Praising Raising and Razen

Introduction

How many of you love balloons? My little girls love it when we have birthday balloons. You know when you start with a balloon it is very small until it is blown up.

The bigger the balloon the greater the excitement. In like manner, the more we praise God the bigger he gets to us and those around us.

- Wesley L. Duewel said, “The more you praise God, the more you become God-conscious and absorbed in His greatness, wisdom, faithfulness, and love. Praise reminds you of all that God is able to do and of great things He has already done.”

Psalm 150:6 “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

D. You were made to praise God.

P. We ought to be filled with praise to the God who created and saved us.

T. How often do you go through a day without giving God much thought? When life becomes just about about yourself and the next fun thing you are going to do, life becomes empty and void. However, if you desire a life full of purpose and passion keep listening, because you were designed not to just survive life, but to have a great relationship with God where you enjoy Him. If you want to have a life you enjoy you must first be focused on the right person.

1. Who is the focus of praise?

The focus of praise ought to be the Lord. He is the one who should be acknowledged.

Let’s say ladies that you make a cake and it turns out perfectly. You are pleased to be complemented and would take offense if your brother walked in and took credit for baking the beautiful cake. Or, credited the cake itself for making itself look so delicious.

God created the world we live in everything we look at creation shouts out their is a Creator and God’s book confirms this conclusion. Genesis 1-2

The focus of our lives many times isn’t on God. It might be on the sports game, the position you may play in sports, the next birthday party or your friend coming over. Or, you may be going through some difficulties. When your problems get big, you may feel our God gets small. God is still big, but our perception of him is very small. We get discouraged and some even get suicidal. Many today try to cope with life with substitutes for God: Food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, social media, friends, etc. Instead seeking God to be their go and praise they go to things that cannot satisfy.

Where is your focus my friend? Is it on yourself, your problems, the next fun thing in life? Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we are so great because we worked so hard at something.

My friend, put your focus back on the Lord. The apostle Paul understood that whatever good he had was by the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV 1900

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Let us glory in Him, not ourselves. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:31

When Jesus becomes your focus you won’t be able to keep quiet about what He has done for you! Which brings us to the next point: Why we praise God. While Psalm 150:6 tells us who to praise Revelation 4:11 tells us why we praise God. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

2. Why we praise God:

The Lord is worthy, For thou art worthy, O Lord.

A. Everything is created by God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Revelation 4:11 “...for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Colossians 1:15–17 KJV 1900

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

B. All creation is encouraged to praise God.

Psalm 150:6

Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord.

C. God is worthy of our praise.

Revelation 4:11 KJV 1900

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

D. Every Christian is commanded to praise God.

Revelation 19:5 “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”

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.”

It happens with what comes out of our mouths.

T. Since God has told us why we should praise Him, how do should we praise God.

3. How we praise God

How we praise God should be guided by if it brings God Glory, Honor, and Power.

Glory

Giving glory to Jesus is confessing what he has done and going Whoa!

When you see a professional sports player make an unbelievable play you go Whoa! Did you see that!?

When we do something we think is pretty great we want others to take note. We want some glory for what we have done. Whoa DUDE!

When we take the time to look at the universe God has created around us we oughta go whoa.

Running on Maple Grove and seeing an eagle soaring just above my head.

It is vastly greater than our comprehension. Yet evolutionist try to give the glory to the impossibility that our world came about by chance. That’s like John taking credit for baking the cake Diana made. That’s just plain wrong.

Why I give glory to Jesus is because he created this universe. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” AND he sustains it by his power. Hebrews 1:3 “...upholding all things by the word of his power, ...”

You and I are not an accident or a product of chance. You were created on purpose by God for His glory. Are you giving him glory back for giving you life?

You may enjoy physical life which is a wonderful thing.

But do you also enjoy spiritual life. When you recognize you are a sinner condemned for eternal damnation in the Lake of fire and you understand that Jesus Christ is your substitute through his death on the cross and resurrection three days later, that is glorious!

