WORSHIP THE TRUE GOD

 –THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

BY THE VENERABLE STEPHEN WOLEMONWU

Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre Agbarha-Otor

(Revelation 1:4- 18)

Verse 8 reads:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” Says the Lord “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”

Here the bible text reveals:

• God speaking of His personality
• God is the Alpha and the Omega
• The beginning and the end
• God is; who is, who was and who is to come
• The Almighty

God is God; God is not man and man is not God. What are your experiences; what are your stories; what do you think of the future considering the indices of the past and the present? God’s word is to raise hope in us.

In Ezra 10:2 the scripture said:

 “And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this”.

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

In four occasion in the book of Revelation, God referred to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 1:8, 11, 21:6, 22:13). When God said He is the Alpha and the Omega, He was saying:

• He is in the beginning of all things
• He will be in the end of all things
• He alone is the reason to all existence; without Him nothing exists.
• He knows the beginning as well as the end.
• He opens it from the beginning and will not forget to lock it at the end.
• He does not begin it and will fail to end it.
• He controls the beginning and as well as the end of all powers.

This is exclusively God’s to own. This shows the sovereignty of God as father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 44:6; 48:12 “thus says the Lord, the king of Israel, and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no other God”. 48:12 – “Listen to me, O Jacob and Israel, my called: I am He, I am the first, I am also the last”.  

This is the position of God, which no one can contest.

GOD AS THE ALPHA

• He is in possession of the knowledge of how the earth began.
• How you began in your mother’s womb, who truly your father and mother is. Every secret of your life and existence, He is in possession of it.
• He has absolute authority over them.
• He can make all things new again. Rev. 21:5-6.

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new”, and he said to me “write, for these words are true and faithful”. And He said to me, “it is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirst.

In John 7:37-38, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, ‘if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink, he who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water.

NOTE THIS

• God is the one to gives the drink and not man
• God is the one to make all things new and not man
• God is the one holding the key; not man
• God is the one to open that door; not man
• God is the one that will do the washing – Rev. 1:5
• God is the one to offer the mercy and not man

O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like you O Lord?

GOD IS THE OMEGA

• He does not leave you after He has begun with you,
• He holds the key to the future, He alone sir, can tell what is yet to be. Let no man boost.

In Isaiah 44:7, “And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in other for me”. Hear me child of God, God who holds the key to the future has not given it to anyone, He is still with the key.

Therefore: Isaiah 44:8 declares “Do not fear, nor be afraid, have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Indeed, there is no other Rock, I know not one”.

In Daniel 10:2-19; specifically in verse 7, what Daniel was experiencing made everyone with him to flee – that’s man for you. In vs. 16, Daniel was without strength anymore, he was cast down wounded but the Lord touched him (verse 18); when the Lord touched him power came. May God touch you today and may He touch you now!

In Rev. 1:17, the Lord laid His right hand on John to uphold him. Whatever you are passing through, God is faithful, He is not man, and remember; man is not God.

TRUE WORSHIP (NEH. 13:15-22)

God demands true worship from man. This is because only God is ‘worthy’ of worship and only Him ‘worth’ our worship’ (Rev. 4:10-11)

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Worship is a reflection of pure relationship between man and His object of worship. It is the duty and function of the soul. It shows the worth of the object to the worshipper demonstrated through: Bowing, prostrating, making and showing deep respect, undiluted honour (Ex. 24:1, Judges 7:15, 1Sam. 25:41, Job 1:20).

Whatever you have worth for, you worship. Does God worth anything to you?

In every worship, there is already an established relationship. A kind of romance; expectations and response. The book of Nehemiah revealed:

• A people who abandoned their true fellowship with God.
• A people who opened their gate for others to disrespect their God.
• A people whose worship became a carnal thing rather than a spiritual one.
• The arrival of a revivalist who came by Divine mandate to restore true worship.
• The possible challenges true worship can encounter before it can be restored.
• The need for purity, if you must be the agent of change.
• You are never alone in your desire for true worship.

WHO & WHAT DO YOU WORSHIP? Ex. 20:1-11

Israel has developed a relationship with God, they are forbidden from entering into another relationship with any other strange ‘god’. The terms of the relationship were:

• God Almighty is their God
• He brought them out of Egypt (a kind of slavery).
• Therefore nothing should come between them and God.
• The name of God in their lips should be with regard, respect and reverence.
• They should never allow anything come between them and their day of worship and in demonstrating their reverence to God.

AS A CHILD OF GOD – Rom. 12:1-2

• You are a sacrifice to God. Why offer yourself again to another?
• He sent His son – JESUS CHRIST to die for your sin.
• He forgave you all your sins through the death of Christ on the cross
• Through His word you have light of life.
• Through Him all things are possible by faith in Him.(Luke 1:37; Heb. 11:1, 6)

HOW ARE YOU WORSHIPPING THIS GOD? John 4:22-24

• Do you know this God you worship?
• Is your knowledge of Him experiential?
• Do you access Him by the philosophy of men?
• Does your worship stem from the stance of the Spirit?
• Do you know what He demands of you?
• Do you know the reward for true worship?
• Do you know the consequence of false worship?

LOVE – THE REFLECTION OF TRUE WORSHIP – 1John 4:6-13; 3:10-24

True worship is reflected by outward love for others. If God worths anything, you will show deep regard to His children, His creation, His service and His house. Do you love God? How can you say ‘we love God if you hate one another?