Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENER: WE LOVE TO DO THINGS WE ARE GOOD AT (USUALLY)

It is human nature to like things that we are good at doing.

We learn pretty quickly to keep doing things that we are good at that make us feel good and not do things that are hard for us.

For example basketball, (or any other game that I cannot excel at) especially golf).

However there is something that I love doing that I am not great at: singing (but I love singing praise songs…)

Do you like singing praises to God? Do you love worship?

Even if you are not great at singing?

PRAISE THE LORD

The first three words of are “Praise the Lord” and that is the the theme of the Psalm as a whole.

The Psalm much like many of our praise songs today talk about the many reason we have to praise God.

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Praise the Lord?” Do you think of a worship service or a command we are given?

Do you think of a reason you have to praise God?

While we understand the word praise we may not completely comprehend or we may forget the many reasons we have to praise God.

Hopefully when you hear “praise the Lord” you think of the reasons and have a desire to do so that goes beyond a one day a week worship service.

We need to know and praise God for who He is!

We need to praise God not just because He commands us but because we cannot help but praise Him because we recognize His greatness.

Praise pleases God when done with the right heart.

Much like a heartfelt real complement or praise given to us we want it to be real.

Worship should be pleasing to God and to us.

Worship and praise to God is not just something that pleases God, but something that we benefit from as well.

One of my favorite parts of this Psalm that the title of this lesson comes from is in v3.

Interestingly, when we sing it actually does release natural feel good chemicals in our brains.

(Cool how God designed this.)

It is no wonder that singing is such a widespread things and loved so much.

Ha!

That is why even people who cannot sing very well or even terribly still like to sing right.

You know what I’m talking about.

Do any of you know someone who likes to sing, loud even though they are off key or sharp.

Maybe they sing in the car or in the shower or maybe they “sing like no one is listening” even when people are listening even if those listening are not sure they want to.

If they are singing praises to God please do not discourage them.

There is more going on there than just singing.

They are gaining joy and glorifying God.

But do you find pleasure in singing praises to God?

If not why not?

It is a good question because God tells us in so many places in scripture to praise.

The man who did not like singing: there was a brother at another congregation where I preached that told me a number of times that he did not like singing even thought he would do it.

The Psalms and this one in particular shows that praising God should be something that comes from a heart overwhelmed with God’s greatness not compelled by habit or guilt.

If we would learn this lesson and focus on the greatness of the One whom we are praising we might get out of it what God intended for us to: to grow closer to Him and glorify God to each other while also teaching.

Praise can help us to know and grow closer to God.

God’s genius in singing and praising Him (and designing our vocal chords to do so so beautifully) is not us making beautiful melody but making us Holy and closer to HIM!

He did give some of us talents to sing and lead others in singing and/or have beautiful voices so that it sounds wonderful.

That is God’s goodness toward us and something we can get a lot from.

But most of all we should get just a little bit closer to God as we sing praises to Him fully taking in the greatness of who God is.

We are no just singing into the air as we would a song on the radio in the car…we are addressing God and each other…that brings us closer.

If your spouse sang a love song to you, would you feel closer to them?

Would that not create an intimacy and build your relationship?

Friend who sang to his wife at their wedding and wrote and recorded a song for their 10th wedding anniversary.

As we look at the things in this Psalm we will see that as Praise for God is practiced the truths of who God is are also practiced or rehearsed in our hearts.

is all about reason to praise God!

Praise the Lord for HE IS GOOD!

This is such a simple statement of truth while at the same time being a massive understatement!

But think about why this is true.

Why is the the Lord good?

GOD IS GOOD FOR MORE REASONS THAT WE CAN COUNT.

We sing the song “God is so good,” But why is that true?

What would you say? (Let them answer…)

God is good because: He saved us, He cares for us, He is all powerful, all knowing and great beyond our understanding yet He notices us.

He blesses us with what we need.

He gives us all the good things that we have in our lives.

SO many things right…?

We could go on all day if we tried.

Hopefully.

And if we couldn’t we obviously need to focus on Him more.

But there is one huge thing that we need to consider that verse 4 reflects.

GOD ADORES YOU AS HIS TREASURED POSSESSION

It is that God treasures us!

God treasures you.

Think about that for a moment!

Let it sink in!

He treasures you!

He loves you so much He thinks you are priceless.

As one song says, “God you don’t need me but somehow you want me.”

God wants you to have a relationship with Him and be in heaven with Him.

Just as God made Israel His treasured possession, His nation, His people God has made us His treasured possession.

He treasures us more than anything else He created…otherwise He would not have sent Jesus to save us.

Your most treasured possession: To help us understand this think about your most treasured possession.

Got it?

What is it?

(Let them answer…) Something that is yours…it doesn’t have to be a thing…hopefully you did not think of an object but something greater…your family maybe, your love, something/someone you do not want to live without…God loves you like that and more...

God treasures you…He treasures us…He is such a good God!

While that is enough to there is so much more in this Psalm that give us example as to praising God.

Praise the Lord for HIS GREATNESS!

God greatness is beyond compare!

Psalm 135

In the context of our passage the greatness of the Lord was being praised in contrast to the worthlessness of false gods.

They needed to magnify God’s greatness so that they would be reminded that no false god or anything else is like God or could compare to Him.

So praising God would protect their hearts from being led away from God.

They needed to remember this because they were led away many times.

They needed to know that Idols were worthless and could not do anything for them except lead them away.

Psalm 135:

We need to magnify God’s greatness in our minds so that we also understand that NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO HIM.

We too have our false gods and things that we lift up in our hearts as if they could compare to God’s greatness when in actuality they are nothing.

The fact that we sometimes do not desire to worship God or even give other things more importance in our lives shows that we need to Praise God for all He is.

PRAISING GOD FOR HIS GREATNESS BRINGS US CLOSER TO HIM AND FURTHER AWAY from idols.

Just like with the false gods ultimately it is about what we really trust in to help us in life.

Trusting in anything before God leads to worthlessness and emptiness just as with false gods back then.

We may not see it but praising God in the right way reinforces in our hearts and minds that God is who He is and that nothing can compare to HIM.

God’s greatness is seen in His authority and in the fact that He is the origin and creator of all things.

Praise the Lord for HE IS IN CONTROL!

God’s deliverance of Israel demonstrates that HE IS IN CONTROL!