Reason to Praise

Anthony Miller Sr

Summer of Psalms • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Psalm 99

Praise Psalm

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We have a reason to praise God in a midst of a world that seeks our attention.

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Introduction:

The Weightlessness Of God: Practical Atheism Emmaus Journal - – Emmaus Journal.

“On Practical Atheism,” Stephen Charnock wrote: “That the title of ἄθεοι [atheists] doth not only belong to those who deny the existence of God…but it belongs also to those who give not that worship to God which is due to him, who worship many gods, or who worship one God in a false and superstitious manner, when they have not right conceptions of God, nor intend an adoration of him according to the excellency of his nature.”

I take this phrase “the weightlessness of God” from David Wells’ book God in the Wasteland. Wells says this: [God] rests upon the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable. He has lost his saliency(the quality of being particularly noticeable or important; prominence. ) for human life. Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God’s existence may nonetheless consider him less interesting than television, his commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, his judgment no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and his truth less compelling than the advertisers’ sweet fog of flattery and lies. That is weightlessness. Emmaus Journal - – Emmaus Journal.

We have turned to a God that we can use rather than to a God we must obey; we have turned to a God who will fulfill all our needs rather than to a God before whom we must surrender our rights to ourselves. He is a God for us, for our satisfaction—not because we have learned to think of him this way through Christ but because we have learned to think of him this way through the marketplace. In the marketplace, everything is for us, for our pleasure, for our satisfaction, and we have come to assume that it must be so in the church as well. And so we transform the God of mercy into a God who is at our mercy.

To see God as weightless gives Him no credibility, no merit, no attention, no love, no respect; We invite Him into our homes, but we ignore His presence. How do we ignore His presence? By conducting ourselves in a way that offends Him 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

There is a decorum to praise God! There is a behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety that leads us to a life of praise and holiness. To treat God as weightless is to treat Him less than what the bible declares Him to be.

We live in a world that treats God cavalier adj showing haughty disregard; offhand; arrogant condescending haughty scornful disdainful insolent.

It reminds me of a quote be Rodney Dangerfield which states, “ I get no respect”. His list of crass jokes embodied the life of a man who did not get any respect.

)adjshowing haughty disregard; offhand

People of God, if anybody can throw His weight around its God.....We who believe in His name and trust in His character must take a long stare at the person of God, the weight of God, the heaviness of God in a world that will strip down your praise if you let it, reduce Jesus to nothingness....and leave you and I in a state of sadness and depression when life gets hard....

We have a reason and a motive to praise Jesus in a world that don’t care about Him, tries to discredit Him, and denounce Him.

In :

Contents: Call to praise God because of the glories of His Kingdom

Characters are: God, Moses, Samuel, Aaron and Psalmist

Conclusion: The Holiness of God’s name makes it truly great to His friends and terrible to His enemies. let us worship Him in all humility, praise His great name, and Give Him the Glory due unto it.

The Father has revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the King, the Mercy Seat is His Throne, and the scepture which He sways is holy Just like Him. As we exalt Him and exercise our right , let us draw near with humility and adoration.

Shine is defined as: to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.

to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.

There are many challenges in this word that want’s to knock off your shine.....When you feel the enemy trying to attack your shine ....tell the devil I have a right, and a reason to give God Praise....Here’ Why this Psalm gives us 3 objectives to praise His Holiness:

The Outline (Main points) of the Chapter: The outline is according to the threefold reference

The Monarchy of God ()

The Manner of God

Point#1- ”His Holy Monarchy”()

A monarchy is a form of government in which a single person holds supreme authority in ruling a country, also performing ceremonial duties and embodying the country's national identity.

“It is precisely in the exercise of the royal power of God, notably in his acts of judgment and salvation, that the kingdom of God is seen.”

Kingdom thus is viewed as the lawful exercise of royal power, as over against tyranny, the unjust use of such authority. In the teaching of Jesus, however, as in the NT as a whole, the kingdom of God has specific reference to the fulfillment of the promises of God in the OT of the time when God puts forth his royal power to end injustice and oppression by this world’s evil powers and to establish his rule of righteousness, peace and joy for humanity—in a word, to fulfill his purpose in creating the world. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

Jehovah-God/Jesus Christ is the "KING OF KINGS, AND

LORD OF LORDS" ().

— The LORD says to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." — 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet" '?

