The Greatest Is the Nearest

June 23, 2019

Sermon Notes

While God’s transcendence is amazing, His immanence is astonishing. The most surprising thing about our exalted God is how close He comes to ones like us.

The transcendence of God means that He greatly surpasses our human worth and experience.
The immanence of God means that he is intimately close to us.

Psalm 113

113 Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

²Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
³From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
⁵Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
⁶who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
⁷He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
⁸to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

He Deserves Our Worship (God Is Transcendent) [Ps. 113:1-3]

God doesn’t command us to worship because something is lacking in Him, but because something is lacking in us.
To give God glory is for your soul’s good.
There’s not a single moment of the day in which God does not deserve our worship.

We Don’t Deserve His Attention (God Is Immanent) [Ps. 113:4-9]

God’s authority is not confined by geographical lines or religious affiliations.
God must humble Himself to behold that which causes me to stand in awe.
God resides in the place where I need Him the most.
The most important Being in the universe holds the most important things in your life as important to Him.

Next Step: What burden do you need to hand off to the One nearest to you right now?