Sabbath: Worshiping the Creator
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 1:9, Isaiah 40:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 1:17, Revelation 4:11, John 19:16-30.
Memory Text: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11, NKJV).
It’s easy to take things for granted, particularly things that we have always known or experienced. How easy, for instance, for young children to take their parents for granted, whom they have known all their short lives? How easy for us, too, to take for granted the sun, the sky, the air, or the ground beneath our feet.
However, have you ever stopped to think how much we take existence itself for granted? That is, how often do we stop and ask the famous philosophical question, Why is there something instead of nothing?
Why does our universe itself, and all the majesty and grandeur and astonishing things in it, exist to begin with? What great logical contradiction would occur were our universe, and we in it, not here? According to the latest scientific theory (they tend to change), our universe once did not exist. In other words, ours is a contingent existence, and it’s a miracle that we are here at all. And despite all sorts of myths about the universe arising from absolutely nothing, or from some kind of mathematical equation, our universe exists because God, the Creator, has made it and everything in it.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 13.
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I don't know how many of you have looked at the work that is coming in from the James Webb telescope. Maybe, all you can appreciate is the sheer beauty of the rest of the visible universe. But even that impresses with its extent and variation. If you understand some of the science involved it is even more majestic.
There is one thought that continually crosses my mind - My idea of God is far too small!
Maurice, I had a look at some zoomable images from J.Webb’s Telescope such as Southern Ring Nebula and Cosmic Cliffs …etc. and I must admit they are gorgeous and majestic, but rather scary. Since we are only familiar with our planet earth and the beauties we behold, sometimes from a bird‘s eye view being on an airplane.
Yes we tend to take many things for granted as the lesson today explains. Our life, the air we breath, the uninterrupted day & night rhythm and a lot more.
We owe it to God to be conscious about the deep meaning of Rev. 4:11
I don’t have any words to describe the amazing and beautiful things that God created in space. I can hardly wait to learn about beauty and purpose of his artistry in outer space. I agree that we have no idea of God has done when he created this world. We are only seeing tidbits.
True worship is a spiritual matter and it is a response of a converted heart. It is an outpouring towards the awesomeness of the true living God, who is the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of mankind. This response only comes when one truly know this awesome God and has got an intimate relationship. It is essential to note that God created all things for the purpose of worship.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (AMP) "When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil".
God has always made it known to all mankind that He is the Creator and provider of all things and He desires a loving response from his created beings. Through creation, man has got no excuse not to worship the true God.
"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God" (Romans 1:20 - NLT).
It is unfortunate that the advent of sin corrupted the beautiful and sweet relationship which existed between the Creator and the created beings. Sin is always toxic and deadly. Hence, the very centre of the Good News is to reconcile the Creator with his created beings. Paul captures God's effort to reconcile man to Himself as follows:
"For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, NLT).
In fact, the 3 Angels messages is the last appeal and attempt by God calling man to come back to the true God. This is a warning communicated in love. Worship is a wonderful experience expressed by a redeemed soul. This is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unrepentant heart has got no capacity to worship the true God in spirit and in truth. When we truly know the true God, we shall be lost in the true worship experience.
Omwenga- thank you for bringing to our attention the beautiful truth of 2 Cor. 5:9-10.
what a beautiful with this insightful inspiration it has touched me deeply keep it up my brother
I am looking forward to learning more about man’s worship of the Creator. What I am certain about is that, from the Beginning, the Creator’s design of the universes and their ‘worlds’ included their capability to sustain sentient beings – life forms that perceive or feel things -, and man was to be the crowning design to become the steward of this world - earth.
Our world is perfectly established to sustain all lifeforms, but only one creature has the capacity to KNOW his Creator by the way he was designed. What has become more important for him than mere knowing that he is a created being, is to know who desgined him, because he is called upon to learn the acceptance of God’s design of him so that he can worship his Creator in His Spirit and Truth.
To engage in true worship, therefore, is the acknowledgment and acceptance of man’s heart and mind to surrender this living soul to the Creator’s authority to govern its life – to worship Him in His Spirit and His Truth.
In millennia past, it was easier for man to worship a god, any god; gods were an integral part of humanity’s life. But now we have become ‘sophisticated’, not ‘knowing’ or willing to accept that there is a God/ultimate Authority, and that this God chose to manifest Himself in the laws of a people to teach them how to ‘train up a child in the way it should go’, how to worship Him in Spirit and Truth – Prov.22:6; 1Cor.8:5-6.
For us who believe Jesus Christ, God’s Son, He has become our Lord and Savior. Through His life’s presence, teaching man as He walked among us, all the world has been shown God the Father, the true God who made heaven and earth, and how to worship Him. How do we worship Him – we worship Him in Spirit and Truth; His Spirit and His Truth. Having resolved to believe, we dedicated our life to live in/by HIS Spirit and Truth to so worship our Creator Father with our lives.
The Creator of the Universe loves and wants us !
To truly understand God’s glory we need to be studying the Word and hiding it in our hearts (memorizing it) just like Jesus did and was able to overcome the devil in Matt 4.
Here’s a free class so that we can have sharper swords in bringing us to a better experience with our Creator!
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Crash Course In Bible Memorization...
Your Personal Invitation:
www.fast.st/cc/dontforgetjesus
While memorisation (Australian spelling) is a good thing and I have done my fair share of it, applying what you have learned is even more important. I maintain that given a big enough flock of Galahs (Pink and Grey Australian Cockatoos) I could get the flock to memorise the whole Bible. But all that it would achieve would be a lot of noise. One of my family members found it very difficult to remember Bible texts but she could teach me a thing or two about application.
The Three Angels' Message continues. Revelation 4:11 message is also fear God and give glory to Him. Why? Because He is worthy. Part of fearing God is giving glory and honor to the One who was chosen to die in our stead, the One who brought us into existence, sustaining us throughout life, giving us the will, or desire, if you prefer, to do His will.
It’s staggering to consider that Satan was one of God’s crowning creations.
Can you imagine being the parent of a mass murderer? Can we fathom the love of God that Satan, the father of all that is anti-God, is still alive? Can we see in Satan the danger of being a created being whose gaze is fastened on self, and who refuses to worship our Creator?
Whatever you believe in how we got here on this beautiful and complex planet, there has got to be faith. That's why some theories never become laws. To assume things that we can't prove (or see) is a definition of faith.