INTRODUCTION:
One Sunday Morning during a worship service a man began to be moved by the HS while the message was being spoken. Out loud he exclaimed “Amen!” to the preacher’s words. And around him people were a little disturbed and shocked. A little while later he said loudly, “Hallelujah!” Now a few more people were becoming disturbed, looking at him, and whispering to each other. As the preacher finished his next point the man raised his hand in the air and shouted “Praise Jesus!”
Finally an usher moved quickly down the aisle. He bent over and whispered to the man,
“Sir! Control yourself!” The man exclaimed, “I can’t help it. I got Jesus!!!”
To which the usher responded, “Well you didn’t get Him here!”
Can I ask you a question? Just something to consider. Have we become rather stoic and unemotional in our worship? I’m not just talking about Highway Christian Church; I’m talking the Church as a whole. Have we become emotionally detached and self involved as we come to worship God? Do the words stir anything within our hearts anymore or remind us just how much we love Jesus, or are we focused on other things… things like the style of music that we don’t like, the room temperature, how tired we are or how we wish the service would just end so we could beat the Baptists to the restaurant? What if someone came in to our worship service and did that? Would we stare; would we be disturbed, bothered, annoyed by it? Would we say, “Control yourself!” as if our way of worshiping God is so much more holy? Would we judge him… say he’s just doing that for attention? It’s not real.
What does it mean to truly praise the Lord? Is it just to sing a song of praise? Is it just a prayer of thanks? Is it worshiping God with hands held high in adoration and love? Is it telling God, “Good job! Way to go!”? Or is it maybe all of the above and more?
According to Webster, praise means an expression of gratitude, approval, or to glorify for personal favors conferred. To commend, to applaud, to magnify, to glorify, to honor.
- Summarized from Noah Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language 1828
Since this month is November and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, we will be studying what the Bible says in regards to praise. And we will be asking ourselves the question: “Do I really come to praise God and worship Him?”
The word “hallelujah” occurs at least 31 times in the Psalms alone. In the other 65 books of the Bible, it is said only 7 more times, once in each of the other books where it is said. A psalm, again quoting from Noah Webster’s dictionary, is a sacred song or hymn; a song composed on a divine subject and in praise to God. As I’ve said before, the book of Psalms was to the Jews their Hymnal, their song book for worship.
They would memorize these words and sing or chant them at different times during the year at festivals and on holy days. Especially the ones that are known as the hallel. Hallel means “praise.”
Some of us may still remember the old children’s song “Hallelu.” If you don’t, it goes something like this. There are two sides. One group stands and sings “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah.” And then the other side stands and sings “Praise ye the Lord.” Now that might sound familiar to you. You may not remember however that this song actually teaches children exactly what that word “hallelujah” means.
It literally means “praise ye the Lord.” “Praise the Lord!” So we going try something today. When I say the words “praise the lord,” I want you to respond back by saying “hallelujah!” Can we do that? Let’s practice once. Ready? Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
Many of the Psalms actually begin with those three words: “Praise the Lord.” [Hallelujah]
So does Psalm 111. And that’s the one we are going to look at today.
BODY:
So now, if you have your Bible this morning, please Turn to Psalm 111.
What I love about this passage is it begins with praise and also it ends with praise.
Psalm 111 (NLT) says…
1 Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. 2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. 3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. 4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! 5 He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. 6 He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. 7 All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. 8 They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. 9 He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! 10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise him forever!
