Glory, Honor, and Power

Published: 4/14/2012 4:56:09 PM

From: TriStateVoice

By Pastor Adam Durso

In Chapter 4 of Revelation, John, the writer of the book, gives us a glimpse into the very throne room of God after having a vision of this glorious sight. This passage of scripture paints a picture for us of the God that we serve, His character, and His power.

Granted, Revelation contains symbolic imagery, but it illustrates the majesty and vast greatness of God. In the text, the elders and cherubim cry out in worship continuously, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty…” (verse eight) and “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (verse eleven).

The sole purpose of their existence is to give God honor and praise and to glorify His name. They acknowledge God as the only source of their being, and that none other deserves their praise. That is indeed a glimpse of heaven, but yet a literal model of the condition that we should possess.

Unfortunately, in our churches we have not yet embraced the spirit of worship represented in this text. Instead, we have become less reverent and have devalued the greatness of God for our own creature comforts. In order to remain relevant and approachable to the world, we have diminished God’s greatness. We no longer promote or showcase His awesomeness or the fact that He was, and is, and is to come or that He is eternal and omnipotent. We have traded holiness for familiarity. We measure God by our finite human standards, and in doing so we have “dumbed down” God to suit our own limitations, in a sense.

Do we fully realize that the entire universe is held together by the power of His word ALONE?

We, as His church, need a sobering awakening to who God truly is. As appealing and recognizable as the concept may seem, Jesus is not our homeboy. He is not a little better than us mere mortals. He is God. Jesus is a member of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), a member of the Godhead.

Unfortunately, we have become too casual when we enter into the realm of worship. We act irreverently in, and toward the presence of God. Our praise is distracted, lame and un-engaging. We fail to realize that beyond and regardless of our circumstances, He is always worthy of our utmost devotion. We have not yet come to a place where we can cast our cares down and solely concentrate on true worship. To do so is to surrender ourselves and let go of our “stuff” to enter into His presence.

Jesus gave of himself completely, bearing the cross in anguish as an ultimate act of sacrificial worship. Yet we respond by suppressing our praise. As vast as our universe may be, it still pales in comparison to the greatness of its creator: God! His creations are unparalleled to Him! God spoke all things into creation and they are unmatched by His immense power. There is none like Him. In worship, you give of yourself and proclaim to God that He alone is worthy of the Glory, Honor and Praise forever!

Glory

Glory is living for God. We do not exist solely for ourselves and we were created to glorify God. None of us are the center of the universe. There are beliefs circulating in some churches that promote very self-centered teachings, a theology that God has to fulfill our selfish agendas and cater to our needs. They teach that the individual is great and that God is here to advance their pursuits and desires. The “me-centric” doctrines promote a lie that is totally built on self importance.

The truth is that Christianity is all about GOD—from the book of Genesis to Revelation, beginning to end—and no flesh should glorify itself in His presence. We are nothing without Him and must realize that gifts, wisdom, and knowledge are given by Him. We have to dispel this self-righteous thinking that we are better than others because the truth is that the only good in us is what God has done for us and who He is in us. What often occurs is that we focus too much on ourselves and the pursuit of our own desires. This just leads to a place of barrenness and dissatisfaction.

Too many have adopted a philosophy that “God would not want me to be unhappy,” and consequently pursue relationships, hobbies, jobs or locations to fill the void. Happiness, real joy, isn’t found in any other thing or person but God! God is the giver of every good and perfect thing! Seeking elsewhere just leads us further away from the truth. We are so easily distracted by the temporal things of this world instead of pursuing the greater joy which is only sustained by God (I Cor. 10:31).

Honor

We have to learn to honor what God considers honorable. In today’s society, we have allowed ourselves to be lax and compromise in our parental practices. Children are not taught to be respectful and to honor authority, but this is what the Bible teaches. If a child is taught to respect those inside and outside of the home and to honor authority it will serve as a trajectory for their future. Many of today’s problems stem from this issue and it can follow a child into their adulthood. There are adults who struggle with the concept of honoring authority, but it is God’s mandate to give honor where honor is due. Honor includes the home, church, government, society, the workplace and the elderly population. Respect is earned and honor is given before the Lord. God is to be honored for who He is.

Power

God is supernatural.  He is omnipotent and all powerful. He is the Almighty God and we need His power to walk this Christian walk. We cannot do it in our own strength and our feeble attempts fail us. We are constantly bombarded with all sorts of temptations that appeal to our flesh, but with the power of God working in us, we are able to walk uprightly before the Lord. God’s power working in us and through us proves to be a force that changes lives. His power enables us to do great things for the community, our society, and our homes. We need His power to reverberate wherever He sends us. It is His power that truly transforms lives.

In being relevant and attractive in our approach to winning the lost for Christ, we have to always remember to keep God in His rightful place and not compromise our reverence for who He is. We want to be a Church that unapologetically believes that the God that we serve is alive and functions greatly in the lives of His people. God is still the all-powerful God of the miraculous, and as His people we must uphold the standard of righteousness He has established. God is God and He deserves the Glory, Honor and Power!