Title: Life for God / Isaiah 43:19-21
Contents . Sunday, September 13, 1992 Worship.
Isaiah 43:19-21.
We praise God while looking at the universe and nature because God created them all.
The faith that our life can be truly meaningful and glorified begins with the fact that God created us.
Therefore, it is very meaningful that the Bible does not start from anything else, but from God's creation work.
But what we should pay attention to is the fact of why He was created.
Nothing in this world is useless. Everything exists because there is a reason why it is used in its own way. Although it may seem insignificant, if it is useful, it is valuable. If it's useless, it's just garbage and worthless.
Clearly, nature was created by God for us. It was created to meet the needs of our lives. That is why he created all nature and, lastly, us. And God was created to show God through this nature so that we might know and believe in God. This is called natural revelation.
This is the purpose for which nature was created. But life has ruined the nature God has given us. So I gave up on myself all the grace of God that can be enjoyed in nature.
I saw an article called the duality of clothes among the articles I read through the last newspaper. In other words, through the laundry to be cleansed, the other thing, that is, the contradiction that God's nature is being defiled, is being denounced.
In addition, humans often discovered idols and served idols through nature, which God gave them to discover.
Furthermore, what is the purpose of God's creation of our lives, this is what today's text is saying.
This people I have formed for me-
It was built for God. This is where the true purpose of our lives comes from. That is what it means to live a life for God.
The first question in the Sojourn is asking: What is man's primary purpose? Its answer is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. is.
This is where we find the root of human happiness. Where is human happiness and where is unhappiness? that's the problem.
There are often people who place the measure of happiness on material things and on worldly things, but that is not right.
Man's happiness and unhappiness is whether man lives with the purpose for which God was created, or regardless of the purpose for which he was created.
-Another thing. Then, specifically, what is life for God?
The Bible replies, “That you may sing my praises.”
It is a life of praise. What we pay attention to here is the owner of the hymn. The Bible emphasizes that it is my praise. Praise belongs to God. It is an act of giving back to God what is God's. Fundamentally, it is not ours to glorify God. It is giving back to God what is God's. Where are ours? All belong to God. (strength, health, material, talent, etc.)
- In the Bible, the word praise is recorded 399 times, 48 times in the New Testament and 351 times in the Old Testament. However, it should be noted that the object of this word is always God.
- Then why should we praise him? The reason is because of God's redeeming love.
(Ex 15:1-21; Luke 1:46-55; Revelation 7, 19) Paul also emphasizes this fact in Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14.
Conversely, secular music is the song of Lamech in Genesis 4:21, Genesis 4:23, 24, and it is a song for human beings who sing only for the pride, joy, and pleasure of the flesh.
Therefore, the hymns we sing must be fully sung in the love and grace of redemption. Amos 6:5 You chirp vain songs to the lyre, make musical instruments for yourself like David Amos 5:23,24 Let your singing cease before me, for I will not listen to your lyre.
Ex) Missionary Shim’s testimony-
- May we always remember and praise the great love and grace of God who redeemed us, among other things. At that time, we will live the true purpose of life to glorify God, and furthermore, our life will be a blessed life where we experience true happiness. Amen.
(Praise, my soul, sing together quietly)