Lets Just Praise Him!
PSALMS 103:1
PREACHED BY
REV. W. D. SCOTT, SR.
@
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
HELLO, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST! HAVE YOU COME TO PRAISE HIM TODAY? I HAVE, AND I’M GLAD YOU HAVE COME TO JOIN IN OUR PRAISES! OUR SERMONIC TEXT TODAY CHANLLENGES US AND CONFRONTS US WITH AN ADMONITION FROM THE HOLY WRIT TO PRAISE THE LORD. WE FIND DAVID, COMMUNING WITH HIS OWN HEART. FOR HE IS SUGGESTING TO US THAT OUR RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCES MEAN NOTHING IF IT IS NOT HEART WORK, FOR IT IS OUT OF THE HEART THAT FLOW THE ISSUES OF LIFE. ALL THAT IS WITHIN US MUST BE ENGAGED IN OUR PRAISE OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD. CAN YOU FIND SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR THIS DAY? THERE ARE MANY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE PSALMS. IN THE PSALMS THERE ARE:
150 DIVISIONS
2461 VERSES
43,743 WORDS
2027 VERSES OF HISTORY
164 QUESTIONS ARE ASKED AND ANSWERED
413 COMMANDS ARE GIVEN
338 ACTS OF GOD
124 VOWS
174 STATEMENTS OF PRAISE
118 COMPLAINTS, BUT ALL OF THEM HAVE REMEDY
865 FACTS ABOUT WHO GOD IS
235 STATEMENTS ABOUT GOD’S WORD
182 TESTOMINIES
97 PROMISES
128 FACTS ABOUT THE MESSIAH.
BUT THE RHETORICAL QUESTION TODAY IS CAN WE FIND REASON TO PRAISE THE LORD. AFTER ALL, WE WERE CREATED TO PRAISE HIM. WHAT SHOULD PRAISE MEAN TO A CHILD OF GOD. LET ME SUGGEST TO YOU THAT PRAISE IS:
THE LIFE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS
THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN TUNE WITH GOD
PRAISE BRINGS US CLOSER TO THE TEARING DOWN OF THAT STRONGHOLD CALLED ‘SELF’ AND THE BUILDING UP OF OUR SOULS IN THE SPIRIT
PRAISE BRINGS US INTO INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (PSALMS 100)
WE OFTEN CONFESS IN OUR CHURCHES THAT WHEN THE “PRAISES” GO UP, THE “BLESSINGS” COME DOWN! OUR PRAISES CREATE A SPIRITUALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT OF INTIMACY.
PRAISES WILL CHANGE OUR DEMEANOR, AND GOD GETS THE GLORY
PRAISE DRIVES AWAY DEMONIC FORCES THAT WOULD DESTROY US
BRINGS A CHURCH INTO ONE ACCORD WORLD OF THANKSGIVING AND JOY
OUR PRAISES BRING US INTO THE LIGHT OF GOD’S ETHEREAL AMBIANCE WITHOUT DELAY BECAUSE WHEN YOU PRAISE HIM OUR MINDS ARE “STAYED ON HIM”...(THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT PRAISING GOD THAT LIFTS OUR HOPES).
OUR PRAISES PROVIDE SUBSTANCE TO OUR HOPE AS WE LOOK TO THE HILLS FROM WHICH COMETH OUR HELP.
THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO THINK ABOUT THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER WITHOUT DOING SO IN TERMS OF ASKING FOR SOMETHING OR COMPLAINING TO GOD ABOUT SOME LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. OF COURSE, PETITIONARY PRAYING IS A PART OF OUR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD. WE ARE EXHORTED IN NUMEROUS PLACES IN SCRIPTURE TO BRING OUR NEEDS TO GOD IN PRAYER. IN FACT, JAMES SAYS THAT "YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK NOT" JAMES 4:2. AT THE SAME TIME. HOWEVER, THE WORD OF GOD ALSO ENJOINS US TO PRAISE THE LORD, TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE, MORE OFTEN THAN IT TELLS US TO ASK GOD FOR THINGS. WHY, INDEED, SHOULD WE EXPRESS PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD? WHEN WE CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF PRAISING GOD, WE ENLARGE OUR CAPACITY TO APPRECIATE THE GREATNESS AND GLORY OF GOD, AND WE DIMINISH OUR OWN SELF CENTEREDNESS. IN SHORT WE "GROW UP" SPIRITUALLY AND ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS IF THE FOCUSING OF OUR FAITH IN PRAISE!
PSALMS 103 IS A PURE SONG OF PRAISE WITH NOT ONE SINGLE PETITION IN IT. THERE IS A PROGRESSION IN THE DESIGN OF THE PSALM. FIRST, DAVID ADDRESSES HIMSELF, DRIVING HOME THE NEED FOR BLESSING THE LORD, OR PRAISING GOD. THEN HE TURNS TO HIS PEOPLE, ISRAEL. HE EXPRESSES AMAZEMENT THAT GOD WOULD EVEN CONSIDER THESE CREATURES OF CLAY. AND FINALLY HE BUILDS TO A CRESCENDO OF PRAISE AS HE ADDRESSES THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE,CALLING ON EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING TO GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.
