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God's Need To Be Worshiped?


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God's need to be worshiped? This is a question I have been pondering for some time now and would appreciate some outside input (with scripture). Why must we worship God? Does He "need" it? Whose benefit is it for, His or ours? We are commanded to worship Him, but why? We look at a man or woman who needs the devotion of those around him and call them vain, egotistical, etc yet right through scripture we see God demanding that we worship Him. Adam was created as a companion to God if my understanding is correct. This would make him an "almost" equal? Was Adam created to worship God? I don't think so as I understand that the Angels were created to serve and worship Him and we are above them in Christ. As Adam was before his sin. So why the "need" for our worship?

This may be a bit convoluted and I am not calling God vain here so feel free to correct me where needed.

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This would be a long topic to study completely. I'm not sure if God "needs" worship but it's obvious God at the very least desires worship. We see in Scripture there are those around His throne which worship Him continually.

No doubt, God is worthy of worship and deserves our worship.

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The Bible says that true worshippers, worship Him in spirit and in truth.....and He seeketh such to worship Him.
To worship God is to love and adore Him, with joy and gratitude in your heart. The Bible says that Jesus endured the cross for the JOY set before Him.
Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost, the Bible says. God wants to give that to us.

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God is passionately committed to his fame. God's ultimate goal is that his name be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth.
In Romans 9:17, Paul says that God's goal in redeeming Israel that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. In Isaiah 66:19, God promised that he would send messengers, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. I believe that the central command of world missions can be seen in Isaiah 12:4, "Make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted." And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
The apostle Paul said that his ministry as a missionary was for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Romans 1:5
The apostle John said that missionaries are those who that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 3 John 7
James, the Lord's brother, described missions as how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. Act 15:14
Jesus described missionaries as those who leave houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake. Matthew 19:29.

God's passion to be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth is not selfish, but loving.
God is the one being in the universe for which self-exaltation is the ultimate loving act. And the reason is easy to see. The one and only truth in the universe that can fully and eternally satisfy the human heart is the glory of God -- the beauty of all that God is for us in Jesus. Perhaps the best way to see that God's passion for his fame is an expression of his love is to notice that God's mercy is the pinnacle of his glory. This is what he wants to be honored for above all else. You can see this in Romans 15:9 where Paul says that the reason Christ came into the world was so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Do you see how conviction #1 and #2 come together in that little phrase: "glorify God for his mercy"? God gets the glory, we get the mercy. God is praised, we are saved. God gets the honor, we get the joy. God is glorified for his fullness; we are satisfied with his mercy.
So to sum up there are two basic problems in the universe: God is profaned and people are perishing. Conviction #1 says that God will not suffer his name to be dishonored indefinitely, but will act to vindicate his name and glorify himself among the nations. Conviction #2 says that God has planned a way to do this by saving the perishing through the death of his Son, Jesus, and making them a worshipping people who enjoy his glory. In the sacrifice of his own Son for the sake of the nations, God reveals the pinnacle of his glory -- his mercy. So the salvation of the nations and the glorification of God happen together in missions. They are not at odds. It is a loving thing for God to pursue his glory like this.

God bless,
Calvary

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God is passionately committed to his fame. God's ultimate goal is that his name be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth.
In Romans 9:17, Paul says that God's goal in redeeming Israel that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. In Isaiah 66:19, God promised that he would send messengers, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. I believe that the central command of world missions can be seen in Isaiah 12:4, "Make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted." And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
The apostle Paul said that his ministry as a missionary was for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Romans 1:5
The apostle John said that missionaries are those who that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 3 John 7
James, the Lord's brother, described missions as how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. Act 15:14
Jesus described missionaries as those who leave houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake. Matthew 19:29.