So let’s look at this chapter and see if we can discover some good reasons to praise the Lord. After the words “Praise the Lord!” [Hallelujah] the writer says “I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with His godly people.” Another translation says “in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.” (KJV)
We gather as followers of Christ, children of God, each Lord’s Day to remember and give thanks. But you notice he says “with all my heart.” What do you think that means… to thank God with all of your heart? It’s interesting. Do you know what that word “all” means in the original Hebrew language? It means… what for it… ALL. That’s right, all, as in completely, totally, everything, nothing held back, all in. The heart being your inner person, your understanding, your mind, your emotions, your passions, your appetites (as in what you hunger for). You thank the Lord from the core of your being, with all of that. Do you? As if you were bringing that as a gift to the Lord for all that He has done for you. Or are we halfhearted givers of praise, only partially worshiping the Lord, so that He has to share that gift with us and our personal agenda? What are we here to do? What or who have we gathered together for? To Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
He goes on to share what he is thankful for. God’s amazing deeds, His wonderful works. How gracious and merciful He is! That His righteousness never fails. We have this saying. You may have heard of it. “God is good… all the time. And all the time… God is good.”
How many of you believe that God has been good to you? Has He been gracious, merciful? Has He blessed you? Has He been there for you time and time again? Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
The scripture here says that those who delight in Him should ponder, think about such things and remember His goodness.
Verse five - He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. Food to those who fear Him. Do you know when you come together here each Sunday, you come to a feast? That’s right. What God serves you is spiritual food to nourish your soul, to fill that void within your heart that the world cannot fill. The Bible says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Let me ask you this morning, have come for the feast? Have you come to get your fill of what God is serving today? Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
And then he says something about His covenant with His people. The Psalmist goes on to talk about that in the next verse. You see God’s covenant with the people of Israel was to give them a Promised Land and to drive out their enemies before them. In verse six he says, “He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.” What is God’s covenant with you? We talk about it as we prepare ourselves for Communion each Sunday, the New Covenant in His blood. The New Covenant (or New Testament) is the promise that God makes with humanity that He will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise. Under the new covenant in His blood, Jesus Christ provided His own body on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could be forgiven, cleansed of our sins, and made holy. In Jeremiah 31 it talks about this new covenant that we have in Christ. Jeremiah 31:33-34 says… “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Praise the Lord! [H...]
Think about how that all applies as we read verse nine: He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
He has paid our ransom! So that we could be free from sin’s bondage! Think of it. You’ve probably seen a TV show or movie that had a criminal or terrorist or kidnapper hold a hostage for ransom. We are sin’s hostage without Christ. We are in a very threatening situation because of sin, whether we realize it or not. We are in danger unless someone pays the price for our ransom. Someone did. Jesus Christ. The ransom was death. The wages of sin is death… but the gift… the GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE… through what? Through Jesus Christ.
Some of the songs we sang today talked about this. Did you realize that?
In “Blessed be the Name” it says: “All praise to Him who reigns above In majesty supreme, who gave His Son for man to die, that He might man redeem!” Are you thankful to God for redeeming you? Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
In verse 7-8, and verse 10 the Psalmist talks about praising God for His commandments. Are we thankful for rules? Doesn’t seem like it in this country anymore does it? Are rules a good thing? What would life be without rules, limits, laws, and regulations? And why do we have them? To keep us safe. To protect our rights and ensure that there is order and not chaos in this world.
Without rules, without laws or limits our world would be an even scarier place than it is now. God has given us a set of rules as well, not the law of the OT, but guidelines to live by, to follow in obedience to Him.
The Bible says that we show we love God by obeying His commandments. We show we are Christ’s disciples by following His teaching.
And God has given us these commandments, these teachings, these expectations to protect us, to keep us close to Him, to purify for Himself a people that are truly His. The Bible says that those who do what is right prove that they are children of God. In fact, as we think about the New Covenant that talked about earlier, through the indwelling HS, God writes His law, His commandments, His truth on our hearts and minds so that we can obey Him.
So in verse 7-8 and 10 think about these words in that context.
All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. (or in understanding)
Praise him forever!
CONCLUSION:
Listen…
We come together to grow in the Lord, to learn, to follow, and to serve Him.
We come together because we believe in the way that secures our future and our eternity, what keeps our lives pure and holy, and what pleases the Lord our God.
We come together to praise the Lord, to give Him thanks for the good things He has done, for redeeming us from our old sinful way of life, for our paying our ransom and dying in our place, and for the truth that sets us free.
Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah!]
Would you please stand?