My friend, what Christ has and is doing is remarkable. He not only created and sustains the world, He has given himself for us, sinners, that we could be restored to fellowship with God. WHOA! Colossians 1:15-17

Jesus came to earth to redeem sinners back to himself. We as humans sinned and God said. I still love you and want you. But I am going to have to send my sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins because no other sacrifice or good work can satisfy my wrath against sin. It is only my Son’s shed blood that forgiveness for your sins is offered.

God was pleased with Jesus offering and Jesus rose from the dead three days later. He is seated at God’s right hand interceding for Christians. When the Devil says did you what Pastor Mike just did, Jesus says that is under the blood.

Glory to God! For saving my soul! I hope you have my Savior as your Savior today. Because He is the only way. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Argue

Why do you brag and glory about what what you can do more than God? Why is it your friends know more about what you have done than what God has done for you?

Jake Bates the Lions Kicker who kicked a 52 and 58 yd field goal in the last quarter against the Texans to beat the Texans 23-26 gave glory to God. “If anything, I just hope people … can see Jesus through my story,” Bates said. “That’s what I think I’m here to do, is not make or miss or be a good kicker or a bad kicker but spread the love of Jesus. Hopefully I’m able to do that on the stage I’m given.”

You may have never asked come to grips that all you have is from God.

You have forgotten the source of your life is Jesus Christ. Our very breath is his gift to us.

You have forgotten that your sin condemns you guilty.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

We look around at others and their are many people that are better than so we think we will probably make it to heaven.

However, If you have never asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior you are not going to be going to heaven. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.”

We must come to grips that Jesus is THE way, the only way to heaven. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

We have forgotten that salvation is a gift. We don’t get brag God saved us because we were such a great person.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We have forgotten that all abilities we have been given are given to us of God. (James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

If someone praise you for a job well done or comments you on your appearance don’t just gloat in it deflect it to the Lord and those who have helped you. Hey, you sure are a good guy. Well that is because Jesus changed me.

What giving glory to God when things are going wrong?

Giving God glory when things are going wrong shows that you trust him to work the situation out for your best.

A bully, a death, etc.

2. We Give the Lord Jesus Honor.

Honor is to told something in high regard.

Concrete Block vs. Styrofoam cup

There must be a high regard for Jesus in our speech and our actions. Because He is so honorable his greatness should change the way you and I live.

Do you honor God in how you live? God tells us to honor our parents. That means we talk respectfully of them when we speak with them and of them.

3. We Give the Lord Jesus Power.

Power is letting Jesus have the possession of my will and living in obedience to Him. It is surrendering my obedience to Him. Because he is the one who is the controlling influence in your life.

He has the right to have the power over us because he created and bought us back with his blood on the cross.

Addictions control people: They are driven in their minds psychologically to think they cannot cope with life without a particular substance or habit.

We need to be in a sense addicted to Christ Jesus power having the rule over us. When you and I submit to him and praise him for his power in the situations we face in life that is faith. It will bring you the peace that passes all understanding.

So many people in our world today are controlled by drugs, alcohol, and other harmful addictions. They know these things hurt them, but they cannot find the power to stop them. When you give Christ the power in your life you will have the power to stop them.

John 8:31–32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Application:

If you don’t praise God giving him glory, honour, and power to reign as King in your Life you raze his name instead of raise his name. If your praise another you raze his name. If your praise his name you raise his name.

Let us make His name great. Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; And in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: For my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Let Jesus’ power give you boldness to be a witness to praise and talk about God when your at school, amongst your friends.

Who has your praise? To whom or what do you give glory, honor, and power?

Invitation:

My friend be like fill up the balloon of praise to God so others may see how great your God is. Speak highly of him before your friends and family. Talk of him aloud in the science class. Let your life be inflated with praise to God.

When you make God big in your life through praise others will be drawn to God.

I don't care where it is, what part of the world it's in, if we have a praise church we'll have successful christianity.

- Dwight L. Moody

My friend if you have not been able to praise God as your Savior I invite you to trust Christ.

My friend if you have had your focus on praising other things other than God as your Savior and help repent and turn back to God. Seek to let Him be your praise.