Hallelujah - Part A

It's biblical to say that God does not want angels worship Saints worship preachers, worship, and he certainly doesn't want you to worship yourself. He and he alone is the one to whom phrases direct and this is such an ongoing fee is not the first commandment right God that I am the Lord your God, who delivered you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods besides me. Many churches are well known for their beautiful architecture. Just think of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome Westminster Abbey in London repressive, but sometimes we focus too much on where we praise the English cell phone why we praise today on connect with Skip Skip shares that you judge your spiritual life with genuine prayer right now want to tell you about a resource that will help grow your relationship with God as you apply his word in real-life ways 2022 almost here now for your spiritual menu starting in January.

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All gatherings of believers together and even though when they saying I couldn't tell you a word they said it's a zip praise bonded us together was a universal language we were praising the same one, praise is universal and in that universal praise. There is one word, however, that no matter where you're from, no matter what language you speak, you always recognize a single word and it's a Hebrew word is not a German order American word.

It's not a dialect in Africa or India. It's a Hebrew word, but we all recognize it and it's the word hallelujah and I've been in those places in the ongoing auto design with a goal. Hallelujah. I know that work is the only one that I can pick out it's so universal a word that that Hebrew word has now become part of our language it's in the American dictionary it's in our lexicon and in the lexicon of every language around the world it needs praise the Lord. But the Hebrew term. As I mentioned 4×24 times in the Hebrew Old Testament we find the word hallelujah and four more times in a single New Testament chapter Revelation chapter 19. Hallelujah praise the Lord.

One of my favorite stories is always been the story of the preacher who owned a horse and you wanted to sell his horse and he had it up for sale and I was interested in, came over to look at it and he said okay I'll buy they negotiated the price and that the preacher said you know you need to know that this horse response to different commands than what you're probably used to. I trained it to respond to God language so if you want this horse to go. Don't say giddyup that even know what that means, you say, praise the Lord in this horse was off and if you want this horse to stop.

Don't say wallet and understand that word. You need to say amen and that horse. So praise the Lord and amen those are the only commands you need to know so the man paid the fee mounted the horse and just gently said, praise the Lord and the horse started walking and he directed it happily toward his home and as they were out across the field. Suddenly jackrabbit darted across pack and spook the horse and the horse took off into a full gallop toward a ravine with the 200 foot drop. The man panic. He did not know what to do. He knew what this meant to him and so just instinctively's at 1010. Well, the horse kept going kept going and he he suddenly remembered the command. Oh yeah, and then just at the edge of the cliff. The horse stopped but this time the dentists wedding panting anyway. Praise the Lord our I suppose that would be the only time it would be inappropriate to say, praise the Lord. All other times are quite appropriate. You know when I first heard somebody say, praise the Lord. I just felt a little off. I was a new believer. I remember going to a church in somebody saying praise the Lord and I wanted to praise the Lord, don't get me wrong I love the whole idea of being a believer, but I don't know just somebody saying praise the Lord.

I did not want to be cliché, and some of the people that I knew.

That said, praise the Lord a lot.

They were just a little odd to me. I just didn't want to do that well. As I started reading the Bible ball I found all over Scripture and what's the first phrase in Psalm 150. Praise the Lord, the Psalm begins with that phrase and ends with that phrase not only the song but Psalm 146 147 148 149 and Psalm 150 all began and and with that phrase.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord 10 times in those songs 13 times in Psalm 150. The word praise appears in virtually every line of the lyric praise, praise, praise, praise is so much a central part of the life of the believer. It is mentioned in the Bible, 307 time praise the Lord comes from two Hebrew words put together hallelujah does Halle lay which means to boast or brag and then the shortened form of Yahweh. Yeah, the Lord brag about the Lord or say something good about the Lord or honor and admire the Lord or express your approval of the Lord only say this, we praise whatever it is we enjoy. If you enjoy the Lord praising him bragging about him saying something good about him will not be hard for you if you do not enjoy. The Lord is going to be much more difficult. Is Vance happy is to say whatever's in the well will come up in the bucket so praise is in the bucket that means is in the wellspring of your life in your heart.

What I like to do with you as we go to Psalm 150 and end our series or playlist series is give you a picture of praise and honor to give you the frame. The framework of praise and to give you four sides to that frame. Therefore, questions that this Psalm answers. It answers the who question the where question the why question and the how question and that provides a perfect frame to put praise right in the middle.

So let's ask and then answer the first question to whom is praise conveyed.

