Special Note from Eric: Starting this week, in addition to our regular Sunday sermons, we’re going to be featuring an online church service that you can watch live at 9 or 11 a.m. (Central Time) or on-demand throughout the week at this link: http://live.eastview.church.
Also, if you need prayer or someone to talk to, you can chat live with our online hosts between 9 and noon on Sunday mornings at the same link. Join us today for some rich worship, biblical teaching, and an online chat!
PRAISE
by George Rennau
Isaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Psalm 107:8 “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”
Rev. 3:15 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold or hot, I would thou wert cold or hot”.
The Bible expresses that God has created us to praise the Lord, the scripture also tells us that God desires that we would recognize his works and that we would give him the credit for it in our life.
PRAISE IS NOT JUST SOME ASPECT OF CHURCH THAT MEN THOUGHT UP.
It is a divinely ordained unconditional expression on our part that if practiced by us
— will draw us closer to God
— and according to scripture it will draw God closer to us.
Ps 22:3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
The purpose of my message is to encourage us to praise the Lord that we might enjoy the benefits and pleasure of this aspect of our worship toward God.
And I want to deal with this subject by asking the question What is Praise?
Prayer
I. What is Praise?
1. Praise by definition is: “an expression of approval or commendation; applause”
- it is getting hilariously excited
I will never forget being at the high school football game. We had decided to go to the last game of the season, and in the fourth quarter there was a 70 yard conversion for a touch down.
Do you know what happened
We are a people formed to give praise,
We know how to give praise.
And people including me went wild
-we use words
-clap
-we smile
-cheer
-we even become FANATICAL.
OH THAT WE COULD GET AS EXCITED ABOUT GOD AS WE DO ABOUT FOOTBALL
2. The Bible tells us the manner in which we should show our praise to God!
None of these ways include reserved silence. There is a times for silent meditation. Meditation is a different aspect of our life with God, Meditation is not praise…
EXPRESSING YOUR PRAISE INCLUDES
Clapping — Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands all ye people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph”.
Lifting up your hands — Psalm 134:2 “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord”. (That doesn’t sound like a suggestion.)
Singing – Psalm 100:2 — “come before him with Joyful song”
Ephesians 5:18-20 “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord”
Verbal Praise – Psalm 100 “Shout for Joy all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness.
Praise is an expression of approval, commendation, and applause to God.
Isaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Psalm 107:8 “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”
II. Thanksgiving to God for blessings received and the reporting of those blessings to others
- The testimony of God’s goodness toward you should be an unceasing proclamation.
Isaiah 62:6 “I have posted watchmen on the walls., o Jerusalem they will never be silent day or night, You who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest”.
When my father in law pastored in Nebraska. There was an old fellow — who had been kicked in the head by a mule as a small boy. One day he received Christ.
His regular testimony was “we just can’t thank him enough” And he was right also
b. Praise for What God is doing in your life should be shared in the home.
Mark 5:19 (demon possessed man) “go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Our faith and testimony needs to go beyond, Sunday morning.
c. Our testimony and Thanksgiving to God should be proclaimed in the assembly.
Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
Thirdly praise is…a response of faith toward his precious promises.
I believe in positive confession.
• If his promise to heal you is true then you need to thank and praise him for it.
• If you believe his promise to deliver you is true then you need to thank and praise him for it.
- If you trust him to guide you then you need to thank and praise him for it.
- If you believe he can perform a miracle in your finances -then you need to thank and praise him for it.
Rather then praising God for the answer even before it comes What many Christians do when faced with one of God’s promises is to grow discouraged, start to doubt, they begin to disbelieve — and miss the blessing.
A poet wrote…
We mutter and sputter
We fume and we spurt
We mumble and Grumble
Our feelings get hurt
We can’t understand things
Our vision grows dim
When all that we need
Is a moment with him
Hebrew 11 says: that with out faith it is impossible to please God and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Praise is an expression of your faith and without that in your life it is impossible to please God. But when you praise him and trust him, and believe him he will reward you.
In order to begin experiencing the blessing God has for you in this discipline of Praise you have to climb the mountain for we are in the position of travelers who after surveying a great mountain and after traveling around it and observing how it dominates the landscape, and observing its features and the landscape around it, now must approach it directly, for the intention of climbing it.
In other words, if we are ever going to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.
Isaiah 43:21 “This people have I formed for myself; that they may proclaim my praise”
We just have to go for it.
Rev. 3:15 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold or hot, I would thou wert cold or hot”.
This verse speaks of our life toward God. God desires that we would be on fire for him and a people who are praising Jesus all the time. Not cold and dismal and lifeless, but expressive and reverent toward Him. for he is the focus of our praise
There was an elderly Christian whose advancing years had taken their toll on her memory. As her health faded the time came that she could recite but a single verse (2 Timothy 1:12) “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto HIM against that day”.
Even these words slowly slipped away from her memory until only a few days of he life remained and friends would hear her repeat just seven words: ”that which I’ve committed unto him.”
Finally as the hour of the women’s death neared and her memory was all but gone. She voiced a single word repeatedly, it was all she could remember. HIM HIM HIM
Here is the key to our praise, when we come together to worship, when we are giving thanks in the presence of others, or when we are expressing our faith through praise let it all focus upon HIM.
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