Yeargin Enjoying the Presence of God
Intro:
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
I) Sing to Him (vs 1)
A) Faith is Bolstered
Number one: When you praise, your faith is bolstered. Nothing will help your faith energize, vitalize, stimulate your faith like praise. When you boast in the Lord, when you brag in the Lord, make your boast in the Lord, at that time you say to yourself, “You know, God is really a great God”—when you exalt His name. “My soul shall make her boast in the LORD.” (Psalms 34:2) You see, this is the secret of faith. It’s not great faith in God that you need; it’s faith in a great God. When you have faith in a great God, then your faith becomes great faith. I’m not against great faith, but don’t put the emphasis upon your faith. Put your emphasis upon who He is. And when you make your boast in the Lord, as you boast in the Lord, as you glory in the Lord, as you bless the Lord, you’re going to find out that your faith grows.
Faith is the highest occupation of angels. Why, even the rocks would cry out if you would fail to praise the Lord. You see, praise just honors God, and therefore God honors praise. Just as profanity degrades God, praise glorifies God. The word worship is actually a compilation of the Old English worth-ship. Tell me how much you praise, and I’ll tell you what God is worth to you. Tell me about your worship, and I’ll tell you what you think of God. He is worthy of our praise. And the Bible says, “The humble will be made glad.”
We need to encourage one another. We live in a generation that’s got a lot of bad news. I don’t like to read the newspapers much anymore. Do you? I mean, things are just kind of caving in around about us. That’s all the more reason that we ought to be going around constantly praising the Lord. Do you know folks that can brighten up a room just by leaving it? Do you know any people like that? I know folks like that. I mean, they’ve just got this little cloud of gloom over their head, and everywhere they go, they’re just spreading gloom all around. Walk into a place; walk into a group of men; walk into a group of ladies; walk into a Sunday School class; come here on Sunday morning; greet your family at breakfast—wherever it is—with a “praise the Lord; glory to God.” I’m not talking about a smart-alecky phrase; I’m talking about a praise that comes out of your heart because you truly know and love Him. And as you praise Him, your faith will grow.
Do you know what praise really is? It is faith turned inside out. Have you ever thought about the model prayer that Jesus taught us to pray? It begins praising God: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) Do you know how it ends? It ends in praise: “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” (Matthew 6:13) Those are the bookends of any prayer: it begins with praise; it concludes with praise. So put this down: Friend, when you praise, faith is bolstered.
B) Fear is Banished
When you praise, fears are banished. Continue to read now in verses 4 and 5: “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” (Psalms 34:4–5) If you were to go into the average bookstore and the section of religion, you would find over and over again the subject of mental health being addressed. And many of those books are being bought by believers. And it is because those believers are preoccupied with fear. Ann Landers was asked, “Is there a common theme in the letters that you receive?” She said, “Yes, it is the subject of fear.” Over and over again people are put on by fear.
I know something that would greatly reduce the traffic into the psychiatrist’s office and into the psychologist’s office—and that is for people to learn something that would be very simple: and that is to praise the Lord. You see, you cannot praise God and be self-centered. Do you know why people have psychological problems and fear? It’s because they’re egocentric. And Jesus never meant for us to be egocentric. Egocentrism is a form of self-destruction. And yet we’re being taught over and over again in America to be egocentric.
But let me tell you what the great teacher said, the Lord Jesus. He said in Luke 9:24, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Now the word “life” and the word “soul” are interchangeable there: “whosoever will save his [soul].” (Luke 9:24) And you know what the word soul means? It means “psyche.” The Greek word for soul is psyche—ego. What Jesus is saying is that when you become self-centered, you begin to destruct. When you try to save your ego, your self, your psyche, that’s when you lose it. But when you lose yourself in praise to Him, that is when you find yourself. You see, if you’re egocentric, that’s going to cause you to be self-centered. And if you’re self-centered, something happens to your precious little self: you’re going to become defensive. And after you become defensive, you’ll become hostile. And after you become hostile, you may become aggressive. And when you see your little world beginning to crumble, then you get filled with fear.
No one, however, can truly praise the Lord and be preoccupied with self. You cannot put your eyes upon the infinite and holy and wonderful God and make your boast in Him, and keep your eyes upon your bankrupt self at the same time. But when you put your eyes upon Him, when you praise Him, your fear will melt away. You cannot sulk and praise at the same time. You cannot be irritated and praise at the same time. You cannot be filled with fear and praise at the same time.
Tonight, before I came in, I was reading in God’s Word. I want to share a verse that I found in Isaiah chapter 61. It’s a beautiful verse. I’ve seen it before, but it came with new import to me tonight—Isaiah 61:3. Look at it. It says that we are “to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isaiah 61:3) Do you have a spirit of heaviness tonight? Fear will be banished as you praise the Lord. Faith is bolstered, and fears are banished.
How are you going to overcome fear? By feeling? Just laugh it off? You can’t do that. By forgetting? You can’t do that. We’ve tried that. You push those fears out the front door—they run around the house and come in the basement window into the subconscious. By fighting? You’re no match for Satan. By faithing you deal with fear. Fear not. Faith answers, and fear goes.
C) When You Praise, Your Foes Are Beaten
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
II) Serve Him (vs 2)
The Method- “With Gladness”
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
The Master- “Before His Presence”
III) Seek Him (vs 3-4)
Your Thoughts- “Know ye that the Lord he is God...”
6 When I remember thee upon my bed,
And meditate on thee in the night watches.
Your Tongue- “Bless his name.”
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
