Committted to Praise and Worship: Because of Who God Is Part 2

I) Introduction

Last week: God is good, not because He does good things, but because his very nature is good

Reasons for praising and worshipping God

B/c God answers our prayers

B/c the Lord is on our side

B/c God is our helper

Today we are going to continue to look at reasons for personal and corporate praise

Let’s begin by reading again Psalms 118:1-29

II) Personal Praise (vv 5-21)

Reasons for personal praise (cont.)

It is better to take refuge in the Lord (vv 8-9)

Than to trust in man

When we praise God, we are taking our attention off of those things we place our trust in and back onto God who is responsible for all our successes and triumphs

How do we trust in man?

If we just get that awesome youth pastor

If we follow this twelve step solution created by the twelve step king of solutions, Mr. Solution King

If we just read this book or go to this person or follow this plan

If I just develop this gift or improve on this weakness

Than to trust in princes

If we just had Pres. Trump back in office (that’s not an endorsement)

If so-and-so was in this political office we would be doing much better

Taking refuge

Means we can have complete safety in Him

God will provide for all our needs (Jesus: look at the flowers of the field (Matt. 6:25-34)

Even if our lives are taken, God is still our refuge. Why? B/C we will be with Him in glory

Many stories of Christians burned at the stake for their faith, but did not feel the pain of the flames

David praises God for his salvation (vv. 10-21)

For David, it was salvation from physical enemies

David was even saved from His own sins with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (God forgave David when

David was saved from his own sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah

Even in the midst of struggles, David would say, “The Lord is my strength and my song” (v. 14)

“Glad song of salvation are in the tents of their righteous”

Are you truly glad that God has saved you from eternal damnation?

If I were a fly on the wall in your home, would I be able to tell that you are glad for what God has done for you? Would the atmosphere in your home be one of thanksgiving and praise?

Can you say in the words of David, “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation” (v. 21)

III) Corporate Praise (vv. 22-24)

Cornerstone: Reference to the Messiah

This passage may be referring historically to Moses as a type of cornerstone (salvation) for the Jews

Rejected three times

Ex. 2 :11-15

Ex. 14:10-14

Ex. 16:1-3, 11-12, 20

Numbers 16:1-35, 41 (Korah’s Rebellion)

Several times Moses even interceded for his people

Prophetically, it refers to Jesus

Peter ID’d the cornerstone as Christ (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7)

Jesus was also rejected when He did not fulfill what the people envisioned

Yet, just like God used Moses to save the Jews, God used His Son to save us from our sins

Even today Jesus sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us (Romans 8:34)

“It is marvelous in our eyes

Corporately, the psalmist encouraged the people to praise God because even though they rejected God’s leader (cornerstone), God still used him to save His people

We can praise God because even though every last one of us has rejected Christ from His final hours on earth 2k years ago to present, God still used Him to save us from our sins. That, alone, is cause for us to praise and worship our Lord

“The day the Lord has made” - Refers to the day of salvation

Psalm begins with a call (command) to worship, 22-24 gives a reason for the Jews, and now the church, to praise Him.

Verses 25-29 gives us a commitment to worship

“Save us we pray, O Lord” - Transliterated “Hosanna”

“We bless you from the house of the Lord (Tabernacle/Temple and now Church)

IV) Commitment to Worship (vv 25-29)

Explanation

“Lord we pray, give us success” - transliterated “Hosanna”

“he has made His light to shine upon us” refers to the blessings of prosperity and success which God has bestowed on his people

“You are my God (x2) Progression from “thanks” to “extol” - praise enthusiastically

Ends as it begins (v. 29)

Illustration

Laura Story is a wife, mother, songwriter, worship leader, author, artist, and Bible teacher. Her songs—which have won Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, and Dove Awards—include "Blessings," "Mighty to Save," and Chris Tomlin’s "Indescribable." Laura has a master of theological studies and a doctorate in worship studies, and has served as a worship leader at Perimeter Church in Atlanta since 2005.

Laura Story’s life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their lives would never be the same.

Yes, with God all things are possible. But the devastating news was that no cure existed to restore Martin’s short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. The fairy-tale life Laura had dreamed of was no longer possible. - From her book and Bible study “When God Doesn’t Fix it”

Application

Last week we talked about worshipping and praising God when things don’t go exactly as we expect

Jesus has become our cornerstone, our salvation, even when that salvation does not look like we think it should

The Psalmist praised God simply because he knew that God was his salvation, even if it wasn’t on his timetable or in a way he thought it should be

Corporately, he commanded the people to praise God because God saved His people and blessed them, neither of which they deserved

As a church universal, we have Christ as our cornerstone. No matter what happens to the church, or even to our small body here in Indy, we are saved eternally and we are blessed. No one can truly destroy the church. That alone should be cause for us to praise God.

Isaiah: The people were judged for Idolatry and oppression of the poor. They would be severely disciplined and taken captive, first through Assyria then later Babylon.

Yet, the book of Isaiah has a message of hope: God will fulfill his covenant promises: future king from the line of David (Jesus), Israel would once again be obedient to the covenant (primarily the ten commandments), they would be God’s blessing to the nation

During Easter the Jews thought Jesus was going to fulfill these promises right then and there. Yet, they rejected Him when that didn’t happen.

We must praise God individually even when things don’t turn out like we would like

We must praise God corporately, no matter how few in number because He is our cornerstone and He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

Finally, we must declare His praises, not just within these four walls, but in public as well (note: the Jewish Christians first met in the temple courts

VI) Conclusion

In the coming weeks we will study the book of Isaiah. In this book the prophet Isaiah talks about how Jerusalem was disciplined for not following God and His ways. They eventually fell to Babylon where they would experience a time of discipline and dispersion. Yet, we will see that God does not give up on them. He eventually brings them back together and promises them that they will have a hope and a future.. We will see this come to pass in the New Jerusalem where the wicked will face God’s judgment and those who know Christ as thier Savior will inherit the new Creation. Israel will have a major role in this as the leaders in worshipping God, which has always been their role. They just have never done it well.

The point is, David worships God because God is on His side, God was his helper, his protector, the one He can take refuge in, and he fulfilled His promise to protect David. As we study Isaiah, we will see that even though the Jews where unfaithful, God will still make good on His promises to forgive them and one day make them a mighty nation again.

If you do not know Christ as your Savior, you may think that your sins are too great for God to forgive you.

If you know Christ, but have never been serious about your faith or you feel you messed up too many times, God still wants to use you for His glory and your good. He still wants to have a close personal relationship with you.