The Power of Praise

Praise is a term found throughout scripture, that God specifically calls his people to. Why is praise so significant? How does praise change us?  What can I learn about praise from this Psalm? These are the questions we will seek to answer from Psalm 146.

Transcript

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That you fail him. Spirit, that you use him as your vessel. And that, Lord, these words be yours and not his own. And Spirit, I ask that you speak to us, that you'd have us to respond. Lord, please do a mighty work in our presence this morning. We love you. And we praise you. And Jesus says in your name that we pray. Amen.

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There are a few songs out there when I hear them that really stir my soul to worship, and that last one is certainly one of it. And it makes sense because it comes straight from the book of Revelation, how we're going to praise the Lamb of God. Turn with me to Psalm 146 as we continue our series in the Psalms this summer. We're going to be talking about the power of praise this morning from Psalm 146. You might remember if you were here a few weeks ago when I spoke from Psalm 27. There was one point in the message about praise. And as I began to read through the Psalms and look for something, uh, some direction on what to speak on this morning, that was the theme that kept coming back to my mind. And then I got to thinking, this is the third time I've spoken this summer, and all three times have been something about worship. And that wasn't intentional on my part. I don't know if it's just where God has my mind focusing right now, thinking about, but all three of those messages, or three of these messages, have been about worship in some way. If you've not been here with us, maybe you've been away in the summer for some reason, the Psalms cover a wide range of experiences, emotions, and expressions of worship, ranging from anger, complaints, brokenness, and repentance to celebration, dance, music, and shouts of praise. So in reality, the Psalms serve as a powerful reminder that our lives and experiences are very complex. And we're not equipped or able to face those challenges and questions that come into our lives without the power and the presence of God. So it's not unusual for us when we're going through a difficult time or a time of questioning to turn to the book of Psalms. Because in it, we're going to find something to identify with that's going to give words to our heart and what we're to that moment. Today we're focusing on the importance and the power of praise. Praise impacts our focus. And the object of our praise will either bring us lasting hope and joy, or it will bring us to deep disappointment and sadness. There are several places in the Psalms where expressions of praise are present. But the last five Psalms are loaded with these expressions of praise. Psalm 146 through 150 are known as the final halal. They are the grand finale of worship. A crescendo of worship, wrapping up all the various expressions of worship that we see throughout the Psalms. In these five Psalms, there are no laments, no complaints, there's no pleading with God. There's not a need for repentance. It's just pure halal. No, you say, Ken, what is halal? Or halal. It's the Hebrew word. If you you might recognize it, it's the root word for the compound of Hallelujah. Haleluya. Which means simply praise to Yahweh or praise you, Yahweh, or praise the Lord. Halel means to shine, to boast, to act clamorously foolish or mad, to shine, obviously, to flash brightly or reflect God's brilliant light and favor. To boast, to loudly magnify and make a proud show of someone wonderful. That's what I wanted to do in that last song. I wanted to belt it out. Then I thought I better save my voice. I've got to do this twice. But you ever been in that moment where you just want to shout it out? You want to shout? Praise the Lord. That's what halal is. It is to act foolishly. And I immediately think about David when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back and he danced before the Lord. To express uninhibited, loud celebration without caring what others think. Now, maybe we as Baptists are to part right there for a little while. It's hard not to be aware that people are around you when you worship in public, but this is what this word means. It means I'm fixing to get loud for Jesus. I cannot contain, I cannot withhold the praise that I feel in my heart. Just think about this. If you're having a hard time imagining it, think about a parent or a grandparent at a little league baseball game or soccer game, whereas I learned when I moved to Murray, a bad competition. Think about how crazy parents get. Any grandparents or parents in the house who get a little nuts at the ball games? Screaming and hollering. We get lost in it, in our praise of our children or our grandchildren watching them. This is not merely a response to a favorable circumstance. It is an interjection that is shouted as a sudden expression of praise that is centered around the character of God. Now, go back to the ballgame or the band competition. You think about the moment you hear your team won or your kid hits a home runner, your kid scores a goal. There's just this, you come out of your seat, and sometimes you're like, was I too loud? Anyone know what I'm talking about? It's like it just oh, sorry, but I was just