"MEN AND PRAISE"
Sermon by Pastor Robert Earl Houston, Sr., Assistant Pastor
Westwood Baptist Church, University Center
Nashville, Tennessee - www.westwoodbcuc.org
www.roberthouston.org
James 5:13(b)
Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.
Perhaps one of the most raging controversies in the church today needs the most attention. Some controversies are never dealt within any forum, and they lose the Biblical narrative that should be sounded. Today - I want to deal with it. It is the idea of Men and Praise. I want to begin by saying that there is a disparity between women in worship and men in worship. You don’t have to be in the church long to notice that men and women act differently in worship.
However, the act of praise - the act of giving God glory and honor for the things that He has done should not be relegated as a "woman only" function. But men can and should be fellow travelers in the area of praise.
Our churches are filled all over this nation with women who love God. Women who give Him ultimate and unashamed worship and praise. Women who lift up their hands and surrender themselves in the worship setting. Matter of fact, in some of our churches, if the women acted like the men, some churches would be turned into a quiet retirement center or a cold mausoleum rather than the place of praise.
It is the direct will of God that we as a people would fulfill the purpose for which God made us. He did not make us to sulk and sit. He did not make us to fold our arms and cross our legs. He did not make us to roll our eyes and grit our teeth. But the Lord created us to give Him praise.
Maybe someone doesn’t understand that not only should we give God praise, but He is praiseworthy!
He’s due praise because of His majesty.
He’s due praise because of His glory.
He’s due praise because of His excellency.
He’s due praise because of His greatness.
He’s due praise because of His holiness.
He’s due praise because of His wisdom.
He’s due praise because of His power.
He’s due praise because of His goodness.
He’s due praise because of His mercy.
He’s due praise because of His loving-kindness and mercy.
He’s due praise because of His faithfulness and truth.
He’s due praise because of His salvation.
He’s due praise because of His wonderful works.
He’s due praise because of His consolation.
He’s due praise because of His judgement.
He’s due praise because of His fulfilling of His promises.
He’s due praise because of His Pardon of Sin.
He’s due praise because of His constant care.
And grand mama, if she were here today, would say, He’s due praise because He woke me up this morning and started me on my way. However, the issue of praise is tantamount because some men are just "not with it" when it comes to praise.
Some feel it’s not "manly" to lift up hands to the Lord.
Some feel it’s not "manly" to say "hallelujah."
Some feel it’s not "manly" to stand before the presence of the Lord.
Some feel it’s not "manly" to kneel and bow and worship the Lord.
I’ve got problems with that. Because as men, we are more expressive in other places than church - and we use worship techniques everywhere else except the church.
We’ll lift up our hands at a football game.
We’ll shout to the top of our lungs at a wrestling match.
We’ll stand up during the final round of a boxing match.
We’ll even have the audacity to kneel, bow, and roll over, during an important game on television, wearing little or nothing on, with or without shorts.
There is nothing "sissified" or beneath the God given role of a man to give God praise.
If you can say "shoot it" in a ball game - you can shabach the Lord.
If you can lift your hands when the police stop you - you can lift up holy hands.
If you can cry when watching "Brian’s Song" - you can cry when hearing God’s voice.
The apostle James gives us a glimpse and insight into this issue. I just want to examine two points. Actually they are two questions that every man - and let me digress - the reason why I point this message at men is because of the gender of the words "Is any . . . " in Greek the words condense to "tis" which is a male gender word for "anyone."
So, if we’re going to unpack this text, I just have two questions for every man under the sound of my voice:
First point is, Are You Happy? .
Second point is, Are You Praising Him?
First, Are you Happy?
James says, as he writes to the church in exile, "Are there any men in the congregation of the saints that are happy?" The King James Version says, "Is any merry?" The word translated to merry in 1611 is "euthumei (you-thow-may-oh)" which means a verb in the indicative present active syntax. In other words - are you a happy man and are you happy right now?
It means to be of a good mind, attitude. To be of good cheer, of a cheerful mind. It has some "cousin" definitions meaning to rejoice, to be glad, to be peaceful, to be of good courage, to be cheery.
My question to each man in this room is - are you happy?
Before you answer that - you need to understand that Biblical happiness is different from the standard in the world.
The world says that:
Getting high is happiness.
Getting drunk is happiness.
Beating on your wife is happiness.
Losing control is happiness.
It’s your thing do what you want to do is happiness.
Causing conflict is happiness.
Let me hurry and suggest that happiness is more about what you are not than what you are. Let me say this:
You’re happy if you’re not filled with sorrow?
You’re happy if you’re not spiritless?
You’re happy if you’re not dismayed?
You’re happy if you’re not heavy laden.
You’re happy if you’re not vexed.
You’re happy if you’re not troubled.
You’re happy if you’re not pressed.
You’re happy if you’re not constrained.
You’re happy if you’re not suffering pain.
You’re happy if you’re not exhausted.
You’re happy if you’re not oppressed.
The word "happy" is used 25 times in the King James version and I have noticed that each time, Happiness is used about people.
