Proper Worship of Our God
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 7/3/2011 AM |
Text: | Deuteronomy 4; Lord's Day 35 |
Psalters: | 374, 339, 137, 15 |
- What God requires.
- God requires that He be worshiped, loved, and thanked accurately, i.e., as He has revealed Himself.
- God reveals Himself to all men in creation (Rom. 1:18,20) and putting the work of the law in them (Rom. 2:14,15).
- God further reveals Himself in His Word and in the preaching of His Word (I Cor. 1:21).
- This command establishes the regulative principle of worship (Deut. 4:2; 12:31,32).
- This commandment declares how God would have Himself to be worshiped, thanked, loved, and glorified.
- First, remember that the whole purpose of the commandments is to show us how to thank Him for salvation.
- Second, God is a Spirit (John 4:24), so images of Him are impossible.
- Third, God is infinite, in His being and in His glory, in His majesty and in each of His virtues.
- Fourth, we need not make images, because of the nature of God s covenant with us.
- God requires that He be worshiped, loved, and thanked accurately, i.e., as He has revealed Himself.
- What does God forbid by this commandment?
- Any image or representation of God cannot and may not be used to worship Him.
- Any image is material, external, and limited.
- Serving God is not a matter of outward and external, but a communion of His Spirit with our spirit (John 4:24).
- Also this commandment forbids us to make images of Jesus Christ.
- Images are over against God s own revelation of Himself.
- Especially over against the lively preaching of His revelation, I Cor. 1:21).
- Worship is to praise of God (not excite our emotions), to edify (not entertain) the church.
- The seriousness of image worship is that it is hating God.
- Any image or representation of God cannot and may not be used to worship Him.
- There are good reasons why we must serve God only as He has commanded.
- First, God pursues with jealousy those who hate Him by not worshiping Him as He commands.
- Obedience is encouraged when God promises to show His mercy on those who serve Him as He commands.
- An inducement to obey this command is the fact that this sin bears fruit on our children.
- Resulting admonitions.