Untitled Sermon

GOD IS...

HALLELUJAH

transliteration from the Greek expression hallēlouia

Pronunciation: hahl lay loo ee AH

comes from two Hebrew words which mean Praise Jah which was short for Praise Yahweh.

Yahweh is God’s personal, self revealed name.

In Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses

Eh-yehay As-Cher Eh-yehay I AM WHO I AM

These words denote one whose absolute uniqueness requires His defining Himself by Himself. The expression conveys the sense of a vitally real being, as if God had said to Moses, I REALLY AM!

In Exodus 20:7 the Jews were commanded not to take the name Yahweh in vain. They substituted Yahweh for the word Adonai meaning Lord. The closest they came to uttering His name was when they said “Praise Jah” which is translated as HALLELUJAH!

So when you yell out Hallelujah you are praising God. You are worshiping our Lord. You are bowing before Him in honor. You are giving Him what he wants. He wants us to praise Him. Praise him in the morning. Praise him in the afternoon. Praise Him in the evening. Praising in the storm. and Praise Him the glory.

Psalms 147 is part of the last set of Psalms called the Hallel psalms.

Hallelujah! starts off Psalms 147. verse 1 is a praise to How Good it is to sing to our God. Singing to the heavens is the greatest praise and honor to our father.

The Lord restores Jerusalem which had been reduced to rubble by enemies. The people of Jerusalem had been exiled so God gathers Israel’s people and brings them home. You can only imagine what they had been through. Being exiled from their homes. Living in a foreign land. Feeling lost. Abandoned. distraught. Their world had been turned upside down, but God was bringing them home.

He emphasizes to them that He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

This particular verse means a lot to me. I too was once lost and abandoned and was distraught. I had the rug pulled out from under me. I was raised in Christian home and was a servant to the Lord and was in a marriage that on the outside was righteous, but in my home it was the furtherest thing from righteousness. My wife was considerably younger than me and had not matured as much as we had thought. She had an extramarital affair. It was an inappropriate affair that caused her to end up in jail and for me broken, physically and spiritually.

Because of the circumstances, our church was now involved in an investigation, so most all of our friends were yanked away from me as well as our church. I had no one. I was so broken I didn’t even feel like I had God. People would say to me they were praying for me and I would get so angry. I didn’t want to hear that....I wanted to have conversation about anything....I wanted normalcy.

Overtime, God dealt with me and started giving me a more forgiving spirit. I forgave me ex-wife but it took some time. But one thing I did before the divorce was finalized was get a tattoo…I know there are debates about tattoos in the Christian community but this one was a milestone for me and a remembrance of a time in my life that I thought God had left me but in fact he was with me the entire time. Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

God did this for his people. There was a lot of hurt and he wanted his people to know that he will heals their hearts that are broken and put them back together again. Much like humpty-dumpty who falls into a million pieces, God puts every piece of their heart back.

verses 4-11 shows the power and authority of God

He knows how many stars and has named them.

His power is great and his understanding is infinite.

He helps the oppressed and brings the wicked to the ground.

He covers the sky with clouds. He prepares earth for rain.

He causes grass to grow on the hills.

He provides animals their food. And what the young ravens cry for.

He isn’t impressed by the strength of a horse, nor values the power of a warrior.

He values those who fear him. Those who put their hope in his faithful love.

Nicole C. Mullen “Redeemer”

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?

And who told the ocean you can only come this far?

And who showed the moon where to hide til evening?

Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

The very same God that spins things in orbit

Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak

And the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken

They conquered death to bring me victory.

Take away my shame

And he lives forever, I’ll proclaim

That the payment for my sin

was the precious life He gave

But now He’s alive and there’s an empty grave.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

I know, He lives

I spoke with Him this morning

He lives, the tomb is empty

He lives, I gotta tell everybody.

God is....

God is holy

God is Good

God is gracious

God knows all—omniscient

God is sovereign

God is faithful

God is immutable

God is love

God is Omnipotent

God is wisdom

God heals

God is Generous

God forgives

God is judge

God is omnipresent---FULLY PRESENT

Holiness which is completely separate from that which is unholy

Perfection

He doesn’t take a nap or a holiday.

He never takes time off.

He is always with us

How does this ancient song speak to us today? We live in a world that often feels fragmented and chaotic, a world where the evidence of God’s care might seem obscured by the pain and turmoil around us. Yet, Psalm 147 invites us to see beyond our immediate circumstances to the God who “heals the brokenhearted and bandages up their wounds” as in verse 3.

Consider the story of a community coming together to rebuild after a natural disaster. Amidst devastation, individuals from diverse backgrounds unite to restore homes and spirits, demonstrating the very essence of God’s restorative power at work through human hands.

or reflect upon the advancement in science and medicine that have saved countless lives—evidence of God’s wisdom imparted to humanity for the healing and betterment of society. Each breakthrough, each act of kindness, mirrors the orders and care Psalm 147 celebrates.

Psalm 147 is a call to worship, a reminder to look around and within us to see the fingerprints of God. It challenges us to recognize the divine in the everyday, to celebrate God’s presence in both the spectacular and the mundane. As we go forth, let us carry the message of this psalm in our hearts: that our strength lies not in our might but in our hope and trust in God’s unfailing love. Let us be instruments of that love, bringing healing, hope, and restoration to our world, just as God does for us each day.

Let us take to heart the message of Psalm 147—praising God not just with our lips but with our lives, by living in a way that reflects His love and care for all creation.

Let us go into a time of prayer and reflection and invitation. The altar is open for anyone who would like to give themselves to the Lord and be a part of his kingdom.

It is open for those who need to have their wounds bandaged up.

It is open for those who need to praise God in times of a storm or in times of glory.

The altar is open.