Worship Of The One True God
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 12/9/2012 AM |
Text: | Deuteronomy 4; Lord's Day 35 |
Psalters: | 259, 337, 137, 374 |
- The meaning.
- God requires that He be worshiped, loved, and thanked as He has revealed Himself.
- God reveals Himself to all men in creation (Rom. 1:18,20).
- God further reveals Himself in His Word and in the preaching of His Word (I Cor. 1:21).
- Images are contrasted to God’s revelation of Himself.
- The lively preaching of His revelation (I Cor. 1:21) is God’s way of instructing.
- We must knowledgeably use Scriptures revelation out of sincere love for God.
- Thus, this commandment establishes the “regulative principle” of worship.
- The seriousness of image worship is that it is hating God.
- God requires that He be worshiped, loved, and thanked as He has revealed Himself.
- There are good reasons why we must serve God only as He has commanded.
- First, God is a Spirit (John 4:24), so images of Him are impossible.
- Second, God is infinite, in His being and in His glory, in His majesty and in each of His virtues.
- Third, we need not make images, because of the nature of God’s covenant with us.
- The fourth reason is this is how we show our love for God.
- There are inducements God gives for our obeying Him.
- First, God pursues with anger and jealousy those who hate Him by not worshiping Him as He commands.
- Second, God makes clear that the violation of this command bears fruit on our children.
- Obedience is encouraged when God promises to show His mercy on those who serve Him as He commands.
- Resulting admonitions.