Call to Worship

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever – 1 Timothy 1:17

Worship God, first of all, because he is the King eternal. He always has been and always will be the sovereign of the universe. He never relinquishes his throne, at any time or in any place. He is not only King over America, he is King over Asia; he is not only King in the 21st century, but he was King in the 1st century and will be King throughout eternity.

Worship God, second, because he is the King immortal. Paul uses the same Greek word here as Peter uses to describe our incorruptible inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Not only will God last forever, he will never decay or diminish even one little bit. He is imperishable in his essence and in his existence, in his character and in his longevity.

Worship God also because he is invisible. What a strange attribute to list as praise-worthy, we might think — until we reconsider our perception of reality. We often think of things that are invisible as being less real (like a ghost) than what we can see and feel. But God is invisible because he is more real than what we can see and feel.

Jesus walked through walls in his glorified body, as you and I might walk through a fog or mist. It is an invisible enemy against which we are actually wrestling, Paul reminds us (Ephesians 6:12), and it is the invisible God who can give us the victory in our struggle.

Finally, worship God because he is the only wise God — wisdom is found nowhere else, and in no one else, in this universe. All true wisdom comes from him, and so all true praise should go to him.