Proper Worship of Our God

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