overcome. This is what this word is representing. Each of these five Psalms opens and closes with praise the Lord or hallelujah or hallelujah. Each of them does that, reminding us that praise serves as the framework for our lives. It is both the beginning and the end of our lives. Praising God is where we start, and praising God is where we finish. And each of these five Psalms begins that way. Look at it. In verse 1 of 146, where we're going to read in just a moment, praise the Lord in verse 1. Now look at the last verse, verse 10, the very last three words, praise the Lord. In 147, verse 1 starts with, praise the Lord. Look at the end of 147, praise the Lord. 148, verse 1, praise the Lord. And at the end of it, praise the Lord. 149 again, praise the Lord. And in verse 9, praise the Lord. And then the big, the you know, the finale, like we had a few weeks ago in the uh fireworks shows, 150, praise the Lord. And then at the end it says, let everything, everything that has breath, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. If you remember the old hymnals that we used to have in church, you know, we always put certain types of hymns together. You can always find the invitation hymns kind of packed together, and certain of the patriotic hymns packed together. Well, the psalmist is packing at this end of the book of Psalms, this great hallelujah, this great praise the Lord. Thirty-nine times in the Old Testament, the word praise the Lord is used, or 39 times in the Bible. 31 of those are in the Psalms. And that's not to mention the other six Hebrew words that are used to talk about praising the Lord. We're just talking about one of them. So let's read it, Psalm 146 together. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes and the Son of Man in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth, and on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners. He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations praise the Lord. So here are the questions that are kind of driving my thoughts as I examine this text over the last few weeks. Why is praise so significant in Scripture? Why is it talked about so much? Why do we see it so often? And secondly, how does praise change me? What does it mean for me personally? And thirdly, what can I learn about praise from this particular psalm? The first thing that stands out to me about this psalm as I read in the just the first few words of it is that praise is intentional. Praise is a choice. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord. In other words, the psalmist is saying, my mind is made up. He is writing an intentional declaration. And in the process, knowing that this is going to be a psalm of worship, he is inviting others to join in. But his mind, his decision is made up. I am gonna praise the Lord. Praise sometimes for me can be spontaneous. I don't know about you. Sometimes I'm driving down the road, the right song comes on. I just happen to be in the spirit in the moment. And if you see me coming down the road, you may think I'm waving at you, but I may not be waving at you. Hands, one hand's up, not both. But just praising the Lord, it can be spontaneous. But but it's important for us to understand more than spontaneous, praise is a choice, it is a mindset. And praise may be accompanied by feelings, but praise is more than just a feel-good experience. Now, I'll have to admit, when we hit that Agnes Day part of that song a while ago, I got in my feelings. I was thinking, Ken, don't do it again. You're gonna get up there and start crying. That's what I do when I get in my feelings. But there are times when I have made the decision to praise the Lord when I didn't feel it. There are times when I made the decision to praise the Lord when I wasn't even sure of it. Praise is an act of the will that is reflected in a faith that is firmly established upon the foundation that God is good. Praise is an act of the will that is reflected in a faith that is firmly established upon a foundation that God is good, regardless of my circumstances. The psalmist doesn't say I'll praise God when I feel like it. He doesn't say I'll praise God when my life gets easier or my circumstances improve. I'll praise God when I get my life together, when I get as good as the other people at church, and we're not near as good as you think we are. I promise you. I'll praise God. You know, when everything is going better, he says, I will praise the Lord as long as I live. His mind is made up, his focus is locked in, and he's publicly declaring, regardless of what comes my way, I will verbally acknowledge the goodness of my God. Now, it would help if you had heard or read or understand some of the other psalms. Because a lot of the other psalms, especially the Psalms of Lament, express some of the heartache and some of the hurt and some of the fear that comes in life, and yet I will praise the Lord, regardless of what comes my way. The object of his praise obviously is the Lord. The psalmist is talking specifically about Yahweh, the I am who revealed himself to Moses in the fire in the wilderness. He's talking about the I am of the Old Testament who had been there throughout history. He's not simply talking about an idea, a universe, which seems to be the buzzword of the day. He's talking about a person. He is specifically praising a person, and that person is God. The Yahweh who revealed himself in history. The timing of his