Praise
Jeffery Anselmi / General Adult
Praise The Lord / Praise / Psalm 150
We are to turn every part of our lives to the praise of God.
OPENING SIDE
INTRODUCTION
• Imagine a world where every breath, every heartbeat, every moment is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the One who created us.
• Praise is not just a few words spoken in church on Sunday—it is a vibrant, life-transforming response to the greatness of God.
• This last psalm is God's way of reminding us that praise is not a choice; it is necessary.
• It isn’t just an activity; it’s a lifestyle.
• It’s not just something we do on Sunday; it’s something we carry into Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and every valley and peak in between.
• Psalm 150, the grand finale of the Psalms, invites us into a powerful rhythm of praise that transcends time and culture.
• Psalm 150 closes the entire book of Psalms with one resounding, unstoppable, uncompromising theme: Praise.
• It calls us to lift our voices and hearts with passion, recognizing that God is worthy above all else, deserving praise in every circumstance, through every form of expression, and by every person on earth.
• If the Psalms were a symphony, Psalm 150 would be the final movement, where every instrument goes full volume, the choir stands to their feet, and the conductor says, “Everything you’ve got — give it now!”
• Today, as we dive into this Psalm, we’ll discover four profound truths about praise—why God alone is worthy, why all His works inspire our celebration, how we can praise Him with everything we have, and why everyone is called to this joyful act.
• Praise is not just a command; it’s an invitation to live in awe and gratitude every day.
• Let’s open our hearts to join the timeless chorus of praise found in Psalm 150.
• We will begin with verse 1.
Psalm 150:1 NET 2nd ed.
1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength!
POINT 1 SLIDE
SERMON
I. God is to be Praised Above All Things
• Psalm 150 begins with the words, 'Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength!'
• Our passage begins by telling us where praise happens — in the sanctuary and in the sky.
• Why start there?
• Because praise is rooted in who God is, not in where we are.
• This is a call to praise God in both the earthly sanctuary and the heavenly expanse.
• It reminds us that God is exalted above all creation.
• He is not limited by space or time.
• His presence fills the heavens and the earth.
• When we praise God in the sanctuary, we are joining together as the people of God.
• When verse 1 speaks of praising Him in His sanctuary, this is a reference to His holiness.
• The phrase translated “Praise God in his sanctuary” is valid.
• However, we can also translate the phrase as, "Praise God for His holiness."
• This better suits the context.
• The Hebrew word NET2 translates as "sanctuary." This is a word that denotes a consecrated place where a deity dwells, where sacred objects are kept, and where worship takes place.
• The word speaks of holiness.
• The phrase in verse 1, “praise Him in the sky refers to praising Him in the mighty expanse”.
• The idea is that we are to worship Him in the expanse of His power!
• God is to be continually praised above all things, for He is holy, and His glory is demonstrated by the mighty expanse!
Psalm 19:1 NET 2nd ed.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork.
• We praise Him in relation to His sanctuary (holiness) and His mighty heavens (sky, or the expanse of His might), His acts of power, and His surpassing greatness.
• When we praise God in the heavens, we are joining the angels, the saints, and the unseen hosts of God.
• We are to praise God above all things!
• Praise lifts your eyes.
• Praise lifts your heart.
• Praise lifts your faith.
• Listen, sometimes life pulls us down — problems, pressures, disappointments, fears.
• Praise given to our awesome God is pleasing to God, but praise does something for us also; it lifts us back up by reminding us that God is above all things, so my praise belongs above all things.
• When we praise God, we are declaring to the world as well as our hearts that:
God is bigger than my burden.
God is stronger than my struggle.
God is greater than my grief.
God is higher than my hardship
• Praise is your spiritual recalibration; it resets your eyes on the God who reigns above it all.
• At FCC, we say we are “Changing Lives by Connecting People with Christ.”
• Do you know one of the best ways to connect people with Christ?
• Praise Him publicly, passionately, and consistently with your life and your heart!
• When people see us praise, they see the God who stands above every circumstance.
• Let’s move to verse 2.
Psalm 150:2 NET 2nd ed.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him for his surpassing greatness!
POINT 2 SLIDE
II. God is to be Praised for All Things
• Verse 2 reminds us to; Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him for his surpassing greatness!
• Here we are told why we should praise God.
• First, we praise Him for what He has done — His mighty acts.
• Think of the miracles He performed, the victories He won, and the lives He transformed.
• From creation to the cross, from the resurrection to our own redemption stories, God has done great things.
• But we also praise Him for who He is — His excellent greatness.
• Even if He had never done a thing for us, God would still be worthy of praise because of His character: holy, just, loving, merciful, and faithful.
• Our praise should not be shallow or situational; it should be rooted in both His works and His worth.
