Sunday March 21, 2010

"Magnify the Lord"
(Psa 34:3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

We have learned that the decision to live a lifestyle of worship is a powerful and a personal decision. It’s a life changing decision. In its very essence, worship is something that is a personal act that takes place in the heart. It cannot be forced or imposed from without. It can't be manufactured. Ultimately, worship is you saying to God, "I will bless the LORD at ALL times. YOUR praise shall continually be in my mouth."
No religious ceremony or ritual is worship if the heart is not in it. No act of self denial is worship unless there is first a genuine surrender of the heart to God.
We have learned what it means to "bless the LORD, to praise the Lord, to boast in the LORD and to be glad in the LORD. These are all aspects of personal worship.
I. What does “magnify Mean? Today we look at the word "magnify" in vs. 3: This word means "to make larger or greater." Some of the other passages that use it are:
(Psa 40:16) Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" Ps. 70:4 sats the same.!
(Psa 69:30) I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. (Psa 69:31) This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves.

It is wonderful to think that we can make God larger and greater in our worship.

II. A Contrast To Consider: In Ps. 34:3, David changes his tune slightly. He's been saying "I will bless the Lord, I will praise the Lord I will boast I will be glad" This verse isn't about personal worship. Its about joining with other true worshipers and lifting a united voice in praise to the LORD.
Notice he says, "Oh magnify the LORD WITH ME, and let us exalt His name TOGETHER!" Now he is talking about united or corporate worship with other believers.
Personal worship is precious. United worship is powerful.
Personal worship is a soloist playing the violin. United worship is an orchestra or choir playing or singing together.
Personal worship is Ps. 23: "The Lord is MY shepherd" United worship is Ps. 150: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
United worship strengthens personal worship. United worship is what all true worshipers are destined for: Rev. 5:8-14.
Church services are times of united worship. It is when the redeemed and lovers of God assemble together and lift up their united voices to praise and worship and adore the Savior!
When we unite and lift our voices up- the LORD is magnified- made larger than ever by our united worship.

III. The Real Problem: Immediately I see a problem. The problem is that we can't make God any greater than He is already! Let me show you what I mean.

Isa. 40:10-26: You can't get any greater than that!
Ps. 139:7-10: The point is He is everywhere!

So how do we make God larger and greater in our praise?

As usual, the problem is not with God- its with US! Our perspective of God is what is wrong. The way we as humans so often see God is that He is small and weak. Many think that He doesn't exist. Some think that He exists but is not involved at all in what He created!

A. Some are blinded: (2Co 4:3) But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (2Co 4:4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

(Rom 11:25) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

They absolutely refuse to believe. Satan, the god of this age, is allowed to blind their minds so that they cannot see! It is always dangerous to reject the gospel. You can reach a point when God allows you to never see your need for Christ again.

Rejection of the truth may lead to the inability to see, understand and receive the truth.
"Today is the day of salvation."

B. Some are deceived: God says: (Psa 50:21) You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you," Some think of God as "the man upstairs." Or their idea is of a loving grandfather figure who will do nothing but pat the little kids on the head. He would never judge and condemn anyone to death. They think God is like man.

C. Some are distracted. Rev. 2:1-7 They are looking at their their doctrinal statement, they are looking for wrong teaching, they are looking at all that they are doing for God- but their eyes are not on God and they have lost the only real reason for serving God- LOVE.
One thing that can help remove that blindness that deception is for true worshipers to declare God's greatness and worthiness in united worship! When an unbeliever sees a church full of people really and genuinely worshiping God and showing their love for God, the blindness can be lifted and they may be able to see how much they need Christ.

This is why churches where people are complacent, indifferent don't see people saved. This is why churches who are striving and fighting are unhappy. This is why churches that just go through the motions of doing church- what I call "churchianity" don't grow, don't accomplish anything for God and go into decline and eventually close!

This is why we need to be worshipers of God. this is why our love and adoration of God must be first.

Rev. 2: You will see a church that is doctrinally correct, a church that is separated, a church that is working- but what is wrong is that they have left their first love. They have a love problem. They have a worship problem. They have a perspective problem. Their eyes are not on God. They have a worship problem. Churches have to keep the fires of love and devotion going. If the fire of love goes out, the churches minstry will end.

Our first priority must be to love God. United worship magnifies Him and keeps us motivated to serving Him and obeying Him. I have witnessed this first hand.

The church I was saved in had a tremendous worship ministry. Choir. Special music. Great congregational singing. People would sing out! Youth group sang and it was powerful! The church was full of people who loved God and loved other people. I could tell that they had something I had that I didn't- and I wanted it.

I've been in churches where the congregation mumbled and murmured through the songs. I would sing out and people would look at me as if to say, "What's wrong with you?"

Baptist churches in the 70s were well known for great music and worship programs. Singing was enthusiastic and joyful and the love of God was plain to see.

Philo Chapel: Promise Keepers.

When God's people love God with all their heart and show it- God is magnified and fills the place. When God's people have a real genuine love for God and openly express it, it will be seen and noticed and it will attract others to it. True love and worship is like a magnet that draws our hearts to God and draws the lost to believing the gospel and being saved.

Every week, we issue David's invitation: Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt HIS name together!

Folks, here it is. Will you become a worshiper of God? Will you devote your life to a lifestyle of worship? Will you join with me and others to magnify the Lord and exalt His name together?