God's passion to be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth is not selfish, but loving.
God is the one being in the universe for which self-exaltation is the ultimate loving act. And the reason is easy to see. The one and only truth in the universe that can fully and eternally satisfy the human heart is the glory of God -- the beauty of all that God is for us in Jesus. Perhaps the best way to see that God's passion for his fame is an expression of his love is to notice that God's mercy is the pinnacle of his glory. This is what he wants to be honored for above all else. You can see this in Romans 15:9 where Paul says that the reason Christ came into the world was so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Do you see how conviction #1 and #2 come together in that little phrase: "glorify God for his mercy"? God gets the glory, we get the mercy. God is praised, we are saved. God gets the honor, we get the joy. God is glorified for his fullness; we are satisfied with his mercy.
So to sum up there are two basic problems in the universe: God is profaned and people are perishing. Conviction #1 says that God will not suffer his name to be dishonored indefinitely, but will act to vindicate his name and glorify himself among the nations. Conviction #2 says that God has planned a way to do this by saving the perishing through the death of his Son, Jesus, and making them a worshipping people who enjoy his glory. In the sacrifice of his own Son for the sake of the nations, God reveals the pinnacle of his glory -- his mercy. So the salvation of the nations and the glorification of God happen together in missions. They are not at odds. It is a loving thing for God to pursue his glory like this.

God bless,
Calvary


Hebrews 12
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the fame? that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.


Is that what your Bible says?
That sounds strangely similar to the stuff they were pushing at the the IFB church we left a few months back. They were also reading the works of John Piper from the pulpit and passing them off as sermons, saying things like "God's main goal is His glory" and "Paul was chosen before he was born",

The whole theme of the Bible is Christ and His work on Calvary where He manifested Himself and His true glory. It does say that he despised the shame (opposite of glory), but His main purpose for going to that cross was "for the joy". Psalm 51 says 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. When the woman of Samaria was filled with the living water, it was joy bubbling over in her soul that made her tell others, the same with the wild man of Gadara and many others. Jesus and the Father already had glory 'before the world was".
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Adam was never equal to God, not even close, God created Adam out of the dirt from the ground which He created. God, has always been, & will always be, He has no beginning or end. there is nothing nor no one even remotely equal to God. And God is the only One that ever created anything out of nothing. Man speaks about creating, yet he never creates, He takes something that God created, them forms it into something, that is not creating something from nothing.

And it seems God created all things, including man, for His pleasure.

Re 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

And He seeks men who will worship Him in truth & in spirit.


Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

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Adam was never equal to God, not even close, God created Adam out of the dirt from the ground which He created. God, has always been, & will always be, He has no beginning or end. there is nothing nor no one even remotely equal to God. And God is the only One that ever created anything out of nothing. Man speaks about creating, yet he never creates, He takes something that God created, them forms it into something, that is not creating something from nothing.

And it seems God created all things, including man, for His pleasure.

Re 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

And He seeks men who will worship Him in truth & in spirit.


Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.


I did not imply that Adam raised himself up as equal to God. Did God not create Adam as a companion? Was Adam not created in His image after His own likeness? Does this not imply that God CREATED Adam as an equal and I don't mean equal as in the same but as in the same as a husband and wife are equal yet not? Are we not the bride of Christ who is the "new Adam" (1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.) Is this not the same type of relationship? Is Christ not God? Go back and read your bible and you will see that Adam was created as higher than the angels and as more than your post implies. It is us who are in a fallen state but not after we are saved - then we are raised up from nothing to something.

If Christ is equal to God and we are His Bride what does that make us? By His grace we are seated in heavenly places WITH Him. By His grace He created Adam in His image after His own likeness. So what does that make Adam - nothing?
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Hebrews 12
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the fame? that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.


Is that what your Bible says?
That sounds strangely similar to the stuff they were pushing at the the IFB church we left a few months back. They were also reading the works of John Piper from the pulpit and passing them off as sermons, saying things like "God's main goal is His glory" and "Paul was chosen before he was born",

The whole theme of the Bible is Christ and His work on Calvary where He manifested Himself and His true glory. It does say that he despised the shame (opposite of glory), but His main purpose for going to that cross was "for the joy". Psalm 51 says 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. When the woman of Samaria was filled with the living water, it was joy bubbling over in her soul that made her tell others, the same with the wild man of Gadara and many others. Jesus and the Father already had glory 'before the world was".


Is there something wrong with the verses I cited? Are they not in the BIble?

How about these?

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

You shouldn't place modern defintions over KJB words. Fame simply means knowledge. And yes, the Bible clearly states that God does desire that his fame be spread amongst the nations.

The OP asked about the glory of God, I stated nothing that would detract from Jesus Christ as you seem toi intimate. Fame. A good Bible word.