You know the answer. It's the Lord and it says praise the Lord, followed by praise God, followed by praise him praise him praise him all through the song now that answers the who question to whom is praise conveyed to the Lord God wants praise exclusively you are to praise God without any rival without any competition solely singularly to praise him. When God gave the 10 Commandments I think right around the middle of the 10 Commandments he makes a statement that has bothered some people. He gives the commandments.

Then he says, for I the Lord am I jealous God, and some people think that I ought to make an apology on behalf of God explaining why God would use such a term.

I'm a jealous God. I don't apologize for. If you're married, you get it husband.

If you're married to a beautiful woman or of a woman, your woman is beautiful she is your wife. Recall that by you, but you don't want to share her with anyone. There's a there's a jealousy that comes over you at the thought of sharing her with another man out of the question. So jealousy relationally is a good thing. The Bible says that we the church are the bride of Christ as the bride of Christ is to get our total admiration or total adoration are absolute devoted praise in the book of Revelation. John was getting all of these messages visions about the future and it became so overwhelming. At one point he decided actually get down and praise the angel giving him the Revelation and when he started doing of the angels and of stop doing that.

See that you do this not I am your fellow servant worship God.

So I think it's safe to say it's biblical to say that God does not want angels worshiped saints worship preachers, worship, and he certainly doesn't want you to worship yourself.

He and he alone is the one to whom praise is directed and this is such an ongoing theme in Scripture is not that the first commandment right God said I am the Lord your God, who delivered you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods besides me in that one commandment there's a lot of things going on got to sing. This is who I am to you.

This is what I've done for you and this is what I want from you. This is who I am to you. I am the Lord your God. This is what I've done for you. I delivered you out of bondage. This is what I want from you. You have no other gods besides me. God wants and deserves your exclusive praise than in Isaiah chapter 42 verse eight he declares I am the Lord. That is my name.

I will not give my glory to another, nor will I share my praise. He wants it all.

He deserves it all so that's the first part of the framework. The who question who gets a God get fully going to the second window I want to ask you three questions want to take a little test.

This test will help you evaluate how God centered. Your life is how how much praise of the Lord is in your life so nasty three simple questions. First is a question of your thoughts. Second is a question of your motives and third is a question of your actions. Are you ready now you you take this test internally. You don't share with anyone.

This is just you, your heart, first question what you think about why thing about a lot of things.

Know what you think about when all the activity of the day is done and you settle when you are alone with your thoughts what your thoughts gravitate to.

I understand that life can have ups and downs and you can think about a lot of different things can be heart aches, and troubles of relational issues and financial issues, but for the most part in your life when your mind settles what you think about is like a compass, you can take a compass and pointed in a lot of different directions but you just set it on the desk or table or pulpit and the needlepoint to North in your mind like a compass thinks about a lot of things during the day but once it just sets and settles. Does it ever go to the Lord whatever just go whole Lord.

Praise and that's important because the Bible says in Proverbs as a man thinks in his heart so is he. So that's the first question we think about the second question. This can be harder question really answer honestly. It's a question of your motives. Why do you do what you do. Why do you say what you say. Why do you text what you text. Why do you post what you post or any of the motives of any of those things having to do with trying to impress people, or get people to like you or is it more important to you to have got approved. That's a hard thing to answer.

Quite honestly, but it was Paul who said, thus we speak, not as pleasing men, but is pleasing God who tests our hearts.

So first, the question of thought second question about answers. 1/3 question of activities and its of your service to the Lord. How are you presently serving the Lord how how do you serve him. Jesus said, no man can serve two masters. Using a loved one and is in a hate the other Joshua to the people of Israel said choose you this day whom you will serve, because whatever it is you serve is what you praise. So that's been the first part of the framework who question to whom is praise conveyed answer to God alone exclusively. Let's take the second part of this frame of the picture where? Where Does Praise Take Pl., Novartis ASCII right now randomly hate what will worship praise take place. I bet most of you say anywhere, anytime, anywhere, any time by anyone.

Praise can happen. And you'd be right.

The psalmist says all of that.

However, he mentions two places. In particular, and I want you to notice someone praise God in his sanctuary and then second, praise God, in his mighty firmament.

Let me ask you the question, what do you think is the sanctuary he's referring to anyone at all temple in Jerusalem that would be his context when he says, praise God in the sanctuary.

I'm sure he was thinking of the public sees the daily sacrifices. The festivals of people gathering together in the sanctuary of God to worship him that we know there's no temple today and we know that where the temple of the Holy Spirit. So we don't go to a specific place but needless to say, when we gather to gather corporately in what we call the sanctuary the direction of at the tone of it. The purpose of it is for praise.

