Minute By Minute: Praise

Minute By Minute: Praise

September 27th, 2020 | The Lookout

Story: The art of music can both create and change the atmosphere

Praise sets the tone of the atmosphere and your life

Passage: Psalms 34:1-5 (CSB)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

2 I will boast in the Lord;

the humble will hear and be glad.

3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;

let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me

and rescued me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant with joy;

their faces will never be ashamed.

Pray:

Background:

David had put himself in a dangerous encounter with the Philistines in Gath, which is recorded in 1 Samuel 21. Afterward he fled to a cave. It was out of that experience in Gath that David shares this Psalm of thanks for God’s rescue and how to live a life pleasing to God.

This passage is one of the psalms most quoted in the New Testament. It’s also very popular in our modern worship songs today.

Main Points: Characteristics of Praise

1. Persistent in every season (V1-2)
   1. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad.
   2. Praise here means actual praise. Not theoretical praise. It is vocal singing of a spontaneous song or hymn. This type of praise is lifting up your voice to the heavens.

   3. What do you do when you don’t feel like praising? How can you ALWAYS praise!

      1. Praise is not weight on a scale based on how we woke up, what circumstances are around us, how much money we have in the bank, how healthy we are at the moment, NO, praise is based on His goodness, His glory, His holiness, His presence, which never changes. Therefore, He is worthy of our praise whether we feel it or not.
      2. Let your mood follow your mouth! Let your walk follow your words! Let your season follow your singing! Let your perspective follow your praise! C’mon! Sometimes in your darkest hour, deepest pain, greatest doubt… you don’t need a solution, you need a song!
      3. I will bless the Lord at all times
      4. I’ll still bless you. You’ve been faithful.
      5. I’ll still bless you. You’ve been good to me.
      6. I’ll still bless you. You’ve been gracious.
      7. I’ll still bless you. You’ve been generous.

      8. I’ll still bless you. You’ve been so loving.

         4. Praise God…

      9. when you’re angry

      10. when you are afraid
      11. when you are tired
      12. when you don’t get the answer you want
      13. when you feel like he isn’t there
      14. when you want to walk away
      15. when you can’t make it another day

      16. his praise will always be on my lips.

          5. Here’s how I’d apply that: praise can shift both the atmosphere and your attitude

      17. Praise brings you before the presence of a holy God. When you encounter the presence of God you can’t help but leave changed.

      18. You could be having the worst day, put on some Rattle, Do It Again, Promises… and feel things start to shift.

      19. You can even praise God in your storm. Just because your circumstances change, doesn’t mean He’s any less good, any less in control, or any less faithful.

          6. It doesn’t say…

      20. I will bless you sometimes. Your praise will be on my lips… most of the time.

      21. But this is often how we live our lives. Right?

      22. Praise is not a proposition! It’s not optional nor is it up for debate. He is worthy, therefore I will lift my voice!

          7. I will boast in the Lord

      23. Boast Definition = talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.

      24. Not speaking of a prideful heart, but of a humble spirit
      25. “Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT

      26. Proclaims the greatness of God (3)

          1. Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.
          2. Illust: The greatness of Daddy

      27. Your kids think that daddy can do anything, but then the older they get they realize that’s not entirely true.

      28. But the opposite is true of God. The more mature we become the more we see His greatness. The longer we walk with God the more we experience His greatness.

          3. Passionate worshipers = Desperate for His presence

      29. I don’t want to be a passive worshiping church. I want us to cry out to God! Fall on our knees before God! Shout His praises into the streets! He is worthy of our praise and our all!

      30. Passion isn’t about being loud, it’s about showing love. When you love a sports team you cheer, you shout, you jump around, you show passion, you get a little reckless! You spend way too much money, you rearrange your schedule, you show up early, you rally your friends and family to watch, you are passionate, you are passionate, you are passionate!

          4. 10 things we can praise God for every day

      31. Salvation

      32. A Fresh Start
      33. Purpose
      34. Creation
      35. Eternal Life
      36. Peace In Any Situation
      37. An Abundant Life
      38. The Local Church
      39. The Word of God
      40. Hope For Tomorrow

      41. Provides answers and relief (4-5)

          1. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.
          2. We seek Him when we need Him, but do we praise Him when we need Him? I believe as we see in this text we are called to both.

      42. “I will bless the Lord at all times;” & “I sought the Lord, and he answered”

      43. Anybody have that friend? You see the phone ring and you already know they’re about to ask you for something.

          3. A rescued person is a radiant person

      44. “no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” Psalm 34:5 NLT

      45. Shame destroys. Shame distorts. Shame distracts. Our God is not a God of shame, but of love, grace, and forgiveness!

      46. You can only experience all God has called you to be in the face of grace. When you come face to face with Jesus, his radiance overwhelms you. His grace overwhelms you.

          4. I call, you answer

      47. David sought the Lord, and the Lord answered and rescued him. Praise keeps us seeking Him!

      48. This is the pattern of God. He isn’t ignoring you, he’s not busy, he hears you and responds.
      49. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help.” - Psalm 34:15 CSB
      50. “When I call you answer…”

Closing:

“You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13 CSB

God doing what He does best:

• Healing the hurting.
• Restoring the broken.
• Comforting the weary.
• Breaking chains that have been bound for decades.
• Giving clarity in uncertain season.

When we pray God responds and He comes to our rescue!

That’s why nothing can shift an atmosphere quite like praise, because it’s not about us, but about what God wants to do through us! We glorify His name, worship His name, sing unto His name, and He begins to fill us up, convict our lives, and renew our spirit. If you want that today then somebody say “Amen.”