Our God-centered God: Part One
Posted by Rick on Sep 27 2007
by Rick Pidcock
Last winter, I could not wait to take my wife Ruth Ellen to our first guitar concert together. It was an evening with folk musician David Wilcox. David is one of the most unique musicians with his clever lyrics, heart-felt melodies, and deep connection with his audience.
One particular song that I like is entitled, “My God Is All About Me.” It is a parody of the stereotypical televangelist who says that God will make you rich if you simply give the televangelist all of your money. Unfortunately this view of God is echoed far too often in the church today. And perhaps, it is even lurking deep within your own heart, whether you realize it or not.
God’s glory has been defined as, “the beauty of His manifold perfections.” In other words, everything that God is and does reveals that He is of unparalleled magnificence and excellence.
In his book entitled Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, John Piper says, “The created universe is all about glory. The deepest longing of the human heart and the deepest meaning of heaven are summed up in this: the glory of God. The universe was made to show it, and we were made to see it and savor it. Nothing less will do.”
God-centered worship begins with a God-centered view of God and His glory. If our worship is to be God-centered, then we must understand first and foremost that God Himself is God-centered. And in His divine Self-centeredness, His glory is revealed.
GOD’S GLORY IS REVEALED IN HIS CREATIVE WORKS
In the forty-second chapter of Isaiah, God reveals how His glory is central to everything that He is and does. The first manifestation of His glory is in His creative works.
“Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it…”—Isaiah 42:5
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have witnessed the creation of the universe? Imagine an eternal empty darkness. And then, with just a word, God splits the darkness with His glorious light. As you gaze into the light, you begin to notice that the oceans and the heavens are jumbled together. And yet, with just a word, God parts the waters on the earth from the waters in the heavens.
Then, you fix your eyes in wonder as God commands the land to rise up from the waters. Perfectly lush grass grows in an instant. Plants fill the land like the most beautifully cultivated garden. Trees of every size and kind rise forth, bringing fruit and shade.
Then just when you think you have seen it all, God forms a giant globe of fire in the sky to light the day, a smaller ball of light to illuminate the night, and flings millions of seemingly tiny lights across the dark night sky.
The following morning, God speaks and the trees and sky are filled with birds, the deep waters are filled with massive whales, and the lakes and streams are stocked with fish.
Then, just as God commands, animals of every kind begin to roam the earth.
The reason God created such evidences of His glory is to magnify the truth that He is the glorious Creator. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
The next day you wonder over what the Creator will speak into existence next. Only this time, something is different. You watch as the Creator kneels down onto the dirt. Then with great care, He begins to gather the dirt together to fashion His most treasured creation, the creation of Adam.
While Adam lies on the ground motionless, the Creator bends down and breathes life into him. And Adam responds by rising up, gazing into his Creator’s eyes for the first time, and worshiping Him. In the midst of such heavenly and earthly beauty, the climax of God’s physical creation is life. He “gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.”
Even though Ruth Ellen and I have not begun having children yet, we are anticipating the day when God brings a new life into our family. There is a beauty about human life that no other part of creation can express because human life bears the image of God.
I cannot wait until my children ask me, “Daddy, where do babies come from?” Why is it that we find this question so intimidating? The answer is quite simple. All of life comes from God. He gives us our breath and spirits. He is the Source and Sustainer of life. And thus, all of creation is centered on Him, revealing His glory. As you enjoy the outpouring of God’s common grace in your life through the beauty of creation, use those moments as opportunities for worship to the glorious Creator that made it all in order to magnify Himself.
Discuss this article here.
*Rick Pidcock is the Publisher for GCW. He also serves as the corporate worship leader for NorthField Church in Denver, CO, where he lives with his wife, Ruth Ellen. In addition to writing for GCW, he also writes on his personal blog at Living Worship.