praise is while I have my being. Sometimes we talk about praise and we think about, you know, someday when we get to heaven, we're all going to praise the Lord. The psalmist isn't waiting, he's praising God now. He's praising God not just limited to good times, but he's praising God in all times. And can I say to you that sometimes the most I may be as bold to say the most powerful expressions of praise come in the darkest moments of life. The most powerful moments of praise come when you have the greatest questions, and you're facing the greatest fears, and things don't add up and things don't make sense. One of my favorite songs for a while was the song by Casting Crowns, I will praise you in this storm. I will praise you in this difficult time. And I realize every time I stand before an audience that, especially with a number of people that are here this morning, that some of you are probably going through some very difficult times. Some of you I know enough about you, I've been friends with you or have some relationship with you to know that the last year has been particularly tough for you. And those are times when praise can become so important. And can I tell you that I have praised my way through some storms? I have chosen at times at the direction, at the encouragement of mature believers, I have chosen to praise my way through the storms when I could not see where God was leading me. Praise is a powerful thing because praise reminds me. It reminds my soul who is really in control. And it's not me. Praise reminds me that I am not in control, which leads me to point number two. Praise redirects my trust. Look in verses three and four. Put not your trust in princes in a son of man in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth, and on that very day his plans perish. It's so easy for us to get caught up. The psalmist reminds us that every human leader eventually dies. No matter how good they are, no matter what is written about them, they eventually die and there's no hope in them. Money, relationships, success, careers, and fame will all eventually disappoint us. If you don't believe it, go over and read Ecclesiastes. Do a detailed study of the man, the wealthiest and one of the brightest and most successful human beings in history. Solomon says at the end of the day, it's all meaningless. Those things hold no lasting satisfaction or hope. We oftentimes find ourselves disappointed because we have trusted in things that are not trustworthy. I was thinking as I was reading this text about the high number of celebrities just in my lifetime who have reached the pinnacle of success in their lives, either musically or in theater or whatever it may be. I mean, you know, gazillionaires, all kinds of money. Everybody wants their attention. They've got fortune, they've got fame, they've got the looks, and they die young. It gives up on life. Why? Because those things have no lasting satisfaction. What praise does is it reminds me, it redirects my thoughts away from something that is passing, and it helps me put my thoughts on something that is everlasting that cannot be taken away from me. Human help is temporary. Human leaders are temporary. Political parties are temporary. Somebody say amen. Right? I've lived long enough to know that. I promise you. Praise shifts my attention from the temporal earthly power to an eternal divine power that cannot be taken away. Another psalmist said in Psalm 20, verse 7 trust in chariots, some trust in horses. We trust in the name of the Lord Yahweh our God. Praise challenges my human tendency to trust in things that are not trustworthy, that will not last. And thirdly, praise builds my faith through remembering. The longest section of this psalm, verses five through nine, is where the psalmist begins to talk about the goodness of God. And all the, I mean, there's no way you could contain it in just that many verses, but the many areas of who God is. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth. There's the Creator, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. The Lord opens up. You get the gist of what he's saying. Praise builds my faith through remembering. This is what the psalmist is doing. This is what we do in a lot of our Christian music, if it's good Christian music, is it always points back to the goodness of God. It reminds us because we have a tendency, I have a tendency to forget. The psalmist brings evidence to validate the legitimacy of his praise. In other words, I'm not just praising anything. I'm not just praising something, I'm praising someone. Now I want to give you. Evidence for why I am praising this someone. It is the longest section here because there's so much to say. Praise grows as our knowledge of God grows. I cannot rightfully praise what I do not know. Did you hear me? I cannot rightfully praise what I do not know. Now I own no stock in this restaurant that I'm about to tell you about, but I just want to tell you that a few months ago, probably about a year ago, Michelle and I were headed south toward Paris going through prayer, and we saw this little restaurant at the stoplight, and we noticed it used to be a barbecue place, but it's no longer a barbecue place. It's Southern Fried and Sweet Tea. Who's been there? Okay. If you need any evidence after the service, look for the people who raised their hands. We love Southern Fried Sweet Tea. If they're watching, yes, we would take a free