The pur\u00adpo\u00adse of life is to wor\u00adship the Lord. Psalm 104 beg\u00adins with a call to wor\u00adship. It then men\u00adti\u00adons the reasons why one should prai\u00adse God. It ends with a rene\u00adwed call to prai\u00adse God. The pau\u00adse and con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adti\u00adon of God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon offers gre\u00adat sup\u00adport to find one\u2019s way as a human being into the actu\u00adal voca\u00adti\u00adon of wor\u00adship\u00adping God.<\/p>\n
A micro\u00adwa\u00adve oven was inven\u00adted to heat up food. It is less sui\u00adta\u00adble for dry\u00ading the dog. A welder\u2019s pur\u00adpo\u00adse is to join metal tog\u00ade\u00adther. If you want to sew your clo\u00adthes with it, you won\u2019t get any\u00adwhe\u00adre. Each tool was crea\u00adted for a spe\u00adci\u00adfic pur\u00adpo\u00adse. It does no good to ali\u00aden\u00adate it from its pur\u00adpo\u00adse. For what pur\u00adpo\u00adse does man exist? Man is ful\u00adly man when he stands befo\u00adre God and wor\u00adships Him. That is the pur\u00adpo\u00adse of life. In a recent wor\u00adship song we sing: Come and prai\u00adse the Lord, my soul sings, wor\u00adship the King, sing as never befo\u00adre only for Him and wor\u00adship the King. In the same song we sing that the\u00adre are ten thousand reasons to do so. In Psalm 104 we find some of them. \tWhat helps you in your ever\u00ady\u00adday life to wor\u00adship God? The pur\u00adpo\u00adse of life is to wor\u00adship the Lord. Psalm 104 beg\u00adins with a call to wor\u00adship. It then men\u00adti\u00adons the reasons why one should prai\u00adse God. It ends with a rene\u00adwed call to prai\u00adse God. Paus\u00ading and con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adting God\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon pro\u00advi\u00addes gre\u00adat sup\u00adport to enter into the real cal\u00adling of wor\u00adship as a human being.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6790","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nIt is one of the Psalms that beg\u00adins with the call to wor\u00adship. \u00abPrai\u00adse the Lord (Yah\u00adweh), my soul! Lord my God, you are very gre\u00adat!\u00bb (Psalm 104:1 NLB<\/span>). This is fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by reasons for prai\u00adsing God. And at the end comes the rene\u00adwed call to prai\u00adse God. \u00abPrai\u00adse the Lord, my soul! Hal\u00adle\u00adlu\u00adjah!\u00bb (v.35b NLB<\/span>). The wri\u00adter of this psalm calls upon hims\u00adelf to prai\u00adse God. A life of wor\u00adship is not a given. But the\u00adre are ten thousand reasons for it.
\nYah\u00adweh is gre\u00adat and glorious
\n\u00ab[\u2026] In honour and glo\u00adry you are clo\u00adthed and light sur\u00adrounds you like a robe. [\u2026]\u00bb (v.1f NLB<\/span>). Clo\u00adthes make the man, says the pro\u00adverb. We express our iden\u00adti\u00adty with the way we dress. The garm\u00adents of Yah\u00adweh (Ger\u00adman: Herr) are honour and glo\u00adry. Next Satur\u00adday we will cele\u00adbra\u00adte the wed\u00adding of Meli and Sei\u00admen. The\u00adre, a boho style is cal\u00adled for \u2013 airy trou\u00adsers, braces, a linen smock and hat. The bri\u00adde and groom want to pro\u00admo\u00adte that their wed\u00adding feast will be uncom\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adted, light, sum\u00adme\u00adry and cheerful.
\nWhat do Yahweh\u2019s garm\u00adents express honour, glo\u00adry and light? To this end, it must be noted that no one has seen Yah\u00adweh. \u00abYah\u00adweh said to Moses, \u00abBut you can\u00adnot see my face, for every per\u00adson who sees me must die\u00bb (Exodus 33:20 NLB<\/span>). After Moses recei\u00adved the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions for life on Mount Sinai, he was ama\u00adzed: \u00abThe Lord our God has shown us his glo\u00adry and power, and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire. Today we expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced that God spo\u00adke to peo\u00adp\u00adle and yet they did not die\u00bb (Deut. 5:24 NLB<\/span>). No one could see the LORD<\/span>\u2019s dress code with their eyes. Howe\u00adver, based on accom\u00adpany\u00ading natu\u00adral phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adna and hea\u00adring God\u2019s voice, honour, glo\u00adry and light were infer\u00adred. The\u00adse garm\u00adents express God\u2019s beau\u00adty, His majes\u00adty, His majes\u00adty, His sple\u00adndour, His holi\u00adne\u00adss and His vast attrac\u00adtion. And this draws us in. Whe\u00adre the\u00adre is light, the\u00adre is life. Whe\u00adre the\u00adre is God\u2019s light, the\u00adre is divi\u00adne, eter\u00adnal life.