I. ENCOURAGE YOURSELF TO PRAISE HIM!(VV. 1-5)
DAVID BEGINS HIS PSALM BY TALKING TO HIMSELF. IN EXAMINING HIS OWN LIFE, HE HAS DISCOVERED A NEED FOR GENUINE INTROSPECTION. TO HIS CHAGRIN, HE FINDS THAT THE WINSOME BLOSSOM OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING IS MISSING FROM THE GARDEN OF HIS HEART. SO HE ADDRESSES HIMSELF: "BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL: AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME (V.1). THE SOUL IS THE TOTAL PERSONALITY, THAT UNIQUE ENTITY THAT MAKES US WHAT WE ARE. IT IS THE WHOLE PERSON. BUT DAVID DOESN’T STOP THERE, HE ADDS, ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME" HE IS SAYING, "EVERYTHING INSIDE ME THAT MAKES UP MY SOUL NEEDS TO PRAISE THE LORD!" HE LIFTS UP HIS WHOLE BEING IN GRATITUDE TO GOD. IN VERSE 2, DAVID REMINDS HIMSELF TO "FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS". WHILE HE WAS PRAISING GOD FROM THE INNNERMOST RECESES OF HIS BEING, HE WAS NOT TO OVERLOOK THE SPECIFICS OF GOD’S UNMERITED GRACE AND MERCY. DAVID KNEW THAT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER ALL OF GOD’[S BLESSINGS; ON THE OTHER HAND, HE MUST NOT FORGET THEM ALL. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WAS NOT TO TAKE FOR GRANTED GOD’S EXPRESSIONS OF GOODNESS AN BLESSING TO HIM. BEGINNING WITH VERSE 3
DAVID SAYS IN VERSE 3...
II. THE REASONS FOR OUR PRAISE.
LOOK AT THE VERSE BY VERSE PROGRESSION!
PRAISE HIM BECAUSE:
HE IS A PARDONER......VS 3....HE FORGIVETH ALL MY INIQIUTIES
HE IS A PHYSICIAN. VS 3...HE HEALETH ALL MY DISEASES.....
HE IS A REDEEMER....VS. 4....HE REDEEMETH MY LIFE FROM DESTRUCTION
HE IS A BENEFACTOR... VS 5 ...HE SATISFIETH MY MOUTH WITH GOOD
HE IS A JUDGE..VS 6...HE EXECUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR OPPRESSED
HE IS A CHASTISER....VS. 9..HE WON’T STAY ANGRY FOREVER
PRAISE HIM FOR BLESSING OF HIS HEIGHT.VS 11...AS HIGH AS THE HEAVEN IS ABOVE THE EARTH. SPEAKS OF HIS .MERCY THAT CANNOT BE COMPREHENDED
PRAISE HIM FOR BLESSING OF HIS BREADTH....VS. 12...AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST...HIS FORGIVENESS CANNOT BE RESCINDED.
DEPTH...VS 13. AS A FATHER..HE PITIETH THEM THAT FEAR HIM.COMPASSION THAT CANNOT BE ESTIMATED..
AS CREATOR....VS. 14...HE KNOWS OUR FRAME
HE IS A COVENANT KEEPING GOD..VS 17-18...HIS MERCY IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING..
HE IS OUR KING...VS. 19 HIS KINGDOM RULES OVER PRAISE HIM..FOR ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME
PRAISE HIM............FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS.
PRAISE HIM .......FOR ALL THAT I AM FOR GOD
PRAISE HIM.........ALL THAT I HAVE COMES FROM GOD
PRAISE HIM...........THAT WE ARE HIS PEOPLE
PRAISE HIM...........THIS IS HIS PASTURE
PRAISE HIM..............WHEN WE ENTER INTO HIS GATES AND HIS COURTS
PRAISE HIM FOR HIS NAME. THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME...THERE IS POWER IN HIS NAME
PRAISE HIM FOR........HIS MERCY....
PRAISE HIM FOR HIS TRUTH....TO ALL GENERATIONS.
PRAISE HIM....THAT HE BROUGHT US UP OUT OF THE MIRY PIT
PRAISE HIM THAT IT IS BY HIS GRACE THAT I AM WHAT I AM..
PRAISE HIM THAT HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR OUR SINS, AND TO GIVE US A RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE. .
PRAISE HIM THAT I GOT UP THIS MORNING
THAT HE BROUGHT ME TO THE HOUSE OF PRAISE
THAT NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON....WHEN I PRAISE HIM...
IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR ME TO ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE.
PRAISE HIM FOR THE GIFT OF HIS DARLING SON, JESUS CHRIST……WHO SUFFERED, BLED , DIED AND BROUGHT THE PROMISE OF RESURRECTION INTO OUR LIVES, THAT WE ALL MIGHT HAVE A RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE!
DO YOU HAVE A REASON TO PRAISE HIM! BEFORE YOU MISAPPLY YOUR TIME BY FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE, WHY NOT TRY COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS AND PRAISE HIM!