meal. But we love Southern fried sweet tea. There is nothing I have ordered there that I did not enjoy. Their cake is huge and it's delicious. Their seared pork is amazing. Their vegetables taste like your grandma made them. Everything. Their brunch is out of this world. Now you know why? Why I can tell you those things? Because I have tasted and seen that the food is good at Southern Fried Sweet Tea. I am praising something, and I can tell you how good it is because I have partaken of it many times. Who would be honest to say your mouth is watering just a little bit right now? This is what he's doing. He's talking about something that he understands. It's something he has experienced. He's sharing something that has been passed down through generations of people talking about the goodness of God. He starts off by saying, Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob. Blessed is he who's help is in the God of Jacob. Notice he says Jacob, not Israel. Jacob's name was changed to Israel, but that's not what he calls him. He calls him Jacob. Do you remember who Jacob is? Jacob is the heel grabber. Jacob is the deceiver. Jacob's always in trouble. Jacob ends up wrestling with God. We may read that text and think about all the good things of Jacob, but the truth of the matter is, Jacob's like you and me. He messes up all the time. It doesn't say praise Jacob. It says praise the God of Jacob, the God who forgave Jacob, the God who didn't give up on Jacob, the God who walked with Jacob through all of his trials, all of his mess ups, and still rescued and saved him. That's the God he's talking about. The God of Jacob. He's reminding us that those who will sing the psalm in worship, that God pursues us in our brokenness. He does not abandon us, he redeems us. Then he talks about in verse 6 the God who creates. God steps into nothing, breathes into nothing, and creates out of nothing everything that you and I see. He is the God who creates. He created everything by his spoken word. And then if he can do that, then nothing is beyond his ability. He is the God who keeps his promises. He keeps faith forever. People break promises, God never does. When God says it, God does it. God follows through on what he's doing. Can you imagine if we served a God who's like us? Well, we were planning on coming, but something came up. I've never done that, of course. Well, I was gonna do it, but I forgot. Can you imagine? If our God was like that, if God was like, well, I was gonna redeem you, but I got busy working on another universe. Sorry. But he's not. God is faithful, he's like clockwork. Every time he does it. Every time. Paul wrote to Timothy in the second letter. Chapter 2, verses 11 through 13, he says, if we have died with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. There's his faithfulness. He's going to do what he said he would do. If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. Over and over and over, we read in Scripture, God reminding us that God is a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping God. Next in verse 7, God defends, he executes judgment, or justice, I should say. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay. God sees every injustice. Nothing escapes him. By the way, if you're wondering about this, for if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God's justice was met through Jesus on the cross, and that has been forgiven for those who are in him. But God defends. He looks out for those that others overlook. God provides in verse 7. He gives food to the hungry. He cares for our daily needs. Paul wrote in Philippians 4.19, and my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. If you go to David Eaton's class and I don't know how far you will get through the Sermon on the Mount, but you're going to find out that even the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, they have no way of taking care of themselves, but God takes care of them. Jesus echoed this truth time and again. God liberates, the Lord sets the prisoners free. Jesus said in John 8 36, so if the Son sets you free, you shall be free. Free indeed. Paul wrote in Galatians Oblivion 6.1, for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit to the yoke of slavery. God created us to be free. In Christ we experience the ultimate liberation. Liberation from sin and its consequences. Verse 8, God restores. He opens blind eyes. He lifts those who are bowed down. Praise reminds us that God is in the restoration business. God is not in the beat people down business. God restores those who will repent. Verse 8 also says the Lord loves the righteous. God is love. It's echoed again in the New Testament, John 3.16. You know the verse, for God so loved, this is how he loved, that he gave his only son, his one and only son, that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5.21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That is the greatest act of love you and I will ever experience. God loves. It is everlasting, it is steadfast. God protects in verse 9. He watches over the souljourners. This stuck out to me a few years ago or several years ago in reading through the Old Testament. You know, we always focus so much on the Jews, but there was always these statements about the sojourners. All these ones that would come along, it shows the heart of God that God loves. He talks about the widows in this passage and the orphans, and I think of