• Verse two gives us two reasons to praise Him.
WHAT HE HAS DONE SLIDE
First we are called to praise Him for what He has done.
• His mighty deeds are not just ancient miracles.
• His mighty deeds are still active in your life today!
• Things like:
• Waking you up today.
• Saving your soul.
• Sustaining you when you were weak.
• Providing when you didn’t know how things would work.
• Comforting you in your sorrow.
• Guiding you when you lacked direction.
• Bringing you through valleys you thought would bury you.
• God is worthy of your praise!
WHO HE IS SLIDE
The second cause for praise is we praise Him for HE is.
• Verse 2 speaks of His surpassing greatness!
• This speaks of His character and His nature.
• Even if He never did another thing for us, even if every prayer took longer, even if some answers came differently than we hoped, He would still be worthy of praise because of who He is.
• He is holy, faithful, good, just, loving, merciful, all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present!
• Praise serves as a reminder that God's greatness remains constant, regardless of our circumstances.
• Church family, hear me on this one: gratitude fuels praise.
• Perspective deepens praise.
• But knowing God Himself anchors praise!
• Let’s move to verses 3-5
Psalm 150:3–5 NET 2nd ed.
3 Praise him with the blast of the horn; praise him with the lyre and the harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
5 Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with clanging cymbals!
POINT 3 SLIDE
III. God is to be Praised with All Things
• Verses 3 through 5 are a symphony of sound.
• 'Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!'
• This is praising Him with all they had!
• This is not a quiet praise; it is vibrant, expressive, and joyful.
• These verses teach us that worship is not just internal — it is also external.
• We are to use instruments, movement, and every creative expression to glorify God.
• We have no boundaries when it comes to praising Him.
• If it can make a sound, it can be used in worship.
• Today they would add pianos, guitars, and drums.
• If you’ve got it, God wants it!
• What do you have?
• A voice? Praise Him with it.
• Hands? Lift them to Him.
• Breath? Use it to honor Him.
• Skills? Dedicate them to Him.
• A testimony? Tell somebody.
• Resources? Invest them in His kingdom.
• Influence? Use it to build His name, not your own.
• Everything you have becomes an instrument of praise if you surrender it to God.
• We don’t praise God only with music; we praise God with life.
Romans 12:1 NET 2nd ed.
1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service.
• Paul is saying, “Make your life an instrument in God’s orchestra.”
• Here at FCC, this is where our mission becomes real.
• We connect people with Christ when we use what God has given us to honor Him publicly, joyfully, and consistently.
• Your gifts make praise visible.
• Your life makes praise audible.
• Your obedience makes praise believable.
• Let’s conclude with verse 6.
Psalm 150:6 NET 2nd ed.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
POINT 4 SLIDE
IV. God is to be Praised by All People
• Verse 6 answers the final question: Who should praise God?
• Everyone!
• This is a universal call.
• If you are breathing, you are called to praise.
• Young and old, rich and poor, every nation, every tongue—all are called to lift up the name of the Lord.
• Verse 6 reminds us that praise is not optional for the Christian; it is essential.
• It is not reserved for the worship team or the preacher — it is the responsibility of every living being.
• Praise is the language of heaven and the heartbeat of the redeemed.
• Verse 6 does not say:
• “Let everything that has a perfect life praise the Lord.”
• “Let everything that has every prayer answered praise the Lord.”
• “Let everything that has no problems praise the Lord.”
• If you’re breathing, you’re blessed.
• And if you’re blessed, you have a reason to praise.
• Praise is not just for people who have it all together.
• Praise is for people who have a God who holds it all together.
• At FCC, we want to connect every person with Christ.
• Psalm 150 shows us how to accomplish this calling; we lead people into a life of praise that lifts their eyes to the One who gives life, breath, and hope.
CLOSING SLIDE
CONCLUSION
• The entire book of Psalms ends with one final command:
• “Praise the Lord!”
• Not complain.
• Not worry.
• Not fear.
• Not doubt.
• Praise.
• Psalm 150 ends the Psalms with a climax of praise.
• It reminds us to praise God above all, for all, with all, and by all.
• Our lives should echo this psalm—filled with gratitude, joy, and worship.
• Let us not wait for a perfect moment or a special occasion. If we have breath, we have a reason to praise.
• Today, let us lift our voices, our hearts, and our lives in praise to the One who is worthy—our God, our Savior, our King.
• Praise the Lord!
• If God made praise the final word of the Psalms, maybe praise should be the first and final word of our day.
• Let your morning begin with praise.
• Let your evening close with praise.
• Let your trials be interrupted by praise.
• Let your victories be celebrated with praise.
• Let your life become a testimony that points others to Jesus Christ.
• When we praise…we connect people with Christ.
• And when people connect with Christ… lives change.
