We glorify God, by praising him. Doxology, or praise, is a God exalting work. ‘Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me’ (Ps. 50:23). The Hebrew word Bara, to create, and Barak, to praise, are little different, because the end of creation is to praise God. David was called the sweet singer of Israel, and his praising God was called glorifying God. ‘I will praise thee, O Lord my God, and I will glorify thy name’ (Ps. 86:12). Though nothing can add to God’s essential glory, yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others. When we praise God, we spread his fame and renown, we display the trophies of his excellency. In this manner the angels glorify him; they are the choristers of heaven, and do trumpet forth his praise. Praising God is one of the highest and purest acts of religion. In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels. Believers are called temples of God’ (1 Cor. 3:16). When our tongues praise, then the organs in God’s spiritual temple are sounding. How sad is it that God has no more glory from us in this way! Many are full of murmuring and discontent, but seldom bring glory to God, by giving him the praise due to his name. We read of the saints having harps in their hands, the emblems of praise. Many have tears in their eyes, and complaints in their mouth, but few have harps in their hand, blessing and glorifying God. Let us honour God this way. Praise is the quit-rent we pay to God: while God renews our lease, we must renew our rent.
I hope this will help us sing out and be ready to give a testimony and praise God every time we get the chance. He is God and should be praised. I hope you will enjoy the special singing that we have in the services as they seek to praise God. Let’s talk about how good He has been to us to everyone that we meet!
We glorify God, by standing up for his truths. Much of God’s glory lies in his truth. God has intrusted us with his truth, as a master intrusts his servant with his purse to keep. We have not a richer jewel to trust God with than our souls, nor has God a richer jewel to trust us with than his truth. Truth is a beam that shines from God. Much of his glory lies in his truth. When we are advocates for truth we glorify God. ‘That ye should contend earnestly for the truth’ (Jude 3). The Greek word to contend signifies great contending, as one would contend for his land, and not suffer his right to be taken from him; so we should contend for the truth. Were there more of this holy contention God would have more glory. Some contend earnestly for trifles and ceremonies, but not for the truth. We should count him indiscreet that would contend more for a picture than for his inheritance; for a box of counters than for his box of title deeds.
Let us be true to the Word of God. That is His truth! Do you read it? Do you delight in the Word of God?
God has been so good to us. I thank Him for how He has been working in our services. I just wanted to stop for a minute and say a big thank you.
He has blessed us with visitors on a regular basis. Our attendance has been growing steadily. We have had wonderful music in every service. We had a beautiful time Sunday night with the Lord’s supper.
I thought last night of the blessings of having our members serving God in different parts of the world–Travis and Teri Snode in Northern Ireland, Julio and Joy Soncco in Peru, Micah Smith and family in Peru, Chris and Andria Gardner traveling around the States right now, and Mark and Natasha getting ready to start deputation.
I thought about the blessing of having Rollan, Renee, Audrey, and Lauren Roberts in our church for the last year and how we will miss them as they move back to Florida.
God has been so good to us as a church. I thank Him for all that He is doing and hope you do as well.
We glorify God by walking cheerfully. It brings glory to God, when the world sees a Christian has that within him that can make him cheerful in the worst times; that can enable him, with the nightingale, to sing with a thorn at his breast. The people of God have ground for cheerfulness. They are justified and adopted, and this creates inward peace; it makes music within, whatever storms are without (2 Cor. 1:4; 1 Thess. 1:6). If we consider what Christ has wrought for us by his blood, and wrought in us by his Spirit, it is a ground of great cheerfulness, and this cheerfuhiess glorifies God. It reflects upon a master when the servant is always drooping and sad; sure he is kept to hard commons, his master does not give him what is fitting; so, when God’s people hang their heads, it looks as if they did not serve a good master, or repented of their choice, which reflects dishonour on God. As the gross sins of the wicked bring a scandal on the gospel, so do the uncheerful lives of the godly. ‘Serve the Lord with gladness’ (Ps. 100:2). Your serving him does not glorify him, unless it be with gladness. A Christian’s cheerful looks glorify God; religion does not take away our joy, but refines it; it does not break our viol, but tunes it, and makes the music sweeter.
What a point! We are to be cheerful, a smile on our face, a song in our heart in the very worst of times because He is our Saviour and He is good to us no matter what is happening!
Kenneth Ralph sent me the following poem and I thought you might enjoy it!
By Ken Blue
The congregation was seated; everyone was in his place
And just before the sermon, I saw a message on each face
Here sits a woman with cancer; her apprehension is known to none
Perhaps I can ease her fears by exalting God’s suffering Son
There are families in this service from far and distant lands
Jesus too was a stranger; their rejection, He understands
There are others with no income, unemployed and poorly fed
Jesus identifies with them; He had no place to lay His head
There are lonely senior citizens, who will return to an empty home
My I convince them, Jesus will never leave them alone
To my right is a single mother with three children in her care
Let this sermon reassure her, she has a loving family here
There’s a teenager with a secret; she’s too ashamed to make in known
May this congregation help her and never cast a stone
Here stands this inept preacher before the souls gathered in this place
I pray this sermon will be the answer to the needs seen on each face
We glorify God by living to God. ‘That they which live should not live to themselves, but unto him who died for them’ (2 Cor. 5:15). ‘Whether we live, we live unto the Lord’ (Rom. 14:8). The Mammonist lives to his money, the Epicure lives to his belly; the design of a sinner’s life is to gratify lust, but we glorify God when we live to God. We live to God when we live to his service, and lay ourselves out wholly for God. The Lord has sent us into the world, as a merchant sends his factor beyond the seas to trade for him. We live to God when we trade for his interest, and propagate his gospel. God has given every man a talent; and when a man does not hide it in a napkin, but improves it for God, he lives to God. When a master in a family, by counsel and good example, labours to bring his servants to Christ; when a minister spends himself, and is spent, that he may win souls to Christ, and make the crown flourish upon Christ’s head; when the magistrate does not wear the sword in vain, but labours to cut down sin, and to suppress vice; this is to live to God, and this is glorifying God. ‘That Christ might be magnified, whether by life or by death’ (Phil. 1:20). Three wishes Paul had, and they were all about Christ; that he might be found in Christ, be with Christ, and magnify Christ.
Who or what are we living for? What demands our time and our interest? What are we investing in?
We glorify God by working out our own salvation. God has twisted together his glory and our good. We glorify him by promoting our own salvation. It is a glory to God to have multitudes of converts; now, his design of free grace takes, and God has the glory of his mercy; so that, while we are endeavouring our salvation, we are honouring God. What an encouragement is this to the service of God, to think, while I am hearing and praying, I am glorifying God; while I am furthering my own glory in heaven, I am increasing God’s glory. Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away? So, for God to say, Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified.
I am saved by His grace but I should be working all I can to serve Him and honor Him. I should seek to know His Bible, preach and teach the best that I can. Witness of Him and serve Him and while I do I will be gaining rewards and He will be glorified. That is something that excites me. It may be the balance to others that we have listed so far.
