Scripture: Psalms 150:1 -
Subject: Worship and Praise
Title: “My Allegiance To The Lamb”
Introduction: In Acts 13:22 the writer referred to David as “a man after God’s own heart.” As David closed out the book of Psalms he wrote these last six verses as a “A CRESCENDO (a Swell) OF PRAISE.” If anyone got into a conversation with David it wasn’t long until they found out he loved and praised the Lord.
Ray Boltz sings a song, “I Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb,”
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb I have heard how Christians long ago
With all my strength Were brought before a tyrant’s throne
With all I am They were told that he would spare their lives
I will seek to honor His commands If they would renounce the name of Christ
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb But one by one they chose to die
The Son of God they would not deny
Like a great angelic choir sings
I can almost hear their voices ring
Now the years have come and the years have gone
And the cause of Jesus still goes on
Now our time has come to count the cost
To reject this world, to embrace the Cross
And one by one let us live our lives
For the One who died to give us life
Till the trumpet sounds on the final day
Let us proudly stand and boldly say . . . . .
To the Lamb of God who bore my pain
Who took my place who wore my shame
I will seek to honor His commands
I pledge allegiance to the Lamb
I believe according to the Bible, man was created to praise and glorify the Lord!
The meaning of PRAISE: To bestow approval upon, to honor, worship, to glorify.
The Hebrew word is “Yadah” which means “to stretch out the hands, to worship with extended hands.”
The word PRAISE means: to address in a loud tone, to glory and triumph in God! (Singing for example) * That is to hold up the hands in reverence, to open the hands and let go of everything, just stand and praise God open handedly! * That means holding onto nothing!
We only praise something that we honor and prize highly!
It’s dangerous to make fun of praise! * 2 Samue6:16 -23 Saul’s daughter, Michal, made fun of David praising the Lord, and she became barren. (Either because God closed up her womb or David refused to go into her anymore) * Notice how BARREN Christians are who never praise the Lord!
I. WHY SHOULD WE PRAISE THE LORD?
a. God is WORTHY to be praised!
b. Praise is the PASSWORD to the Blessings of God!
c. In Ps. 22:3 it says, “God inhabitest the praise of Israel.”
d. We have already learned that refusal to praise God brings barrenness when it comes to NEW BIRTH. - Therefore praising God will cause us to be fruitful as Christians!
e. God RESPONDS to Praise! - Remember Paul and Silas in the jail at the midnight hour? - They began to sing and praise God and God sent an earthquake and shook the prison doors open and immediately their bands were loosed ! (Acts 16:25-26)
f. Praise lifts our eyes from the CONFLICT to the CONQUEST as we look to Jesus, our MIGHTY CONQUEROR.
g. Nothing so MULTIPLIES Faith as Praising God.
h. Praise is Faith in ACTION!
i. Praise DRAWS our attention away from circumstances and focuses our eyes on our MIGHTY God who causes all things to work together for our good and His Glory.
II. THE POWER OF PRAISE!
a. Praise has the POWER to Draw people to the one being praised!
b. The TRANSFORMING POWER of Praise is AWESOME!
c. When an entire congregation joins together in PRAISE God will so inhabit the hearts of people that SOULS will be swept into the kingdom of God, MIRACLES will occur without number.
d. Praise is the “Power Plant” of the soul. - Coal is mined and loaded then shipped to the generating plant. Then the coal is crushed into powder and then it is BLOWN into the furnaces that powers huge turbines which generates the POWER! * Electricity is generated for whole cities, but there is no place for STORAGE! * The question was asked, “Where do you store the electricity?” * The answer, “We don’t store it, we just make it.” * The SYSTEM is based on DEMAND! (POWER is only created when it is
requested!
e. Praise is the DEMAND on the POWER of God’s Presence!
f. God will supply the power.
g. God will supply the power for our lives:
1. God has promised to hear our call
2. God has promised to forgive our sin
3. God has promised to heal our hurts
4. But WE must supply the demand on His power by PRAISING Him!
III. WHEN TO PRAISE THE LORD.
a. There are two times to PRAISE the Lord: (1) When you FEEL like it. (2) When you don’t FEEL like it!
b. Surely Paul and Silas didn’t feel like praising God when they were cast into that dark dungeon at Philippi. * Their backs were bleeding * Their hands and feet were placed in stocks * The prison was a filthy place * They were surrounded by vile, sinful men. *But Paul and Silas “prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25).
c. But more importantly God heard them! * The mighty God who inhabits the praises of His people responded to Paul and Silas in their dilemma and shook the prisons doors open and their bands fell off!
d. The SOURCE of many of our troubles is our tongue. * God has prescribed a cure for our “tongue troubles,” and that is to use our tongues in PRAISING the Lord.
e. In Psalms 34:1 David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” * David had learned the secret of victory over his tongue: to keep it busy praising God.
f. We are to praise God for: * The Things in the PAST * The Things in the PRESENT * The Things that are in the FUTURE!
CONCLUSION: Are you burdened by troubles or material needs?
Appropriate His all-sufficient grace which He has promised and say,
“Thank you, Lord, that Your grace is sufficient for me. I cast my cares upon You and thank You for the rest You offer those who come to you according to Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
www.jhcarver@excite.com
