Church of Christ Sermons and Lessons for 2011
Speaker	Sermon/Lesson Title   (Right Click to Download)	Audio Video  Text	Category
Bobby Stafford	Praising Jehovah Sermon from the Psalms		Worship Psalms

Praise Jehovah

Introduction:

     Praising the Lord should be one of the most natural things in the world.  Our attitude needs to be that of David in Psalms 34:1-3.  David invites the humble to join with him in expressing their adoration of the Lord.

     The aim of this lesson is to examine the various Hebrew words translated “praise” and “worship” in the Old Testament.

Body:

  I.  Bow Down

• Psalms 34:1  “I will bless the Lord at all times.”  Give God reverence as an act of adoration.

          I will bless the Lord at all times;

           His praise shall continually be in my mouth,          NKJV

• Psalms 100:3-5  Be aware of God’s presence and His goodness.

           Know that the Lord, He is God;

           It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

           We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

           Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

           And into His courts with praise.

           Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

           For the Lord is good;

           His mercy is everlasting.

           And His truth endures to all generations.          NKJV

• Psalms 95:3-7 Bow down in homage to the great God; bring yourself down low in reverence.

          For the Lord is the great God,

          And the great King above all gods.

          In His hand are the deep places of the earth;

          The heights of the hills are His also.

          The sea is His, for He made it;

          And His hands formed the dry land.

          Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

          Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

          For He is our God,

          And we are the people of His pasture,

          And the sheep of His hand.                                NKJV

• Psalms 29:1-2 Bow down before the awesome power of God.  Show humility.

          Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,

          Give unto the Lord glory and strength.

          Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;

          Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.          NKJV

 II.  Rejoice

• Psalms 98:1-4 Celebrate Jehovah’s salvation for His people.

          Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

           For He has done marvelous things;

          His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

          The Lord has made known His salvation;

          His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.

          He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

          All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

          Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth,

          Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.                  NKJV                                                                                

Also see: Psalms 5:11-12 This is a hymn of spontaneous praise for God’s past mercies.

          But Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

          Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

          Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

          For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous,

          With favor You will surround him as with a shield.             NKJV

• Psalms 40:1-3 This is a hymn of spontaneous praise for God’s past mercies.

          I waited patiently for the Lord;

          And He inclined to me,

          And heard my cry

          He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

          Out of the miry clay,

          And set my feet upon a rock,

          And established my steps.

           He has put a new song in my mouth –

          Praise to our God;

          Many will see it and fear,

          And will trust in the Lord.                                              NKJV

• Psalms 63:1-5 Adore God through praise and song.  Exalt His name.

          O God, You are my God;

          Early will I seek You;

          My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You

          In a dry and thirsty land

          Where there is no water.

          So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

          To see Your power and Your glory.

          Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

          My lips shall praise You.

          Thus I will bless You while I live;

          I will lift up my hands in Your name.

          My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

          And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.                   NKJV                                                                       

Also see: Psalms 33:1 and Psalms 98:4

          Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

          For praise from the upright is beautiful.

           Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

          Break forth in song, rejoice and sing praises.            NKJV

  III.  Make Confession

• Psalms 50:14, 23  The word for ”confession” is often translated” praise.”

          Offer to God thanksgiving,

          And pay your vows to the Most High.

          Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;

          And to him who orders his conduct aright

          I will show the salvation of God.                                  NKJV 

 Note the use of the same Hebrew word in Joshua 7:19 and Ezra 10:11.

          Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make

          confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

          Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate

          yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.             NKJV

Invitation:

So much more could be said about our praise and worship.  We will finish with   I Chronicles 16:4, 7-12.

          And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to

           thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel:

 On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:

          Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

           Call upon His name;

           Make known His deeds among the peoples!

          Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

          Talk of all His wondrous works!

          Glory in His holy name;

          Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

          Seek the Lord and His strength;

          Seek His face evermore!

          Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

          His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,                          NKJV

Bobby Stafford

April 24, 2011