May 12, 2017

Exaltation

To exalt something or someone simply means to lift up, to elevate.
There is no way and no need for us to raise the throne of God any higher on the heavenly pedestal.  We can never elevate Jesus beyond the level He now occupies:  King of kings and Lord of lords.   So what does it mean to “exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool” or at “His holy mountain?”

We exalt the Lord when we lift up His holy name. 
While the name of Jesus occupies the highest place, (Eph 1:15-22; Phil 5:2-11) this fallen world and the people in it constantly denigrate His name, trying to make it meaningless and best and a curse at worst.  It is our job to elevate the name of Jesus to the highest place in our thinking, in our speech, in our art, in our hearts, and certainly in our worship.  We must counter the denigration of the world with the volume, eloquence, and the spiritual power of our praise, our exaltation of the Lord’s name.

We exalt the Lord when we extol His character.
The ancient song of the Old Covenant must ring out in our worship, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever!”  The same fallen world systems that denigrate the name of Jesus also constantly impugn the character of God.  We must counter those accusations with truth!  God is good; He is not evil, or distant, or unconcerned.  Jesus is the revelation of who God really is.  To see Jesus is to see the Father.  To know the power of the Holy Spirit is to know the power of the Creator.

We exalt the Lord when we proclaim His Word.
The world today occupies a contradictory position:  people deny the existence of absolute truth while at the same time they relentlessly search for truth.  Jesus is the Living Word!  Exalting Jesus lifts this one Book above all other titles.  When we boldly proclaim the real truth of God, the Holy Spirit, who is called The Spirit of Truth, propels the Word of God like an arrow to the heart of the person who doesn’t know Jesus.  His Word also penetrates the hearts of believers who are struggling in their walk with God.  A clear vision of Jesus on His Throne, and the veracity of His Word changes us!

We exalt the Lord when we tell our story of what Jesus has done for us. 
The psalmists say that we should exalt the Lord because of His marvelous deeds.

• If He has touched your life and changed you forever— Exalt His name!
• If He has been faithful to you in all things— Exalt His name!
• If He has healed you, delivered you, and kept you saved, healed and delivered—Exalt His name!

When we tell our story of life without and with Jesus, our testimony exalts His name.
It is no wonder that we overcome the wicked one by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

We exalt the Lord when we tell His story.
There is simply no story like His story, no story that enters into our story, no narrative that never ends, no epic that encounters the heart, and no saga that saves the soul like the story of Jesus.  It is the story of the Love of God.  We will never will the lost with arguments and demonstrations of excellence; the story of Jesus told with the anointing of the Spirit is the power of God unto salvation for all people.

When we elevate the cross of Christ, we are telling His story.
As the permanent symbol of our faith in Him, we dare not lift up a cross with Jesus dead or dying upon it for the Jesus story does end on that hill.  We must lift up an empty cross for it tells the whole of the Good News of the Gospel:

• Incarnation,
• Atonement,
• Redemption,
• Ascension, and
• Everlasting Kingdom

We exalt Him when we tell the truth–The cross is empty!
God save us from a half-told story and a tragic and powerless Jesus pinned to the cross!  Jesus is the victor over death, hell, and the grave!

Today is a day for exaltation, not of ourselves but the exaltation of Jesus, His cross, His story, His love, His faithfulness, His truth, His character, and for all to hear, His lovely, holy name!

Scriptures:
Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Psalm 30: 34:1-3
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. …I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
John 12:32-34
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”  He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Psalm 99:5; 9
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.
Psalm 107:31-32
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I exalt You! I award the highest place in my mind to You. I claim the deepest place in my heart for You. Compared to Your throne in heaven, these things are pitiful and petty. Yet there are what I have to give. Remind me today that Your touch makes plain things beautiful, worthless things priceless, and weak things mighty. I will exalt You today with the word of my testimony. My work shall be worship. My words will be Your praise. My mind will welcome Your wisdom and my heart your compassion. With all of my being I will exalt You this day. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Song:
I Exalt Thee
Words and Music: Pete Sanchez Jr.

For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth.
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth.
Thou art exalted far above all gods.

I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee, O Lord.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

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