Ingredients for a Successful New Testament Church (Praising)(Acts 2:47)

The Meaning of Praise

Commendation bestowed on a person for his personal virtues or worthy actions, on meritorious actions themselves, or on any thing valuable; (Giving thanks for being so awesome)

To extol in words or song (to lift up)

(John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”)(John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”)

to magnify (to grow, promote, to increase the apparent dimensions (magnifying an ant) (1st mention Lot brought out of Sodom

(Genesis 19:19 “Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life;)

to glorify (to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged) on account of perfections or excellent works.

One of the ten lepers, when he saw that he was healed, turned back to Jesus, and WITH A LOUD VOICE glorified God (Luke 17:15)

Praise is contagious! (Blind Bartimaeus Luke 18:41-43 “Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”)

The Misconception of Praise

Praising God is Spirit Led

You will not find one verse of Scripture that says praising God is Spirit led. You won’t find praise in the fruit of the Spirit.

There are those that say, “I didn’t feel led by the Spirit to raise my hand, say Amen, sing a song.” This is false, because we are commanded to praise Him always.

Leviticus 22:29 “And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.”

This freewill offering was different than any of the other offerings. It was completely voluntary.

Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

Paul and Silas had their clothes stripped off, beaten with many stripes, cast in the inner prison, and had their feet in the stocks. Yet (Acts 16:25 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”)

I highly doubt they felt like praising God, but they CHOSE to!

Praising God Is a Spiritual Gift

Some may say, “God didn’t make me that way.” This is also a false assumption.

Psalms 150:1-6 “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. 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.”

Psalms 148:7-13 “Praise the Lord from the earth, Ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; Stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; Fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; Creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; Princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; Old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord:

Praising God has to deal with Saints

You ever notice how more people will come to a meeting when a certain preacher, singing group is there? They think that the “Spirit will be moving extra special” in those meetings. This is false.

Psalms 96:8 “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts.”

Psalms 115:1 “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

Psalms 148:7-13 “Praise the Lord from the earth, Ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; Stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; Fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; Creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; Princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; Old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: For his name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

The Method of Praise

In Heart

Psalms 9:1 “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”

Psalms 111:1 “Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.”

This isn’t talking about when you feel like it, this is talking about giving it all you’ve got to praise God. We should be praising God with everything in us!

Whole = Totality, everything

In Hymns

Psalms 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him.”

Psalms 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 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.”

Ephesians 5:18-20 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

In Hollerin’

After the return from the Babylonian Captivity, the Jews were rebuilding the temple. Ezra 3:10-11 “And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”

Hebrews 2:12 “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

In Hand Raising

Psalms 63:1-4 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, My flesh longeth for thee In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”

Psalms 134:1-2 “Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, Which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.”

When you want to say “Hi” to someone, you usually wave. (Conversation)

When you want to ask a question, you raise your hand. (Concerns)

If you get in a place where someone is holding a gun at you, you hold your hands up in surrender. (Complete surrender to God)

A small child could reach up their hands to you, in order for you to pick them up. (Compassion)

You reach out your hands to give/get a hug. (Closeness)

When you need to reach for something above you, you raise up your hands.

It’s common during the decision of a meeting when voting “yay or nay” to raise a hand. (Complying)

When there’s a touchdown or a basket, the refs throw up their hands! (Conquering)