The Motive

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Tell us about one of your most meaningful possessions. 

• Do you like to plan? When was the last time you planned something, only it didn’t pan out? 

• How do you honor a person? Recall an instance explaining this. 

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘰𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟭𝟰𝟱:𝟭-𝟰

As believers, our ultimate motive in life is to extol, honor, and glorify God. Even as a church, this is why we exist. This is why we do what we do. The psalmist declared that he wanted to praise and bless God forever. When he saw who God is, this was his declaration. And this was not meant for him or his generation alone. It is also meant for us and for the generations to come. Today, let’s look at three lessons we can learn from this passage on honoring God in all things.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.

𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘰𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟭𝟰𝟱:𝟭-𝟮

In everything we do and in every moment of our lives, God alone is to be honored and extolled. This includes our highest points, our lowest points, and everything in between. We don’t just praise God on a Sunday; we do this every day. And we will do this forever. Recall times when it was hard for you to honor and extol God. What did you do, in spite of your situation and emotions? 

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟭𝟰𝟱:𝟯-𝟰

To honor, extol, and glorify someone is to recognize their characteristics and achievements, and put this person high above all else. The truth is, any human attribute or accomplishment will always fall short of God. He is our God and King, He is greater than all, and He has done mighty acts. Because of this, He alone deserves our worship and praise. How do you think you can express the greatness of God in your life today? 

𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟭𝟰𝟱:𝟰

If we think God is only to be honored and glorified now by us, we are mistaken. God’s greatness and His mighty acts are to be taught from one generation to another. Our motive—to honor God—is intergenerational. We are to tell others about what we have heard and what we have experienced ourselves. Our prayer is that future generations will continue to love God and declare His greatness to others as well. How do you think one generation can commend God’s works to another? 

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Do you believe that God is great? What has made you realize the truth? How will it change the way you live?

• What is your motivation in life? What do you think your life would be like if you lived to honor God at all times and in all circumstances? 

• Think of the people you will meet or talk to this week. Ask God for opportunities to minister and tell others about God this week.

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His greatness and for revealing Himself to you.

• Pray that you would live to honor God. Pray that God would reveal more of Himself to you so that you will have a deeper understanding of your faith, and that you would praise Him at all times. 

• Pray that you would do your part in commending God’s works and greatness to the next and future generations.