\nYah\u00adweh reve\u00adals Hims\u00adelf in His crea\u00adti\u00adon. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, many mira\u00adcles are recoun\u00adted in Psalm 104 as reasons for prai\u00adse. Some of them shall be men\u00adtio\u00adned in extracts:
\n\u00abThe birds build their nests in them, and the storks live in the cypres\u00adses. High on the moun\u00adta\u00adins are pas\u00adtu\u00adres for the ibe\u00adx\u00ades, and the rocks give refu\u00adge to the cliff bad\u00adgers. You crea\u00adted the moon to deter\u00admi\u00adne the sea\u00adsons, and the sun to know when to set\u00bb (vv. 17\u201319 NLB<\/span>).
\n\u00abLord, what a varie\u00adty you have crea\u00adted! In your wis\u00addom you have made them all. The earth is full of your crea\u00adtures. The\u00adre is the oce\u00adan, gre\u00adat and wide, tee\u00adming with life of every kind, with beasts gre\u00adat and small\u00bb (v.24f NLB<\/span>).
\n\u00abWhen the Lord looks at the earth, it trem\u00adbles; when he tou\u00adch\u00ades the moun\u00adta\u00adins, they smo\u00adke\u00bb (v.32 NLB<\/span>).
\nIn crea\u00adti\u00adon, howe\u00adver, not only is the honour, glo\u00adry and majes\u00adty of Yah\u00adweh to be found, but also his joy and plea\u00adsu\u00adre: \u00abLet the glo\u00adry of the Lord endu\u00adre fore\u00adver! The Lord takes delight in what he has crea\u00adted!\u00bb (V.31 NLB<\/span>). As we work\u00aded with the archi\u00adtect on the plans for the remo\u00addel\u00adling of our house, he chal\u00adlen\u00adged us again and again to go to work with relish. The LORD<\/span> crea\u00adted the world with much wit, joy and plea\u00adsu\u00adre. When he had you in mind, a sly smi\u00adle flit\u00adted across his face. Full of delight, He set to work and wove you in your mother\u2019s womb. Or ima\u00adgi\u00adne when he came up with the idea for the Mil\u00adky Way or crea\u00adted the octo\u00adpus or the round-tail\u00aded manatee?
\nYah\u00adweh sus\u00adta\u00adins the world
\nIt is not that the LORD<\/span>, having crea\u00adted the world, gave it a push and said, \u00abSo, and now you must look for yours\u00adelf\u00bb. No, Yah\u00adweh sus\u00adta\u00adins the world. \u00abThey all wait for you to give them food when it is nee\u00added. With your help they gather pro\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adons. You open your hand to feed them, and they are fil\u00adled\u00bb (v.27f NLB<\/span>).
\nAre you awa\u00adre of this when you buy a kebab at the sta\u00adti\u00adon or open the fri\u00addge at home? If the Lord does not open his hand, you get not\u00adhing. Every time you sit at the table and the food is on the table, Yah\u00adweh has ope\u00adned his hand. It is appro\u00adpria\u00adte and a gre\u00adat bene\u00adfit to pau\u00adse for a moment befo\u00adre eating and give thanks. It makes the heart glad and leads to worship.
\n\u00ab[\u2026] If you take away their breath, they die and return to dust\u00bb (v.29 NLB<\/span>). The word for breath in Hebrew is ruach, which also means Spi\u00adrit of God. After God had for\u00admed Adam from the dust of the earth, the decisi\u00adve step comes: God brea\u00adthes breath into man\u2019s nose (Gene\u00adsis 2:7). Man is crea\u00adted to have the breath of life, he is a breathing being. Breathing is the need that we can least post\u00adpo\u00adne. We con\u00adscious\u00adly do our own drin\u00adking, eating and slee\u00adping. Breathing hap\u00adpens auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly. Accor\u00adding to Hebrew thin\u00adking, the human being is high\u00adly depen\u00addent and not \u2013 as we often belie\u00adve \u2013 self-suf\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adent. The move\u00adment of life hap\u00adpens sil\u00adent\u00adly and unob\u00adtru\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. Every breath we take is a gift from God. We would be dead on the spot if he took back his spirit.
