Praise the Lord
Luke 19:29-40
On the day we call Palm Sunday as Christ rode into Jerusalem fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, we read that "the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
God's Word teaches us clearly we are to praise the Lord. God wants to hear our praise. But what is praise? Do we really understand what is involved in praising the Lord? How does praise effect God? What effect does praise have on us?
I. What Is Praise?
A. Webster's dictionary tells us that to Praise is 1. to express approval and commendation of; applaud, eulogize. 2. To express adoration of; glorify.
B. Wikipedia says, "Praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately."
C. The English word "praise" is derived from the Old French word preisier meaning ‘ to prize, praise, attaching value to.
D. Synonyms for praise are to commend, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, compliment, rave about, to laud, to brag on.
E. Psalm 9:1-2 "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
F. Praise is a frequent theme in the Psalms. Actually the Hebrew title of Psalms is "Praises." Praise pervades the whole of Word of God from Genesis 1 where we have indirect praise all the way to the book of Revelation. Praising God is calling attention to his glory.
G. Also Praise not worship. It is a part of our worship of the Lord Almighty God. To worship God is to give God the respect and honor due to Him.
H. There are at least seven elements of worship. These elements of worship include:
1. Acknowledgment of His Lordship. Recognizing and respecting Who God is - your righteous Sovereign Lord.
2. Confession of sin. - As acknowledge His holiness we admit our sin, we humble ourselves and take responsibility for our actions. We agree with God that we’ve broken His commands. Confession is actually preparatory for worship as it cleanses us for service to God.
3. Prayer and Bible Reading - talking with God and seeking to know His will.
4. Obedience to God - living the way of life revealed by the Lord through His Word, the Bible
5. Giving - Time, talent, treasure, and self recognizing God's ownership of our lives.
6. Witnessing - telling others about God and the gospel
7. Praise - the expression of awe, respect and thankfulness for God with our lips.
I. God's word presents several beautiful pictures of worship in heaven before God's throne.
1. Isaiah 6:1-3 "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
2. Revelation 19:4-5 "And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, 'Amen! Alleluia!' Then a voice came from the throne, saying, 'Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!'"
J. True praise is not “merely” going through these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart. “This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8)
K. True worship comes from the heart. True praise is the outward expression of our heart by our lips.
II. What does Praise do for God?
A. What effect does worship have on God?
B. Praise gives God the glory and honor due unto Him.
1. 1 Chronicles 16:29 "Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!"
2. Psalm 7:17 "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."
C. Praise brings pleasure to the Lord.
1. 2 Corinthians 2:15 "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing"
2. Psalm 147:1 "Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting."
III. What does Praise do for you?
A. Psalm 92:1 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,
B. and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High."
C. Psalms 89:15 “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance”.
D. Praising the Lord is very good and very important for us to do.
E. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
F. Praise humbles us.
1. When we praise we realize who He is and who and what we are. As such praise humbles us. When we worship God, we gain a right view of ourselves. Praise deflates excess pride and ego. We gain a healthy self-image, based on God’s view of us. By removing pride, praise strengthens us against temptation.
2. Psalm 8:3 " When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
G. Praise takes the focus off of ourselves and puts our focus where it belongs - on God.
1. It allows us to get out of our situation and to forget about ourselves. We can forget about any and all problems and any mountains we may have in our lives. When we praise we stop looking at ourselves and praise God for who He is. No matter what we’re experiencing or what we’re going through, God is worthy to be praised. He’s the Creator of the Universe, the Redeemer, the Lamb, the Christ of God, the Savior, and the King. He’s so many things to us! As such a One, he’s worthy to be praised!
2. Psalm 42:11 'Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
H. Praise helps us have a greater awareness of how much God really has blessed us daily.
1. Psalm 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!"
2. Praising the Lord increases your awareness of God in your life and the role that God plays in your life. As you praise God you begin to see His hand in your life.
I. Praise draws into a closer relationship with Him?
1. Psalms 66:17-20 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
2. Psalm 22:3 "But Thou art holy, O thou that inhabiteth the praises of Israel."
3. As we lift His name, God is present for as we draw near to Him in praise so He draws near to us.
J. Praise helps us reveal the Gospel of God's grace to others.
1. 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
2. Psalm 71:15 " My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.