God bless,
Calvary
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I've had these same questions. Calvary, I didn't *quite* understand what you meant, but it sounded good, I think. haha. Part of it, I have always just figured, has to do with our finite, sinful mind as opposed to God's mind. God says that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. So, down here, we are automatically turned off by someone who lifts themselves up and demands attention. However...that "wisdom" is foolishness...so many times in the Bible God does things or desires things against human logic. I've heard nonbelievers use the Old Testament and things God did as proof that Christianity is a violent religion. Again...God did a lot of things that we don't understand outside of just faith, and understanding the symbolism.

I think in a way, there is just something about God being eternal, the I AM, that is so great and wonderful that we can't really even grasp it...we have absolutely no earthly experience with anyone we respect enough to worship, so its hard to get our minds wrapped around God, I think.

Well, that's how I've explained it to myself, anyway. I will say it is difficult to worship God, as a sinful being.

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Your quote from your original post when you started this topic.


. Adam was created as a companion to God if my understanding is correct. This would make him an "almost" equal?


You said it, I didn't, I just pointed out that Adam was not even, as you say, "almost equal," to God. I stated, Adam was not almost equal to God, & God created all thing, even man for His pleasure.

Are you disagreeing? Edited by Jerry80871852
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I've had these same questions. Calvary, I didn't *quite* understand what you meant, but it sounded good, I think. haha. Part of it, I have always just figured, has to do with our finite, sinful mind as opposed to God's mind. God says that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. So, down here, we are automatically turned off by someone who lifts themselves up and demands attention. However...that "wisdom" is foolishness...so many times in the Bible God does things or desires things against human logic. I've heard nonbelievers use the Old Testament and things God did as proof that Christianity is a violent religion. Again...God did a lot of things that we don't understand outside of just faith, and understanding the symbolism.

I think in a way, there is just something about God being eternal, the I AM, that is so great and wonderful that we can't really even grasp it...we have absolutely no earthly experience with anyone we respect enough to worship, so its hard to get our minds wrapped around God, I think.

Well, that's how I've explained it to myself, anyway. I will say it is difficult to worship God, as a sinful being.


The OP asked about God and His desire to be worshipped. I think that God has tailored a system that lends to His being worshipped because He is merciful. We praise HIm for His mercy, His goodness, whether it is through the direct action of God or through His administration (the church, the brethren, circumstances turned to our favor...)
I recalled reading the quote (apologies to heart for not offering it) and I thought it was Dr Charles Keen, not Piper. The issue is this. Does God recieve worship and in what forms? Does He arrange the affairs of men that no matter what, He is worshipped? That is fatalism, and I don't know about that. But I do know that the scriptures declare that God does in fact desire worship of His person. God does in fact intervene in the history of man to in fact be worshipped. He does so by demostrating His mercy. I find that to be a facinating dynamic. God's glory is manifested through His mercy to sinful men. Mind boggling stuff for me at least.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was culled from a message from Dr Charles Keen. Founder of Bearing Precious Seed, former pastor of 1st Baptist in MIlford OH, and now founder and global evangelist of First Missions International.

God bless,
Calvary
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Is there something wrong with the verses I cited? Are they not in the BIble?

How about these?

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

You shouldn't place modern defintions over KJB words. Fame simply means knowledge. And yes, the Bible clearly states that God does desire that his fame be spread amongst the nations.

The OP asked about the glory of God, I stated nothing that would detract from Jesus Christ as you seem toi intimate. Fame. A good Bible word.

God bless,
Calvary


Word Origin & History

fame

late 13c., "celebrity,renown," from O.Fr. fame, from L. fama "talk, rumor, report,reputation," from PIE base *bha- "to speak, tell, say" (cf. Skt. bhanati "speaks;" L. fari "to say;" Arm. ban, bay "word, term;" O.C.S. bajati "to talk, tell;" O.E. boian "to boast," ben "prayer, request;" Gk. pheme "talk,"

If you or I went around our region raising the dead, and healing the sick, we would be on the six O'clock news the very first day. But that isn't the reason I highlighted the word. Jesus didn't come for that; he came to "seek and to save that which was lost".and He went to the cross "for the Joy set before Him". he wants to fellowship with us; if that were'nt the case, He would not live IN our hearts. His "pleasure" is to "give us the kingdom" and that "kingdom" is "peace and joy in the Holy Ghost". Edited by heartstrings
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