True worshipers

[Psalms 96]

                The first of our church's three goals is to build up a true worshiper.  One of the purposes of our church is that all members of Victory Presbyterian Church that serve the Lord are raised as worship-witnesses.  This statement of purpose is that even unbelievers falling on their faces and worshiping God, declaring that God is certainly among us when we praise God's presence in worship (1 Cor. 14:25).  This statement of purpose is based on 1 Corinthians 14:25 – “the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”

                I would like to meditate on four things about how a true worshiper lives under the heading of “True worshipers,” centering on the words of Psalms 96.  Therefore, I hope and pray that we will be more and more established as true worshipers.

            First, the true worshipers glorifies God.

                Look at Psalms 96:7 – “Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.”  Psalms 90 tells us four things about how we can live a life worth living in the sight of God in this empty world.  The four things are (1) fear of God, (2) satisfaction with God's lovingkindness, (3) living for God's glory, and (4) seeking God's favor.  We must not pursue our own glory, but the glory of God.  In other words, we should focus on what God does for us (His works), not what we do for the Lord.  Then we can glorify God.  In the first half of Psalms 96:8, the psalmist said, " Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name ....”  How can we glorify God?

(1)   We can glorify God by praising Him.

Look at Psalms 96:1, 2, 4 – “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.  …  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.”  We must praise the great God with new songs.  Also, we must praise God with joy and gladness (v. 11).  Therefore, we must glorify God.  Why should we glorify God by praising Him greatly?  The reason is because of “His salvation” (v. 2).  We must praise God with new songs every day for the saving grace God has given us.

(2)   We can glorify God by telling His wonderful deeds.

Look at Psalms 96:3 – “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”  I remember Pastor Charles Swindoll in his book “Grace Awakening,” saying, ‘The heresy among the heresies in the church focuses on what we have done for God rather than on what God has done for us.’  I think one of the reasons is because we seek our glory when we focus on our deeds for God.  But if we focus on His deeds, we can pursue His glory.  Therefore, today and tomorrow, we must resolve and strive to live by telling God's deeds.  In particular, we must live by proclaiming the “His salvation” God has given us in Jesus Christ every day (v. 2).  In doing so, we can give the glory worthy of God's name.

            Second, the true worshipers do offering.

                Look at Psalms 96:8 – “Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.”  We often hear the Korean phrase ‘I am going to church to see worship’.  But we aren’t going to church “see” worship but to “offer” worship to our God.  In other words, worship is to offer our body, mind, devotion, and offering to God.  The true worshiper offers all of himself to God with his willing heart.  However, the problem for the Jews was to worship the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were too far from Him.  God looked at their hearts, but the Israelites offered heartless offerings to Him.  Look at Isaiah 1:11-13: “’What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?’ Says the LORD.  ‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.  When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?  Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.’”  The countless offerings offered without the worshipers’ heart are no benefit to God.  God isn’t pleased with those offerings.  Those offerings are in vain in the sight of God.  God is telling us not to bring them.  God is telling us that even if we come up to the Lord's temple to worship and to offer offerings to God, God cannot endure doing evil while leaving the Lord's temple and doing evils in the world.  Therefore, while we worship God, we must offer offerings worthy of God's sight.  In other words, we must present the offerings with dedication in our heart to God.  The apostle Paul exhorts: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1).  We must offer our body, our mind, and our offering as we don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (v. 2).  Then we will be able to say that we are true worshipers.

            Third, the true worshipers live holy.

                Look at Psalms 96:9a – “Worship the LORD in holy attire  ….”  As worshipers of the holy God, we must reveal His holiness in our lives.  If we say that we worship God and our lives don’t reveal God's holiness in this world, then we aren’t glorifying God, nor are we fully offering ourselves to Him.  We shouldn’t make a distinction between worship and life.  In other words, it shouldn’t be distinguished from Sunday worship and weekday life.  Worship isn’t only offered one hour on a Sunday, but should be offered in our entire life after that Sunday worship.  The life that must be given to God is holy life.  When we live holy life as worshipers, we can reveal to this world the dignity of God, and His splendor and majesty (v. 6).  In addition, when God's holiness is revealed in this dark world through our holy life, we can reveal that “all the gods of the people are idols” (v. 5).

            Fourth and last, the true worshipers fear God.

                Look at Psalms 96:9b – “…  Tremble before Him, all the earth.”  The true worshipers have awe as they worship before God's holiness.  We must fear God above all gods (v. 4).  Our God is the great God (v. 4), the Creator God (v. 5), the God of dignity, of splendor and of majesty (v. 6).  And He is the God who governs all worlds and all things in the universe (v. 10).  Therefore, those who worship God who is the righteous, faithful and holy judge (v. 13) must tremble before Him.  We must fear God.  We must come to God and worship Him with awe.  We should never despise God.  This is what King Solomon said: “Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil” (Eccle. 5:1).  We must enter the temple of God and come close to hear His word (v. 1).  And we must not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God (v. 2).  When we make a vow to God, we must not be late in paying it (v. 4).

               I want to become a true worshiper whom God is looking for.  I want to glorify God, offer my heart, devotion, and offerings to God, live a holy life, and live in fear of God.  I hope and pray that the Lord will raise all of us up as the true worshipers.

May the Lord raise me as a true worshiper,

James Kim

(With the desire to become a man who glorifies God)