“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill all your good pleasure for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Psalm 29:2
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”
– Psalm 29:2
Main Thought: One of the things you see throughout the Psalms of David is his emphasis on the true worship of God. We see it also early in the history of Israel when God delivered His people out of Egypt and gave them His laws and precepts, that a very detailed emphasis was placed upon the true worship of God. The Tabernacle was the hub, at the center of the camp of the Israelites. It was known as a place of holiness, where God came down to meet with man. The Israelites understood that worship was not about them, but about God, worshiping Him because of His great name and holiness. David also understood this, that we worship Him because “His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven” (Ps. 148:13). As His children, we are commanded in His Word to worship Him, to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together (Heb. 10:25), not for the purpose of checking off a box of our religious service, not for the purpose of socializing with friends, or getting our felt needs addressed by the pastors and teachers. No, the purpose when we gather together is to worship, to worship in our praying, our singing, our giving, our serving, and in the proclamation of our God in the preaching and teaching of His Word. When we come together and worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23), we are doing what we were put on this earth to do, and which we will spend an eternity in heaven doing. May all of us who know our Lord and Savior say with David that we will worship our Lord who has redeemed us because of the glory of His name and in “the splendor of holiness.” I pray all of us who know Christ will have a renewed zeal to worship Him now and look forward to the time when we will live in eternal worship of our Lord and Savior.

David Webber
David Webber is married to Mary with four children and four grandchildren, and serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Longview, TX. He obtained a BS in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, TX, and pursued studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX. Throughout his ministry, he has been an invited preacher and educator in numerous churches and various Bible conferences. Surrendering to the gospel ministry’s calling in 1972 at the age of 16, he received preaching licensure from Little Flock Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, in 1974. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1978, he was ordained in December of 1980 by Faith Baptist Church. Following this, he contributed his services to Faith Baptist in Longview and subsequently engaged with Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he instructed Sunday School and delivered sermons as needed. In February of 1994, Faith Baptist invited him to lead as their pastor, a role he has faithfully held to the present day. David writes a blog for the church website and is a writer for The Art of Worship.

More from David Webber
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Matthew 16:6
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Matthew 16:6
Philemon 1:7
“For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” – Philemon 1:7
Hebrews 12:5-7
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the LORD, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He flogs every son whom He receives.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” – Hebrews 12:5-7
Isaiah 28:15-16
“Because you have said, ‘We have cut a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overflowing scourge will not reach us when it passes by. For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have hidden ourselves with lying. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” – Isaiah 28:15-16
Psalm 84:11-12
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” – Psalm 84:11-12
Psalm 84:1
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!” – Psalm 84:1
Hebrews 2:1
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” – Hebrews 2:1
John 4:13-14
“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him, will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” – John 4:13-14
Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17