We Sing:
- In Times Like These We Need a Savior
- In Times Like These We Need an Anchor
- In Times Like These We Need The Bible
Some more words:
- In Times Like These We Need Prayer
- In Times Like These We Need Praise
I. But I Can’t Praise
This Week:
- Joe Biden "It’s patriotic to pay more taxes"
- The Treasury has pledged bail out Fannie and Freddie up to $200 billion
- Fanny & Freddie -Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)
- AIG (American International Group) takeover
- Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers
- Oil Prices rising close to $100 a barrel
- In an effort to turn around a global credit crisis and near-panic on Wall Street, the US Federal Reserve is pumping billions of dollars into financial markets in the US and abroad.
- President working hard on economic turmoil
- CNN- Wall Street losing faith in banks
- Unemployment rate hits 7.3% Illinois
- Minnesota dropped 3100 jobs
- RI rates hits 8.5%
- Massachusetts rose 5.3%
- UK unemployment up 80,000
- Youth unemployment in S. Africa among the highest in the world
- We want togive and say I GIVE UP
James 5:1-8 - The Lord is coming soon -- The Rich howl
- Now is the time to simplify your life, scale down your lifestyle, and get out of debt.
James 4:8-10 - The Humble lifted up
Fear Is Rampant
Note Ps 34 title takes place in 1 Sam 21:10-22:1
- v. 4 Need to be delivered from fears
- v. 6 Troubles building up
- v. 12 I want just a good life
Deliverance From Fear
- v. 4 - I sought the Lord
How? — Through Praise - v.1
The First Step in seeking the Lord is Praise
- Until we realize the true purpose in life, which is to worship Him and enjoy Him forever, we’ll always be floundering.
- We’ll always be frustrated because worship is the central purpose of life!
II. The Reason For Praise
1. Praise Glorifies Him
- Paul at Athens saw an alter to the unknown god
Acts 17:28 KJV - For in him we live, and move, and have our being.
- v. 2 the "humble" shall hear thereof and be glad
- TLB ... all who are discouraged
- Net ... the oppressed
- Century ... the poor
- Readers ... hurting
- NIV ...afflicted
2. My Faith Will Be Strengthened
v. 3 Magnify means to make Him the big thing, the focus of our eyes
- Problems look like mountains or rivers
- Song “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable”
- It’s not the problems but how big our Lord is
- Praise will strengthen and energize your faith
- Remember it is not great faith but a great God
- Praise is just faith turned inside out
- Every prayer should begin and end with Praise
- “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.”
- That’s praise!
- And how does it end?
- “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”.
- That’s praise!
3. My Fear Will Disappear
- We need victory
- Praise is the way peace & joy
v. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Last week of Aug./08
- Matthew Edwards, 33, and Robin Gibson, 27
- The couple, both experienced outdoors-people, had been hiking a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail when they took a wrong turn, becoming stuck on an 18-inch ledge
- They contacted law enforcement officials Wednesday evening via cell phone after they lost their gear, tent and waterproof clothing
- Their cell phone battery dying, calls have been limited to short check-ins
- They were in a panic really afraid and scared.
- Trapped 8,000’ at Spier Point in the North Cascades WA
- Friday’s rescue capped what has been a harrowing week for hikers in the region, with unseasonal rain and cooler-than-normal temperatures that made it feel more like October than late August
- Now cold and wet
- They spent nearly two days on an 18-inch ledge on the mountain unable to climb up or down
- Rescue workers tried unsuccessfully to reach them by air, fog made them almost invisible and violent weather forced them to turn back.
- They were coxed & instructed to reach a glacier above them
- A team of 3 hiked 10 miles to help them down 2000 ft. below cloud cover to be picked up by Naval helicopter
- Follow the instructions and you will be delivered
4. I Will Be Blessed
- 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good
- v. 9 There is no want to them that fear him
- v. 17 The Lord delivers them out of trouble
- v. 18 The Lord is near
- v. 22 and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
- Shall be lost or condemned
III. How To Praise God
1. Be Personally Involved
- v. I will bless the Lord
- His praise — in my mouth
- Nobody can praise God for you.
- You can be surrounded by people who are praising God, but if you aren’t joining in the exaltation,
- He will be robbed by you of the glory He deserves.
- Note the word bless
- Not coming to church to be blessed – but to bless
- We are a consumer oriented society
- Burger King – “Have it your way” – was created in 1974
- We should have a contributor mentality, realizing you never receive more than when you give
- Choose to walk the path of praise! — Personally
2. Be Personally Involved With the Tongue.
- v. 1 His praise shall be where? In my mouth!
- Ever see someone sit in church and they don’t sing participate or smile
- The heart should affect the mouth
Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
- My wife knows that I love her, but here’s where she’s weird: she wants me to say it and show it, even though she already knows I love her.
- When I proposed I told her I loved her, and then I said if I ever change my mind I’ll let you know.
- But no! That isn’t good enough for her, even tho’ I love her in my heart, she wants me to say it with my mouth, and show it by my life.
- That’s how it is with God! Let’s choose to praise Him
3. Be Personally Involved With the Tongue All the Time.
- This action will transform your life
- Continually means all the time
- In good times and bad.
- When I’m up and when I’m down.
- You say “I can’t praise God when I’m down, it’s not natural.”
- That may be when we need to praise Him the most.
- It’s not natural, it’s supernatural, and God can help us rise above!
- There’s no faith found in praising God after the battle is won, only during the battle.
- It’s easy on the mountaintop, but it takes faith in the valley.
Psalm 100:1-5 KJV 1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
- We need to come to him first and then walk then continue with Him in praise
