P.r.a.i.s.e.s. More Than Mere Lip Service

P.R.A.I.S.E.S.

4/13/08

William Akehurst, HSWC

Our Praises to the LORD must be Personal, Real, Alive, Instantaneous from our innermost being, Sacrificial, Everyone needs to know, So Speak-Sing-Shout it out…to the LORD.

Psalm 107:2 Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

Psalm 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Do others know that you KNOW the LORD?

Do people see the evidence of God’s work in your life?

How? By our actions? Yes.

But more importantly, through lips of praise!

And I’m not talking lip service either...

PRAISE MUST BE...

Personal

Real

Alive

Instantaneous from the Innermost Inside

Sacrificial some of the time

Everyone needs to know about God’s Greatness

Speak, Sing, Shout it out

PERSONAL

No one can do it for you

Psalm 150:6

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

REAL REJOICING

Not cheap fake praise. Real praise comes from the heart.

1 Chronicles 16:10; Psalm 105:3

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

ALIVE

Dead Praise? Of course it needs to be alive.

To have praise in your heart…real praise,

to be Real, we must be REDEEMED and ALIVE!

you need to be ALIVE in CHRIST!

Romans 6:11

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law

Psalm 40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

Ephesians 1: 12 We should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Come from the INSIDE…

INSTANT, IMMEDIATE, INITIAL, It should be the 1st thing on our lips

Praise and Thanksgiving must be instantaneous

It should be where we start our day!

For it to be personal, real and alive…It’s gotta come out from the INSIDE!

Paul says in Ephesians 3

14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Fulness of God. Filled with Fullness to give PRAISE that BURSTS OUT FROM WITHIN!

INSTANTANEOUS

As soon as you have it, give it out

Remember the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth. Father and Mother of John the Baptist.

Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth were to have a baby. Zacharias was struck dumb and couldn’t speak.

When the baby was born, they asked his name and Zacharias signaled

Luke 1:63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

It was the first thing on his Lips. Praise to GOD.

Anna, last week,

A prophetic song you about Anna, the widow, who saw the youthful Christ in the temple

Luke 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

When she saw him…

Luke 2:38-39

38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

SACRIFICIAL:

Sometimes we are to praise Him, even though we don’t know what’s going on…

The sacrifice of praise says, “Lord, I’ll praise You though my eyes are filled with tears, though I don’t know what You’re doing.

I can’t figure it out. I can’t see the outcome. I don’t know how this will end up. I will praise You anyway.” Nancy DeMoss

Hebrews 13:15

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The fruit of our lips...giving thanks...continually!

That means...ALWAYS.

EVERYONE must know!

Praise for the LORD must be made known to Everyone

Psalm 66:16 The Psalmist says, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul”