It Time to Put on Your Praise!
Introduction:
TEXT:
Psalm 32:1-2, 11
{A Psalm of David, Maschil.}
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile...
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalm 33:1
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
INTRODUCTION:
The superscription of Psalm 32 reads, "A Psalm of David, Maschil."
Maschil is a term found as a title of thirteen Psalms, and imports one that instructs or makes to understand. Some interpreters think it means an instrument of music; but it more probably signifies an instructive song. (ATS Bible Dictionary)
The background of Psalm 32 has traditionally been believed to reflect on David's feelings after repented when he was confronted by the prophet Nathan for his sin of violating Bathsheba and murdering her husband Uriah.
In Psalm 32 David reflects on his experience of a guilty conscience and how he was haunted by his sin while it was hidden. It found its way into his nightmares. He was stressed and anxious. en you read Psalm 32 you find the word selah repeated as David stops after each section giving the reader an opportunity to stop and soak the message in. It is instructive of the reality of sin. Of the gravity of sin. Sin is destructive. The wages of sin is death.
But, Psalm 32 t is also instructive of the power of acknowledging and forsaking our sins. David received an understanding of the doctrine of God's generous gift of mercy, forgiveness, and restoration to the contrite heart.
When confronted with his sin David repented. His prayer of contrition can be read in Psalm 51. He admitted his guilt. He brought it into the light. When David confessed his sin, the prophet Nathan said:
2 Samuel 12:13 NIV
"The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."
Speaking Points:
1. Your Reason to Praise
In Romans 4:6-8, Paul quotes David's words from Psalm 32:1-2:
...David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” (NKJV)
David was a blessed man. He was a guilty man. But, he learned the power of confession. He learned his reason to praise!
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
He remembers where he came from, and can imagine where he could be if not for the grace of God. And so he wraps up Psalm 32 like this:
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Then the person who compiled the Psalter places Psalm 33:1 immediately afterwards:
Rejoice in LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright (33:1).
David's response to God's grace was joyous praise. Some people think they don't need praise. They often walk in frustration and condemnation.
That we should show forth the praises of Him that called us out of darkness and into His marvelous Light!
He says that the righteous should rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
David was not talking about the righteousness that looks like the Pharisee in Jesus' story who went up to the temple:
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
He was talking about the kind of righteousness that the Publican received from God.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:11).
2. Your Right to Praise
David realized that he stood accounted righteous because of the generosity of God. He called out upon God and God heard and answered and forgave! God decided not to impute David's sin to his account! He calls this "blessed!"
He calls this righteousness something to shout about!
This morning if you do not have anything else to sing for joy about, you can rejoice today that when God looks at you, He looks at you through the cross of Jesus Christ and sees you as justified. Just-as-if-I'd never sinned!
Take a minute right now to shout for joy! Take a minute to rejoice in the LORD! Oh, you are in right standing with God!!! It's okay to shout out loud!
You were not always righteous. But, by the generous Gift of God you are!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The enemy wants to keep you condemned. He wants to keep your mind drifting to the past, to your faults, and to your failures. He doesn't want you to appropriate what is rightfully yours!
3. Your Raiment of Praise
The prophet Zechariah saw a vision of the high priest Joshua who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. Joshua was supposed to offer teh sacrifices of praise to God, but he was clothed in filthy garments. In the vision satan stands at his right hand to resist him. He wants to fight your praise, because your praise is a builder of your faith! You can't live in life's shadows when you full of praise. The LORD tells Joshua, dont worry I am going to clothe you with new garments and put a crown on your head! The LORD rebukes the enemy and tells him, "This guys is my guy. He is just-if-I'd!" (Zechariah 3).
David says it like this:
Praise is comely for the upright!
David says, "Praise looks good on you!" It is comely for the upright. Look at somebody and say, "Praise looks good on you!" The Spirit of the Lord is in you!
Jesus began his ministry by finding the place in the scroll of Isaiah that said this:
Isaiah 61:1-3
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Jesus began his ministry full of the Spirit. He came out of the wilderness after being tempted by the devil for forty days in the power of the Spirit. John the Baptist prepared the way before Jesus and his message was that Jesus was the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost!