James 1.27, where it says this is pure and undefiled religion, to take care of the widows and the orphans. Every statement about God becomes another reason to praise Him. Every statement, the more I know God's character, the easier praise flows from my lips. The more I know who God is, the more I know about his character, the easier it is for praise to flow from my lips. Fourthly, praise reminds me of my hope for the future. Look in verse 10. The Lord will reign forever. Your God, Ozia, and to all generations. The Lord will reign forever. He's not going to pass away, he's not going to ever be outdated. It's never going to be a time when he's not in charge or he's out of style. The Lord will reign forever. Every kingdom ends. Every politician's time will come to pass. Every empire eventually falls, but God's reign never ends. Our hope is not in the temporary rulers of this world, it is in the eternal king. Forever and ever. Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise reminds us that history is moving toward God's kingdom. It's always on the move. So we praise him. It reminds me of where my hope is. Psalm 146 begins with praise and it ends with praise. Because praise changes our focus, praise strengthens our faith, praise weakens our fear, praise magnifies our God, and it reminds us of who is truly in charge. And that praise continues into the New Testament. It is revealed in the Son of God, in Jesus Christ, who opened blind eyes, who fed the hungry, who set captives free, who welcomed strangers, who cared for widows, who lifted the broken, who conquered death, and now reigns forever. It's the scarlet thread that runs through Scripture, leading to our ultimate salvation. So here's the conclusion that I want you to think about this week. Choose praise over panic. Choose praise over complaining. It's so easy to complain. Anybody can complain. But choose praise. Choose praise over worry. Choose praise over control. You know, we try to control when we're afraid. Just choose to praise God. Choose praise over self. And remember that praise does not ignore reality. It places reality beneath the sovereignty of God. Praise does not ignore reality. It places reality beneath the sovereignty of God. In other words, I'm not minimizing your circumstances. I'm not going to tell you that what you're going through is easier, not challenging. I'm just going to tell you that God is bigger and better and stronger and lovelier than anything you face. So just put whatever it is you face under Him by praising Him. Reminding yourself and anyone listening of the goodness of God. Praise doesn't change who God is, praise changes me. God is who God is. He's been the same throughout all eternity, and he'll remain the same throughout all eternity. It doesn't change God. I don't even pray to change God. I pray to change me. So let everything and everybody in every situation in every circumstance praise the Lord. Amen. Will you bow your heads as the bed comes to lead us? And a song of praise. It could be here this morning that there's somebody here listening. I don't know everyone in this room, obviously, but there could be someone here this morning. And the truth is you do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. A time where you recognized your need of Him, cried out to Him, turned from yourself, turned from your sin, and made Him Lord of your life. All the hope that I spoke about this morning from this song can be yours through Jesus Christ. But there is no hope outside of Him. So if you're here this morning and you do not know Jesus, I want you to know if you will turn from your sin, trust in Him, completely throw yourself onto His mercy. He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You may be here this morning as a believer, going through some sort of tough circumstance, and it's hard to praise God right now. This may be a great time just to make that choice, to be intentional. I am going to praise the Lord. I'm choosing right now to praise the Lord. It could be you're going through the greatest season of life and you got everything to praise God for. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Praise to Yahweh. Praise His name. Speak of His goodness. Be specific in praising His name. It could be you're in a fearful place, a scary place. Praise the Lord. Will you pray with me, Lord? I thank you that there's so much evidence throughout history of your faithfulness and goodness to us. Lord, just in my lifetime, there's so many things I could write down, so many stories I could tell of your faithfulness. The times when I felt so all alone, I felt so wrecked and ruined. I felt my life was over. Somehow, through your spirit, through the power of your spirit, I was able to speak words of praise. And you walked me through those times. God, thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness. Thank you for being bigger than me and bigger than my problems and bigger than my enemies. Thank you for your love and your mercy and your grace. God, I pray that everyone here this morning has that same testimony, the same story. Lord, do in our hearts this morning what only you can do. We yield ourselves to you. We open ourselves to your spirit. We ask that you would come, Lord Jesus, and do the miraculous in our heart. We pray that in Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to stand together just a moment. Brayden to be here on this side. I'll be on this side.