A GUIDE FOR PRAISING GOD

MIDWEEK SERVICE AT LORD OF HOSTS MIRACLE CHAPEL.

The teaching today 26^th February, 2020 at The Lord of Hosts Miracle Chapel, plot 116, 5^th Avenue, Beside Okiki Hall, Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos.

Theme: A guide for praising God.

Text: Ps 150

This psalm is the whole gamut of praise, joy and worship. Some scholars have described psalm 150 as the grand finale of the psalms, like those final bursts of light and colour at the end of a festival. Others call it a guide for praising God, while some others call it ‘let your balloon go!’ The psalm begins with the phrase ‘praise ye the Lord’

The psalm answers four of the basic questions about praising God namely

1.   Where do we praise God –

a.   In the sanctuary – Vs 1 says praise ye the Lord, praise God in the sanctuary. The Hebrew word sanctuary means a place set apart, a specific place where believers gather to worship the lord. We should worship God privately and in public. Every service should be praise and worship.

b.   In the firmament – the sanctuary is not the only place where God is to be praised. The last part of vs 1 says ‘praise God in the firmament of His power’. The Hebrew meaning of firmament is expanse. That means heaven. In Gen 1:8 we are told the expanse of God’s power is unlimited. Wherever His expanse of power exist He should be praised there. The expanse of God’s power is everywhere and so wherever we find ourselves we should praise God there.

2.   Why should we praise God –

There are multitudes of reasons why we should praise. Vs 2 of psalm 150 says ‘praise God for his mighty acts: praise Him for His excellence of His greatness.

a.   For what he does – one mighty act of God was when He colocalised situation of His people to set them free from Pharaoh. But when Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued the Israelites to recapture them, God did a mighty act by dividing the red sea to consume the Egyptians.

God through Elijah on mount camel did a mighty act to show Himself and subdued the prophets of Baal.

Our Lord Jesus fed 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes just by giving thanks and praising God.

b.   For who He is – we have to praise God for who He is. Praise Him according to His excellence of His greatness. He is the creator and sovereign of the universe. He is all wise, all powerful and He is loving and merciful.

3.   How do we praise God –

a.   With instruments – vs 3-5 says ‘praise God with instruments and organs. Praise Him with your voice. Make a joyful noise in praising God.

b.   Praise God with dance - Vs 4. Also Ecl 3:4 says there is time to mourn and time to dance. Much as we are not given any specifics as to how to dance in praising God, however because of what the bible teaches about modesty and purity, we know that any dancing which praises God must be chaste and wholesome, and never suggestive or provocative. We should remember that King David so danced to the Lord that his royal apparel fell off but that was unconsciously and should not give anybody the impetus to dance naked. Don’t dance azonto or skelewu while praising God. Follow the injunction in 1 Corr 14:40 to wit ‘let all things be done decently and in order.

4.   Who should praise God –

a.   Heavenly Hosts – vs 6 of ps 150 says ‘let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord’. Both living things and inanimate things are enjoined to praise God. Ps 148:1-5.

b.   Human beings – the emphasis in vs 6 is for everything that has breath to praise God. Regardless of location, age, race, background, economic status, health conditions or anything else, everyone has reasons to praise God.

To conclude, if you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, if your life is linked trustfully and obediently to Him, then however tough things get, and whatever losses you have incurred, and however much your heart may be breaking, in spite of it all, you can still sing through the tears, you can still sing in spite of pain. You can still praise God, because you have got Jesus in your heart to strengthen you, sustain you, comfort you and guide you and then take you home to heaven when this earthly struggle is over.

Phil 4:6-7, Paul wrote ‘Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus’

The following poem is apt –

Praise God from whom all blessings flow  

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Amen.

Sermon by Elder Jerome C. Njoku.