\n\u00abThe Son reflects the glo\u00adry of God, and ever\u00ady\u00adthing about him is an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of the being of God. He sus\u00adta\u00adins the uni\u00adver\u00adse by the power of his word [\u2026]\u00bb (Hebrews 1:3 NLB<\/span>). When we look at Jesus Christ, we get a glim\u00adpse of the glo\u00adry and natu\u00adre of God. The Son of God sus\u00adta\u00adins the uni\u00adver\u00adse through his Word. It is he who does not tear the fine web that holds all crea\u00adti\u00adon tog\u00ade\u00adther through his love. Ica\u00adrus or MACS<\/span> J1149<\/span>+ Len\u00adsed Star 1 is the most distant star ever obser\u00adved. It is only visi\u00adble through the gra\u00advi\u00adta\u00adtio\u00adnal len\u00adsing effect of a lar\u00adge clus\u00adter of gala\u00adxies loca\u00adted five bil\u00adli\u00adon light years from Earth. One light year is 9.46 tril\u00adli\u00adon kilo\u00adme\u00adt\u00adres. Even Ica\u00adrus is embra\u00adced by God\u2019s love.
\nYah\u00adweh will make the world new
\nAt the last Ziesch\u00adtigs-Kafi we tal\u00adked about some of the won\u00adders of crea\u00adti\u00adon. Among other things, we mar\u00advel\u00adled at the fact that a human being can walk at all. So many mus\u00adcles and ten\u00addons have to be coor\u00addi\u00adna\u00adted. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, the\u00adre is a who\u00adle regu\u00adla\u00adto\u00adry sys\u00adtem that keeps us in balan\u00adce. And then someone said, \u00abThrough his greed, man is able to do enorm\u00adous dama\u00adge.\u00bb He was refer\u00adring to the war in Ukrai\u00adne, whe\u00adre immense dama\u00adge is being done to infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre and natu\u00adre. Lust for power and greed for money are the cau\u00adse of gre\u00adat evil.
\nThis is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly why the Psalm says: \u00abBut let all sin\u00adners dis\u00adap\u00adpear from the earth, so that the\u00adre will be no more wicked peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb (v.35 NLB<\/span>). Sin is when we trust in some\u00adthing other than God. Sin is the cau\u00adse of all explo\u00adita\u00adti\u00adon of crea\u00adti\u00adon, all oppres\u00adsi\u00adon of peo\u00adp\u00adle and nati\u00adons, all pover\u00adty, spe\u00adci\u00ades extinc\u00adtion and envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal destruction.
\nSin will then dis\u00adap\u00adpear from the earth fore\u00adver when the new crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world comes to this earth. The state\u00adment on the pic\u00adtu\u00adre of our annu\u00adal the\u00adme is: \u00abLook, I am making some\u00adthing new; alre\u00ada\u00addy it is sprou\u00adting\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 43:19 NLB<\/span>). God will crea\u00adte a new hea\u00adven and a new earth. The New Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem will float down to earth. With the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ, the start but\u00adton for new crea\u00adti\u00adon has been pushed. It is coming good!
\nJesus Christ sus\u00adta\u00adins the uni\u00adver\u00adse through the power of his word. In the same breath the aut\u00adhor says: \u00ab[\u2026] Having cle\u00adan\u00adsed us from our sins by His death, He sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the glo\u00adrious God in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Hebrews 1:3 NLB<\/span>). When we trust Jesus Christ and give Him our lives, He cle\u00adan\u00adses us from all dis\u00adtrust of God (= sin). This for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness paves a person\u2019s way back to Yah\u00adweh in His glo\u00adry and holi\u00adne\u00adss. At the moment Jesus is sea\u00adted in the place of honour at the right hand of God in hea\u00adven. From the\u00adre He will come again and bring the new crea\u00adti\u00adon into the world. Until that hap\u00adpens, the pur\u00adpo\u00adse of our exis\u00adtence lies in what Psalm 104 aspi\u00adres to: \u00abI will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will prai\u00adse my God as long as I am on earth!\u00bb (V.33 NLB<\/span>).
\n
\nQues\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nBible text rea\u00adding: Psalm 104<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Lord is clo\u00adthed with honour, glo\u00adry and light. What do the\u00adse garm\u00adents mean?
\n\tWhat reasons does the psal\u00admist give for prai\u00adsing God? How do the\u00adse reasons help you to prai\u00adse God?
\n\tWhen the Lord opens his hand, we are fed and satis\u00adfied. How do you know that you are awa\u00adre of this truth?
\n\tHow do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne the new hea\u00adven and the new earth? What is \u00abmiss\u00ading\u00bb when all sin\u00adners are gone from the earth?
\n\tGo for a walk out in natu\u00adre this week and wor\u00adship God!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"