Why Do We Worship?

Why do we worship God?

(Topical)

1. God wants us to worship him! Ex. 23:25-26

A. God wants us to worship him because He is worthy (Rev. 4:11).

It is just, right, and good that God be worshiped. Reality itself dictates, demands, and expects it; creation worships God apart from humankind (Psalm 19:1; Job 12:7-10). It cannot be contained or stopped (Luke 19:40).

B. God wants us to worship Him when we recognise we are unworthy.

Luke 7:36-38 mentions a well-known sinful woman worshiping Jesus with tears of repentance and adoration. The context in Luke is a time where Luke is explaining increased opposition to Jesus; Jesus reaching out to sinners is generating push back, and one such story is presented to us starting at verse 36. One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

C. God wants us to worship him because he wants to bless us for worshiping Him.

Exodus 23: 25-26 mentions God blessing the Israelites for their Covenant obedience. In this section of Exodus, the Israelist just arrived at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19), and God is making a Covenant with Israel. Part of this Covenant is a promise to bless if there is real obedience. God says in Exodus 23: “You shall serve (NIV “worship”) the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”

Application:

1. God’s worthiness and our own unworthiness compel us to worship God (Rev. 4:11; Luke 7:36-38). Recognizing and seeing this “gap” inspires true humility, reverence, and insight.

2. Genuine worship of God brings genuine blessings from God (Ex. 23:25-26).

Question: Why is it OK for God to Desire Worship?

Someone might ask: “Amongst human beings, anyone who wants to be worshiped would be thought of as proud. But God keeps demanding that we praise Him all the time. Isn’t this prideful?

Let’s look at Deut. 10:13. In chapter 9, Moses reminded Israel that God had relented from destroying them on several occasions due to their stubbornness (9:6;13). But now, Moses is urging Israel to obey so God will bless them. He said isn't it better to serve God “and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?”

His focus on Himself is not only because He is God, but because, out of love, that is what we need. Because we have been made by this God and for this God, because our very self-identity when we are right with God is to love Him supremely, to adore Him and to worship Him, it is a supreme act of love on His part to keep demanding it—because it is for our good.

2. God wants us to seek His Glory above all else!

A. Christ sought glory for Himself in order to glorify the father. John 17:1 says, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.”

B. The Christian is commanded to live all of life for God’s glory. 1 Cor. 10:31 says “

C. The Christian is glorified as well by receiving a new, holy “existence,” and by receiving divine commendation (sometimes called “the divine accolade.” Romans. 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” There are many verses that speak of the Christian being glorified in/with Christ (John 17:22; 2 Thess. 1:11-12; 2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 2:10).

D. God is desirous of His glory, but He is most certainly not _greedy_ for it.

Application:

3. God’s glory is bigger than our happiness (John 9:1-5).

4. God’s glory is better than our happiness (1 Cor. 10:31).

5. God’s glory brings us tremendous happiness (Ro. 8:16-17).

Conclusion: Why do we worship God? Worship God because He commands it. He commands it because He is worthy, and because it is for our own good.