WORSHIP NOTES
Volume 13, No. 7 (July 2018)
THE GOD OF OUR ETERNAL PRAISE
(Revelation 1) (part 3)
OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S REVELATION OF HIMSELF AND HIS GRACE:
“…to Him be GLORY and DOMINION forever and ever. Amen.”
(Revelation 1:6)
The God of our eternal praise is the God of glory and dominion.
HE’S THE GOD OF GLORY
But of course, to proclaim, “to Him be glory” or to “give God glory” does not mean that we in any way add to His perfect glory.
Rather we proclaim and celebrate His glory, as we read elsewhere in Scripture:
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
tell of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works among all the peoples!Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before Him, all the earth! (Psalm 96:2-3,7-9)
The God of Our Eternal Praise is the God of Glory. That glory is seen:
In Creation
The heavens are telling of the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1) (He created the heavens to show forth His glory)
Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory. (Isaiah 43:6-7) (He also created us for His glory)
In the Fall
Even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks . . . Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images . . . They worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:21,22-23,25)
In Jesus Christ
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
God . . . has spoken to us in His Son . . . He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. (Hebrews 1:1-3)
In Redemption
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace . . . to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory . . . with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:5-6,12,14)
In Sanctification
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8)
Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:11)
In Heaven
And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.(Revel. 21:23)
“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” (Revel. 5:13)
Indeed, the Bible is the story of God’s glory.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
And God’s glory is the focus and theme of our Eternal Praise.
HE’S THE GOD OF DOMINION
The God of Our Eternal Praise is also the God of Dominion, of Power and Might. And again, proclaiming “to Him be dominion” is not increasing His power in any way, but merely recognizing and proclaiming His sovereign right to rule.
The biblical writers proclaim and celebrate His dominion:
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:10-11)Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 96:10)Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” (1 Chronicles 16:31)“The kingdoms of the world
has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever!”
(Revelation 11:15)
We see God’s dominion, His sovereign rule over:
- All the universe
- All the earth
- All nations
- All rulers
- All people
- All peoples
- All history
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11)
THIS is a God who is worthy of our Eternal Praise!
“For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.”
***This series adapted from theme talks delivered at the World Association for Chinese Church Music conference in Bangkok, Thailand, July 24-27, 2018
