Four Doxologies to Behold our God

Dear Church Family,

In four weeks, we will have completed our journey through the whole Bible. What wonders we have seen as we have beheld the glories of God and the triumphs of his grace!

As we come toward the end of this series, I’ve been seeking God for how to best conclude this wonderful journey together. And it seemed to me that I needed to adjust my plans a bit.

We’ve been focusing on missions this Fall. I want this journey through the New Testament to be used by God to reignite a passion for God’s mission. But I also want us to end this series on a strong note of beholding our God in worship.

Then I remembered John Piper’s provocative statement: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man” (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, p. 11).

Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is the goal of missions.

So as we come to the end of this journey, we are going to finish as we began—in worship and adoration of our great God.

The passages we will be reading in the remainder of the New Testament provide us with more than ten thousand reasons for our hearts to sing...but there are four passages in particular that we are going to explore. Four Doxologies. Four outpourings of praise and adoration to the God of grace and glory.

As we behold our God in these four passages, may our hearts be stirred to worship him. And as we worship him, may we be moved to fully engage in his mission in the world, so that people from every tribe, language, and nation will be moved to join us in that great doxology that will be forever sung for all eternity: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!”

Meditate with me on these four passages as you read through the rest of the New Testament these next four weeks.

For the week of Sunday, October 21: The Romans Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
(Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

For the week of Sunday, October 28: The Ephesians Doxology

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV)

For the week of Sunday, November 4: The Jude Doxology

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
(Jude 1:24-25 ESV)

For the week of Sunday, November 11: A Revelation Doxology

And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
(Revelation 5:9-14 ESV)

And once we complete this journey, a whole new, exciting, amazing journey begins as we take a prolonged gaze at Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, in Luke’s Gospel. Lord willing, we will embark on that new adventure on Sunday, Nov. 18. I can hardly wait!

Loving God’s Word as we behold God’s glory,

David Sunday