Jesus said I want to make a trade with you. If you are willing to take off that spirit of heaviness, I will give you a garment of praise! I will give you such lasting righteousness that you will be like a tree that I have planted! You will bear fruit!
Blind Bartimaeus cried out words of praise to "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" He wouldn't be shut up, and so Jesus wouldn't let him be shut out! Everyone said, Bartimaeus, be quite. You are making a scene. But, he cried out all the more in praise!
Eventually, Jesus heard him and called him. He threw off his beggars coat. Somebody needs to throw off your beggar's coat and get ready to receive your sight. God has some revelation for you. He has some new insight for you! Come on Bartimaeus, because you refuse to shut up, Jesus is going to have your story written down in His Word. You are going to be counted righteous. Praise looks good on you!
Does anybody else have a favorite shirt or a favorite outfit? I have one shirt, that I am honestly not sure where I obtained it. I love that shirt. There have been times when I have worn it every day. It is comfortable. I think it looks good on me. It just feels right. I am talking to somebody here who has a favorite praise album. You have a favorite praise song. You are not worried about what it looks like to anyone else. You know where you came from! I wish somebody would put on the garment of praise this morning! COVID-19 is not going to steal my praise! The struggling economy is not going to steal my praise!
He set me free! He that the Son has set free is free indeed! I've been emancipated! I've been liberated.
God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind!
The devil is a liar.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!
Thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph!
Oh, there is power in your praise!
I can hear some music coming. Somebody is jamming on an instrument of ten strings. Somebody is clapping their hands! Somebody is leaping for joy!
Praise is comely for the upright! It looks good on you!
I wish somebody would just take a moment to praise God right where you're at!
Verse 3 says to sing a new song. Every once in awhile it is good to learn something new. In fact, the Christian life is one that is meant to be lived in the newness of life.
Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
When you were baptized in Jesus' Name, your old life was buried. Not just your past, but your old life, lifestyle, trajectory, the direction you were heading. It was buried and you were raised to walk in newness of life by being filled with the Spirit! When you spoke in other tongues it signified a newness in your life. You were speaking mysteries in the Spirit. Those mysteries were the wonderful works of God. Newness.
And so our song should be new. Even our old songs sometimes should be sung in a new way.
Jesus said, "I can't put new wine in old wineskins." When was the last time that you sang a new song? When was the last time you told a new story?
One of the Spotify playlists that I listen to is called "New Music Friday." It is updated weekly. Your praise should be updated weekly. It should be updated daily!
Sing a new song! And don't be quiet about it!
Put on a new praise!
There are some things that you have to put off if you are going to put His praise on:
You can't wear anger, wrath, and malice at the same time you wear your praise!
You can't wear depression, fear, and anxiety at the same time you wear your praise!
Paul told the Colossians that there were somethings they had to put off!
Colossian 3:8-14
But now ye also put off all these;
anger
wrath
malice
blasphemy
filthy communication out of your mouth
Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put off racism and sexism and class distinctions!
He said to put some other things on:
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies,
kindness,
humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
When you put on praise you find yourself ready to fight, but not one another. You are ready to fight the enemy! But, not the way you think. Your praise is your armor, and your praise is your weapon. Its the armor of light!
Oh, praise looks good on you! I wish you would just take a moment to put some on!
In John vision of the coming kingdom he saw this:
Revelation 19:5-8
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
4. You're Ready to Praise
David didn't stay where he was. He put his praise on and got up and got going!
The patriarch Joseph knew about it as well.
When Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him, he acknowledged God with his mouth. When he was in the prison and two of Pharoah's officers needed an interpretation of their dreams, Joseph said God's got this!
Joseph is continually changing clothes in his story. He goes from a coat of many colors to a slave cloak to a prison garment to...
Genesis 41:14
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
But he is always clothed with praise. Pharoah puts the bling-bling on him and gives him some new clothes, but these don't define Joe!
His praise does!
Wherever you are on the journey, you're ready to praise!
Someone is coming out of the prison-house right now! It's time to put on your praise!
You're at your best when you praise God!
You're the most victorious when you praise Him!
Psalm 149:4-6
4For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
You're ready right now to praise God and see a breakthrough!
Don't hold back this morning. Let your praise flow like a river.
Wear your praise like a brand new outfit!
