Ingredients for a Successful New Testament Church (Singing and Shouting!)(Acts 2:46-47)

Praise

Commendation bestowed on a person for his personal virtues or worthy actions, on meritorious actions themselves, or on any thing valuable.

Psalms 18:1-6 “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: The snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

Psalms 150:1-2 “Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness.”

Psalms 145:1-7 “I will extol thee, my God, O king; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; And I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, And shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, And of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: And I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, And shall sing of thy righteousness.”

The expression of gratitude for personal favors; a glorifying or extolling.

Psalms 40:3 “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

To commend, to applaud

Psalms 150:3-6 “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

At the midnight hour, Paul and Silas sang praises unto God. (To celebrate God in song)

The two times in mentions singing hymns in the gospels is right after the Lord’s supper. When Christ was fixing to go to Calvary, they were singing praises to God.

To express gratitude for personal favors.

Psalms 138:1-8 “I will praise thee with my whole heart: Before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, And praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, And strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, When they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: For great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: But the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, And thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: Forsake not the works of thine own hands.”