Now some of you know, probably most of you know that this wasn't built to be a church.

This was built as a sports complex.

This was on this building this room you're sitting in was a soccer field. We bought it at Astroturf where there is some badly stained and and poorly chosen carpet they used to be Astroturf and that we pulled up and we sold it but it was a sports arena was in the church. But when we bought it we dedicated it and we said from now on. It's a sanctuary from now on will be praise this song and they'll be the Bible taught and we will direct our thoughts toward the Lord in this place, but to notice what else he says he says praise him in his mighty firmament literally in the expanse of the heavens, so he saying praise God on earth and praise God in heaven that sort of way saying everywhere. This is if he's summoning all of the humans on earth and all of the angels in heaven to join corporately together in the singular anthem of praise just for a moment I want to take your mind to the heavens.

Would you not agree that in time in terms of the size of the crowd and the beauty of the location heaven is to be the greatest praise event ever right when John and Revelation song a little picture of it in Revelation 4 and five that I saw four living creatures, and I saw 24 elders bow down. Then I looked out I saw Josh as far as the eye can see. He said these words. I looked again and I heard the singing of thousands of millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the 24 elders so we saw this huge momentous gathering in the happen and listen to what they were doing and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, singing to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise forever and ever. So the thought here of the Psalm is this let God be praised on earth as well as in heaven is the same thought that Jesus had when he taught us to pray and he said when you pray, say our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. When you and I praise on earth. It's the one activity that is mirroring matching what is going on in heaven's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. So right now right here on this earth in our lives. Praise ought to fill our lives like praise fills the halls of heaven we think about. It's good to be part of your eternal occupation. They got a get a little practice now I said before I sent it in the series I just say it again because were to move on but this is inappropriate when we gather to sing.

I'm sorry I didn't work, you can send from your computer. Do that when you're here in a place where God's people are gathered together in our songs to be sung and a Lord who is alive to be praised. We engage in worship we sing those anthems of praise to him as a man who was visiting a church and it was a little church in Connecticut and it was more of a formal church and a formal liturgy was given and there was a part in the service call. The Eucharistic liturgy at that point there were kneelers in the pews and people got on their knees and they saying hallelujah in the word hallelujah was the was that words they were saying in this visitor. This man noticed one woman with her arms raised heavenward while she sang hallelujah. What caught his attention wasn't so much that she had her hands raised. It's that her hands were twisted were gnarled were diseased crumpled up next to her work walking crutches and he just looked at that picture of that woman like this with those hands raise and he thought, dear Lord, I how could a woman like that with that kind of suffering, lifting up those arms saying hallelujah it's an important question and that brings us to the third part of the frame.

That's the why question why should praise occur. The question is also answered verse two praise him for his mighty acts. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Two reasons are given. We praise God for what he does and we praise God for who he is, no matter what he does okay.

We praise God for what he does and we praise God for who he is, no matter what he does. We praise him for his mighty acts. Every service when I asked people is that so, can you think of one of the mighty acts of God, the first answer the came out. That's why didn't do it this time because now I can anticipated some is a creation which is a good answer when we see creation which is a mighty act we see the intricacies of God's creation. It should lead us to be amazed, and to praise the Lord for the ingenuity of the creator. The immensity of the creator. The other night I was with my family were little restaurant we are eating outdoors and it was in the evening and the clouds are going by never changing color my little grandson Seth kept pointing up sing Poppa sunset and just a little while later, the clouds would change into a pink unit with Poppa sunset and then they get all darker more purple Poppa sunset.

He was so enthralled by the change of the color in the sunset and it dawned on me precisely how God intended creation. That's the kind of response. God wants as we observe creation. We look at a beautiful that's amazing, praise the Lord. I appreciate that art and that so the intricacies of creation help us to appreciate the ingenuity and the immensity of the creator, that's the message from his series want to let you know about a unique opportunity to pursue studies in a way that works with your schedule. If you're ready to study God's word beyond going to church as a personal Bible study ready for Copley College taker in your life's purpose to the next level with an education is biblical studies registration for the 2022. Spring term is open right now. Classes have an on-site Calvary church Albuquerque and online classes like biblical counseling. A study of the end times in the history and authenticity of the 5+ theological studies in the man sin and salvation college partners with Veritas international University and Valley Chapel University. You can learn at accredited undergraduate or graduate degree or simply a greater knowledge of God and his word.

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