabor Wig Company
I have even seen the word “adore” used in the name of a line of underwear!!! Think about that!
Anyway, back to the adoration of God alone!
Who in the Old Testament was very good at praising, worshiping and adoring the Lord God Almighty?
David, the son of Jesse, that’s who.
Let’s read 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
“Praise be to You, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
“Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.
“Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.
“Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
“Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name.”
(prayer for help)
So, how did we get from worshipping and adoring God alone to the worship and adoration of things and other humans?
That transition is clearly explained in the second half of Romans 1.
Romans 1:25 NIV
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Romans 1:25 NLT
“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”
Adam and Eve traded intimate fellowship with God for a lie.
The people of Israel who saw the mighty deliverance of Israel from the land of Egypt were so easily led astray. When Moses was up on the mountain meeting with Yahweh to receive the Ten Commandments the Israelites got the bright idea to make a golden calf and declare, “This is your god, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Exodus 32:4
After they did this they had a feast. What do you think they ate?
Do you think there was any beef on the menu? Do you think they sacrificed any bulls or heifers on the alter they built for their golden calf? What had happened?
Romans 1:25 NLT
“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”
What was missing? Why did they fall for the lie?
They fell for the lie because they had NO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD!
They had seen the mighty works of Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty of Israel but they did not know Him. There were times when they greatly feared Him but they had never reveled in His presence. They did not worship and adore Him or even know Him. They had traded the truth about God for a lie.
Here is a truth that runs through the Bible from the beginning to the end. Here is the truth.
The God of the Bible, the Holy Trinity, is A RELATIONSHIP GOD!
When I was writing this sermon the very next thing I wrote was that God is to be our top priority. But then the Holy Spirit corrected me. But, how could that possibly be wrong???
It is wrong because it is entirely possible for God to be our top priority without ever loving or knowing Him. How is that possible?
In the religion of Islam they believe that their god has no relationship with men whatsoever. He doesn’t care if any man goes to paradise or hell. And, he certainly has no care about any woman.
And, yet, the god of Islam is the top priority in the lives of millions of Muslims.
And, sadly, that is the truth in the lives of many who call themselves Christians as well. Many believe they are serving Him but do not know Him.
The God we serve does NOT want that disconnected, hopeless type of non-relationship. How do we know that?
Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Love is one of the most powerful relationship words we have!
Our love for God is just as essential for our salvation as is God’s love for us.
This love relationship was initiated by God Himself. (John 3:16)
And we return the love back to Him. (1 John 4:19)
“We love Him, because He first loved us.”
Worship and adoration is a result of this love relationship between us and the Lord.
Recently I was listening to a teaching by Paul Washer and he was talking about the relationship between salvation and works.
We have all heard me chattering on about how Ephesians 2:8-9 speaks about salvation by the means of God’s grace and our response of believing by faith. And then we see in Ephesians 2:10 that God has prepared in advance things (works) for us to do once we are born again or saved.
And, when Paul Washer was talking about that very thing he said something like, “Works are not the root of our salvation, they are the fruit of our salvation.”
Works do not cause the plant to come into being as roots are the beginning and sustaining part of the plant.
But, the fruit of the plant is produced when the plant reaches maturity just as righteous obedience is the fruit of a mature Christian.
This is verified in Titus 3:4-5 where it says,
“When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
So, you might ask, how did we get from worship and adoration to works that a Christian should do?
Here’s how we got there. Are you ready???
WORSHIP AND ADORATION OF OUR GREAT SAVIOR IS THE GREATEST MOST FUNDAMENTAL FRUIT THAT POURS FROM A TRULY BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN!
A person could spend their entire life trying to find favor with God by studying worship and adoration and then trying to implement their findings in order to earn salvation but it would be of no avail.
A person could memorize the hymnal and sing until they lost their voice forever as a self imposed act of worship but it would not earn salvation.
A person could move to Israel and try to following in Jesus’ footsteps while crawling on their knees until they were permanently crippled as a self imposed act of worship and adoration but it would not produce salvation.
A person could donate every penny they ever earned and live by eating from dumpsters and sleeping in doorways until they died of starvation or from the elements as a self imposed act of adoration but it would be in vain.
A person could do all of this and more and they would be just as far from God as when they started.
Why?
Because genuine worship and adoration flows ONLY from the heart of a truly born again Christian and a truly born again Christian cannot help but worship and adore the Lord God Almighty!
You cannot truly worship the Lord unless you know and love Him through being born again. If you are truly born again the new relationship will naturally overflow with worship and adoration for Jesus.
Unless a person is truly born again he can never find favor with God nor can he ever truly worship and adore the Lord.
Why?
Because that is NOT His plan. Jesus came to save us and then recreate us into a creature that is capable of having a relationship with Him; a relationship that is consumed with worship and adoration and thanksgiving for His salvation of an unworthy sinner.
Any other plan is unBiblical heresy and will lead to a lost eternity.
True worship and adoration will flow from the heart of a truly born again person and it will never stop unless we take our eyes off from Him and return to our own lost path of rebellion against God.
What about you? Does worship and adoration of our Lord naturally flow from you?
Do you have to force yourself to seek the Lord or is it a part of your born again, recreated nature?
Many Americans run around from church to church hoping to find one that will get their heart stirred up, not knowing that they are really looking for a fake substitute.
Others would be happy with the simplest of services where Jesus’ name is exalted and the pure Word of God is proclaimed.
Is worship an obligation or a joy for you?
Final thoughts and prayer.
