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Hallelujah. Psalm 113. Hallelujah. Question: What is on our minds as we come to church on Sundays?. Hallelujah. Do we have this word written on our hearts as come to meet God: Worship. Hallelujah. Let ’ s think about “ worship ” . The “ worship ” team leads worship.
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Hallelujah Psalm 113
Hallelujah • Question: What is on our minds as we come to church on Sundays?
Hallelujah • Do we have this word written on our hearts as come to meet God: Worship
Hallelujah • Let’s think about “worship”. • The “worship” team leads worship. • A Sunday morning at church is called “worship service”, or “service” in short. • What do we do during a service? And more…
Hallelujah • What is at the heart of all that we do on any given Sunday morning? Worship = Worth + ship “Give back to God His due worth” BUT HOW???????
Hallelujah • Summing up in the title for the message: הַלְלוּ-יָהּ Hallelu jah “Praise Yahweh(the LORD)”
Hallelujah • Nearly a third of the passages on praising the LORD occurs in Psalms. • A majority of the passages are imperative summons to praise. • The word is used in the mouths of those going to charismatic churches. B U T . . .
Hallelujah • What exactly is the significance of this profound word in the context of worship – four aspects: N. A. M. E. Name Empowerment Attribute Modesty
Hallelujah • One, we PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD in worship (vv. 1-3). • Question: does the LORD have a name – or names? Possible examples: • Yahweh Jireh (Gen. 22:14) • Yahweh Nissi (Exod. 17:15-16) • Yahweh Rofeka (Exod. 15:22-26) • Yaweh Shalom (Judg. 6:24)
Hallelujah • Yet when Moses asked about the name of God, he received this answer (Exod. 3:14): I AM THAT I AM … I AM has sent me to you ... • Practically, God said to him, “My Name is not the point!” We may need names, BUT NOT GOD. We can only DESCRIBE what He does in history.
Hallelujah • So, what does it mean to “praise the Name of the LORD” in worship? We proclaim the deeds of the LORD through ALL THAT WE DO!! • The moment we enter the sanctuary, we are telling others what God does. Examples? Healing, words of encouragement, …
Hallelujah • So, who are we do the praising? “Praise, O servants of the LORD” (v. 1) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, A holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of … (1Pet. 2:9-10) That is us!!!
Hallelujah • Do we have choice NOT to praise the LORD in worship – and in daily living? NOT A CHANCE!! From this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun … (vv. 2-3) • This means that we MUST ALWAYS BE SENSITIVE towards the LORD because WE CANNOT STOP!! Example: tuning into the right radio channel. LET’S GET TUNED IN TO PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!!
Hallelujah • Two, we PRAISE THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE LORD in worship (v. 3), i.e., WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES. Example, creation: • These are all creations of the LORD – and we see them EVERYDAY AND EVERYWHERE in our lives! This is “omnipotence”, meaning He is all-powerful!
Hallelujah “From the rising of the sun to …” (v. 3): “Worship is messy”– Rodney • Do you know that • There are 6,912 known living languages in the world? • China has over 56 ethnic groups; Africa, several thousand? • On ANY SUNDAY MORNING – in different time zones –“the servants of the LORD” praise in different languages. Messy? Yes, but wonderful. • Oasis is a living demonstration of such wonder. demonstration.: Jn. 3:16 in Chinese, Taiwanese, Cantonese, English, Afrikaans, German, and Hebrew Separately and altogether!!!
Hallelujah • We serve the LORD OF OMNIPOTENCE AND DIVERSITY!! His unlimited creativity allows us to APPRECIATE His wonder and greatness!!! • Meanwhile, we witness amazing unity in all the diversity, through creation, nations, languages – and US!!! THE LORD IS GREAT. LET’S PRAISE HIM IN OUR DIFFERENCES!!!
Hallelujah • Three, we PRAISE THE MODESTY OF THE LORD in worship – or HUMILITY (vv. 4-6). • Question: humanly speaking, is greatness, glory compatible with modesty, humility? Examples: Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Roman Caesars, Hitler, Mussolini, Eastman Kodak, Howard Hughes, …
Hallelujah • Yet this is the LORD we praise: • The question “Who is like the LORD our God” is really rhetorical, because the descriptions clearly say “No”: Who dwells on high (v. 5b) Vs Who humbles Himself to behold … (v. 6) Glory (vv. 4, 5); + Modesty/Humility (v. 6) LORD
Hallelujah • We often praise more on the greatness/glory of the LORD – but modesty?? • His modesty speaks of HIS DETAILED CARE, “the things that are in the heaven …” (v. 6): nothing can get away from His loving care. Right? “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them…” (Ps. 139:17-18)
Hallelujah • Yet the ultimate modesty/humility of the LORD is culminated in Jesus • What is a manger like? In a nutshell, “It stinks!” But that is where Jesus was born!! THE LORD IS MODEST/HUMBLE. LET US PRAISE HIM FOR HIS DETAILED, LOVING CARE!!
Hallelujah • Four, we PRAISE THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE LORD in worship (vv. 7-9). • The movie Pretty Woman. A prostitute was turned into an elegant lady. • God’s care for the poor and needy is a prominent them in Psalms (e.g. Ps. 9:18, 72:12). But…
Hallelujah • His way of helping them is very different – HE DOES NOT LET THEM REMAIN IN NEED. Poor and needy Barren woman Raise (v. 7) Seat (v. 8b) Lift (v. 8)
Hallelujah • Note two things: • It is NOT OF ONE’S OWN EFFORT. • They need to GRANTED THE PRIVILEGE. • Does this ring the bell? We are able to praise the LORD in worship because • He DRAWS US OUT FIRST (Eph. 2:8-9)!! • He EMPOWERS US WITH THE PRIVILEGE (Jn. 1:12)!!! • Again, do have the right not to praise? No!!! THE LORD HAS DONE IT ALL, LET US PRAISE HIM FOR THE NEW IDENTITY IN WORSHIP.
Hallelujah הַלְלוּ-יָהּ