“ Defining the Purpose of Praise”
Danny L. Williams
January 9, 1999
Psalm 103:1-5
Intro: Have you ever been in a praise & worship service and you didn’t feel like Praising? And then you begin to ask your self,
“What is the Purpose of Praise??
SURE
We may have been there,
What is it in us that bring’s those feeling’s?
Is it that we are thinking about something else?
We think things like::
I wonder what is going to happen at work this week or
I sure hope Pastor doesn’t Go over cause the big game is on?????
Or are we, distracted by others,
Look at what “sister so and so” is wearing or
You tell your spouse “You know honey Pastor didn’t shake my hand this morning” or Bro. So and so didn’t speak to me this morning!!!
or maybe we just didn’t feel like Praising–
You may be tired or just not in the mood to praise.
We Have all been there.
But when those feelings rise within us, how do we handle it?
There are usually three responses that every person will respond with:
1. We Procrastinate in Praise, – we miss out on praise and wonder why the message seems so Dry.
2. We Pretend to Praise, - in a half-hearted manner.
3. We Purpose to Praise, - within ourselves to enter in to the freshness.
But let’s ask the question, “Is there a way that we can move into praise that is not based on how we feel? Or no matter the atmosphere maybe in the sanctuary?
As we look at Praise this morning I want to give you a three-step way to move in to the Purpose of Praise.
I. You Explore Inwardly:
Vs.1,, “ Bless the Lord O my soul: and all that is within me,
bless his holy name
Notice how David spoke to his own soul-When he was down in the dumps or spiritually dry.
Question? Have you ever felt that way?
What are the thought’s start going through your head.
“ Why don’t I feel like Praising”
and You look around and start to feel guilty because everyone else is Praising?
What do we do?
Just what David did
He said, “Soul! Bless the Lord!
I want you to understand this morning , Many times praise is a function of the will and not our emotions.
You say but Pastor – How can I praise when I feel completely deflated emotionally?
On Psamlist put it this way.
Psalm 42:5-6
Why are you downcast within me , O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Then I like the next statement :
He gets tough with himself and say’s
“ Put your Hope in God! Why? Then the topper””””
For I shall yet praise Him
We must will and determine to Praise the Lord, even when we don’t feel like it. Praise is not contingent upon our Feelings- it is based upon God’s greatness.
But notice what David tells him self to do:
Bless the Lord-
It’s a sacrifice; Psalm 27:6 ``Therefore I will offer up a sacrifice of Praise in his tabernacle: I will sing, yes I will sing praises unto the Lord…
That word Bless the way it used here is defined: to Kneel, Bow down as an act of adoration to God.
REMEMBER: God called Israel a stiff necked people because they wouldn’t bow,
BUT !
I want you to understand this morning David was speaking to his innermost being , Not his outward position
He said all that is within me….
Listen Church some of us , we are standing during the praise and worship, but inside we are sitting down.
Jesus waned us from this:
He said in Matt. 15:8- and Isa.29:13----
These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me..
Understand this morning
IT IS NOT YOUR POSTURE or your singing,
CHURCH , IT IS YOUR HEART
But you say Pastor Why do I have to praise?
1. because it is for your own good.
So we can move into a proper relationship with him
2. simply because he is worthy. Psalm 48:1- You are worthy O’Lord to receive glory and honor and power.
Praise Recalls God’s Greatness
VS. 2
Bless the Lord, O’ My soul, and forget not his benefits:
That word Benefit means: an advantage, the payment or Gift given by a company or agency.
Question: Why do you have your Job? Is because you have nothing better to do with your time?
No!! It’s the benefits
In defining the purpose of praise not only should we Explore inwardly, but
II. You Examine Outwardly:
Vs. 3
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases,
Psalm 103 is known as the all series of Gods Love……
Vs.1 – all that is within me
Vs.2 – all his benefits
Vs.3 - all my sins , and all my diseases
And later in Vs. 21-22 , David will call on All God’s heavenly host and All his works to join with him in praise.
How many of us know that ALL we have is due to God’s Grace?
But look at what David says
1. Who forgives all my iniquities;
The forgiveness of sins is the greatest of all gifts we can receive from God.
And the first we need to have ,
I know we understand forgiveness but we are missing something if we stop there.
In vs 3 he gives us a number of sins he has forgiven---All of them,
But in vs.12, he elaborates on the scope of forgiveness.
To what extent does God forgive sins?
Vs12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Now if he had said , North & South you could measure because of the poles,
but East & West are directions , Not points on a compass, there is no way to measure the distance between them.
Hallelujah!!!!
But I think it is much Deeper than that…..
Example:
ILLISTRATION>>>
How many miles lie between east and west???
Okay, for Illustration sake.
Notice something You cannot look two ways at once…
Except your mother when you act up in church because she has eyes in the back of her head>>>>
But for the rest of us , you have to turn your back on one in order to look in the direction of the other.
When ever God forgives us he put our sins and us on two different horizons….
So when he looks at our sins, he is no longer looking at us. And when he looks at us , he no longer sees our sins.
I’m going to borrow a word from Paul , He said we are Justified!!!!
Praise the Lord…….
Is that something you can praise him for?????
Praise reinforces Gods Grace
Vs.3 Who healeth all thy diseases,
I heard about a conversation between Billy Graham and some bible scholars,
They were arguing the point as whether or not healing is in our atonement…
Atonement ; is a fancy way of saying , that if we have been saved from sin by Christ, then we have been healed or we have the right to be healed of an physical affection.
Conversation…
Listen Church The bible says it is God who heals us.
Not , Bayer Aspirin.. or the doctor you go to,
See you can take all the medicine you want see all the doctors you can take every treatment known to man, But it’s God who Heals……
Amen!!!!
But not only God can heal. Not only physically but emotionally and ultimately spiritually….
Shouldn’t we praise him for that????
Not only should we Explore Inwardly and examine outwardly but:
III. You Experience Openly: Gods Goodness
Vs. 4
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindnessand tender mercies;
See this is what we call a three fold cure to a three fold curse
1.sin - Forgiveness
2.sickness - Healing
3.Death - Redemption
Whenever David says that God redeems our lives from the pit, he literally means God brings us back from the very brink of death…
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life.
God has redeemed us even though we don’t deserve it.
Paul put it like this “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us…
Praise Reveals Gods Goodness
Vs5 who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.
Who satisfeth thy mouth with good things;
He is not talking about your wife ability to cook men.
He means the Good thing God places in your life…
Why? To renew you……. Look at what he says Like the eagle….
With long life and Youth , to soar above this miserable life to Experieance Gods Good ness
Hasn’t this been your experience?
Is that something we could praise him for?
Close…..
God could renew you this morning…..
