Praising The Worthy Lamb
Rev. Hank F. Griffin
There are many verses in Scripture that reference the word “praise”. Let us look at a few of those verses; and see some hindrances in our praises. We’ll also look at ways to praise Him.
Psalm 150:6 (NKJV)
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
5 Hindrances to our Praises
1) Un-confessed Sin
We cannot truly praise Him with sin in our heart. Confess your sin, get right in your fellowship with Him. He knows your heart.
Psalm 139:1-4 (NKJV)
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
2) Our relationship with others
If you and I are arguing and having all manners of strife between us, we cannot truly praise the Lamb of God.
3) Wrong attitudes
We cannot praise the Lord when we are always talking negatively about issues in life. You can’t walk in our sanctuary or others places and start barking off negative remarks. We need to stop criticizing other people. We cannot praise Him with wrong motives and attitudes. It may look real nice in public, but God sees the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
(Quote from Hudson Taylor)
“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient.”
4) Tradition
A) Music- We are living in the 21st century. 100 years ago, the only music that was available was the old Newton hymns or the Wesley’, et cetera. Around 50 years ago the gospel music came about, today we are going to contemporary style music. Not everyone can praise the Lord with the hymns. God will show you how to praise Him. There is other traditions that we hold on to religiously.
(Quote from Martin Luther)
“Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.”
B) Programs- We get so tied up in the programs of the church that we can’t stop to look at other peoples views of them. We want the best programs and departments. We must be careful not to allow programs to get in the way of our praises.
C) Control loss- There are some people in the church that want to rule everything. They tell the pastor(s), deacons, teachers what to do. They long for control.
**And there is many other traditions that we tend to hold on to, that can get in the way of our praises to the Lord. But those are a few.
5) Fear of criticism
We can get so tied up in what other people think about what we do that it can become a hindrance to our praises. If you are truly genuine in your praise to God, who cares what other people think?
John is seeing heavenly, divine things and he is trying to write them in our human language.
Revelation 4 (NKJV)
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 1:17 (NKJV)
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
**One day there is not going to be anymore of this casual use of the name of our God! There will be no more of this irreverence toward God’s name.
Revelation 5:6 (NKJV)
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
**One reason Christ is worthy of our praise is because He was slain for us.
Our purpose in life is to bring Him glory, praise, service, honor…etc
Who Are We in Christ?
1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
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;
**We are a special people in God’s sight. Our call is to “proclaim the praises of Him” who has chosen us.
In conclusion,
I. Hindrances in our praise:
Un-confessed Sin, our relationship with others, wrong attitudes, tradition, and the fear of criticism can destroy your praise(s) to the Lamb of God.
II. Christ is worthy of our praise:
Revelation 5:6 (NKJV)
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
III. We are made to praise Him:
1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
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;
Romans 14:11 (NASB)
For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB)
'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