Genesis 30:13
And Leah said, Happy am I,
Deut. 33:29
Happy art thou, O Israel:
1 Kings 10:8
Happy are thy men
2 Chron. 9:7
Happy are thy men
Job 5:17
Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth
Psalm 127:5
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them
Psalm 128:2
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Psalm 137:8-9
happy shall he be
Psalm 144:15
Happy is that people
Psalm 146:5
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help
Proverbs 3:13
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Proverbs 14:21
he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Proverbs 16:20
whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
Proverbs 28:14
Happy is the man that feareth alway
Proverbs 29:18
he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Jeremiah 12:1
Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Malachi 3:15
And now we call the proud happy;
John 13:17
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Acts 26:2
I think myself happy
Romans 14:22
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
James 5:11
Behold, we count them happy which endure.
1 Peter 3:14
But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye
1 Peter 4:14
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye;
I need to suggest to us that only people can get happy.
Mountains can’t get happy.
Streets can’t get happy.
Birds can’t get happy.
Stars can’t get happy.
The sun can’t get happy.
But when a man has God in His life, and He’s operating in the will of the Lord, and all that he has belongs to the Lord, HE IS A HAPPY MAN.
Let me suggest to all of the sisters, don’t attach yourself to a man who’s not happy.
If he doesn’t have Jesus, he doesn’t have joy.
If he doesn’t have Jesus, he doesn’t have a way maker.
If he doesn’t have Jesus, he doesn’t have a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
If he doesn’t have Jesus, he’ll be miserable and will make you miserable.
Secondly, Are You Praising Him?
The progression and movement of this text is very clear. If you are a happy man - praise is not a suggestion. It is not something that you do because you have some extra time on your hand. But praise is MANDATORY for men that are happy!
A look at the text - King James says "let him sing." It would appear that it is a suggestion - but in the Greek language, psalleto (saul-lo), it is a verb in the Imperative present active third person singular. In other words - James says that YOU should praise the Lord RIGHT NOW . . .
Maybe the reason that some men don’t praise Him is that they don’t understand that this is NOT a suggestion. You ought praise Him right now. When I think of His goodness and what he’s done for me.
Eighteen times in the Scriptures we are told to PRAISE HIM:
Psalm 22:23
Ye that fear the Lord, praise him;
Psalm 28:7
with my song will I praise him.
Psalm 42:5
I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Psalm 42:11
I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 43:5
I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 69:34
Let the heaven and earth praise him.
Psalm 107:32
praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Psalm 109:30
I will praise him among the multitude.
Psalm 117:1
praise him, all ye people.
Psalm 135:1
praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.
Psalm 148:1
praise him in the heights.
Psalm 148:3-4
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
However in Psalm 150, the first five verse admonishes us to praise Him:
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. [2] Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. [3] Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. [4] Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. [5] Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals.
However, let me suggest that men are creatures that enjoy working with their hands. A man can build great things with their hands:
Men will build skyscrapers with their hands.
Men will build cars and trucks with their hands.
Men will build houses with their hands.
Men will build up a field of crops with their hands.
James says that if a man is happy - the King James Version says, let him sing psalms. In the original language, it reads like this: let him sing psalms is rendered simply with one word psalleto (saul-lo). Psalleto (saul-lo) means: To play a stringed instrument. To sing a hymn. Musicians who play upon an instrument were said to pluck the strings - psalloun chordas - or simply pluck (psalloun). The word came to signify the making of music in any fashion. Because stringed instruments were commonly used both by believers and heathen in singing praises to their respective gods, it meant to sing, sing praises or psalms to God - check this out: whether WITH or WITHOUT instruments.
My brothers and my sisters - this is good news for all of us today -
If you can’t play the drums, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play the organ, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play the piano, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play a keyboard, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play a horn, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play a bass guitar, you can give God praise.
If you can’t play a stringed instrument, you can give God praise.
If you can’t carry a note, you can give God praise.
I’m so glad - that the Lord understands my praise!
He understands that I’m limited by musical ability.
I’m limited by a lack of the understanding of musical intonation.
I’m limited by a lack of the understanding of chords and movements.
I’m limited by a lack of the understanding of bass and treble clefs.
I’m limited by a lack of the understanding of 4/4 time.
But I’m not limited in knowing and understanding how good God really is! I understand that praise begins when I understand who God is! Praise begins when I understand that praise is in honor of God - and I want to laud and lift him up!
I can praise him, because I understand He woke me up this morning!
I can praise him, because I understand He blessed me with health and strength!
I can praise him, because I understand He is the shoes on my feet!
I can praise him, because I understand He is the roof over my head!
And I can praise him, because He has done something no one else could do:
He has saved my soul
One Friday at Calvary . . .
Jesus died for my sins . . .
And early Sunday morning . . .
He got up!
So, I must praise Him. Matter of fact, I feel a praise stirring in my soul . . .
There’s a praise ringing in my soul!
Hallelujah! Bless God! Thank you Jesus!
There is a praise! Somebody here - is there a praise ringing in your soul?
I’ll praise him with my hands . . .
I’ll praise him with my feet . . .