(NASB) 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

1. The Reigning by the Monarchy (, ) The reigning of Jehovah-God is the theme of this verse.

• The proclamation of the reigning. "The Lord [Jehovah-God] reigneth" (). This is a triumphant announcement that should bring great joy to the righteous. After the night and darkness of the reign of evil, righteousness finally reigns.

• The place of the reigning. The place of the reigning is especially Jewish in application here.

First, the cherubims. "He sitteth between the cherubims" (). This is in reference to the fact that God announced He would meet with Israel and commune with them from between the cherubims on the mercy seat, the cover of the Ark ().

Second, the city. "The Lord is great in Zion" (). Zion is Jerusalem where the Temple was, where the cherubims were, and where the throne was. Jesus Christ will reign over the earth from Jerusalem.

• The position of the reigning. "He is high above all the people" (). Those who profane God and legislate Him out of society will learn someday that He is above all the people to their great consternation and condemnation. 2. The Reaction to the Monarchy ()

The reaction to the fact that God reigns is one of great effect upon the people and the earth. The words "tremble" and "moved" in our text () are very similar in meaning but in application have some differences.

• The quivering. "Tremble" (). This trembling of people is to show the "fear of God" which supposedly the Quakers and Shakers religious people had when they trembled. While we do not advocate the Quaker and Shaker theology, we think this trembling honors God. Men will one day tremble before Him rather than profane Him.

• The quaking. "Moved" (). This is a more violent shaking and is the reaction commanded of the earth. 3. The Reverence for the Monarchy () "Let them praise thy great and terrible [awesome] name; for it is holy" (). This is the first of three calls to worship and praise God. Each of the three sections in this psalm ends with this special call to honor God.

• The praise in the reverence. "Praise thy great and terrible [awesome] name." God is worthy of all praise. Yet, instead, we praise many things that are not worthy of praise and oppose the honor of the most praiseworthy Person ever.

• The purity for the reverence. "It is holy" Scholars say it should be "He is holy" instead of "it is holy." We concur. This is the first of three great references to the holiness of God. Holiness is His fundamental attribute.

Point #2- His Manner (, )

Three great practices of this Divine king will thrill the righteous. Unlike the wicked rulers of history, Jehovah-God will have a government that promises, proclaims, and performs in a manner that exalts high character.

Tony Evans illustrates “IF A man drinks Jack Daniels and comes to my house, Jack has to stay outside. In my kingdom, where I am king, Jack is not welcome. In fact, if you smoke, I don't have ashtrays available for you because you can't smoke in my kingdom. If you cuss, in my kingdom you are going to have to control your tongue 'cause I don't allow profanity in my house. If you don't like my rules, well, there's a simple solution to that. You just don't come to my house. I pay the note, I pay the utilities, and I bought the furniture. People may think that's cold. No, I'm just head of my own kingdom. If you're under my rule, you've got to respect my guidelines. In the same way, God is the head of His kingdom. If we want to live in, be a part of, and benefit from His kingdom, we must operate by His rules.”

(KJV) 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

1. The Embracing of Justice () "The king's strength also loveth judgment [justice]" (). The king, and any ruler of such magnitude, have power ("strength"). Many use that power to promote evil. But Jehovah-God's power loves justice—a great and desirable contrast to the wicked rulers of this world. Power and passion, sentiment and strength, love and law, truth and grace () are a rare combination, but they are found in the Divine king whose rule will bless the world with righteousness.

2. The Establishing of Equity () "Thou [Jehovah-God] doest establish equity" (). God's government will not be smeared or defended by the liberal biased news media. The Great Ruler will establish fairness in the kingdom.

3. The Executing of Righteousness () "Thou [Jehovah-God] executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob" (). Jehovah-God's administration is one of justice/righteousness. How different this is than most administrations of governments today who trample on truth and righteousness and are more interested in political power than governing the people properly. "In Jacob" indicates the first application of this truth. Israel will benefit from a righteous government when Christ reigns, but this execution of righteousness is not limited to "in Jacob." It will be seen throughout the world.

4. The Exalting of Righteousness () "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy" (). This is the second coda or finishing verse to speak of the holiness of God in this psalm.

• The respect in the exalting. "Exalt ye the Lord our God" (). Our courts are robed in dignity, but when they rule against honor for God in our schools and other significant places in our society, they are robbed with dishonor. Scripture exhorts mankind to "Exalt ye the Lord." So we either listen to our corrupt courts or heed Divine decrees.

• The reverence for the exalting. "Worship at his footstool" (). God is worthy of worship. Worshiping God is not cheering your favorite football team in a sports stadium when you should be in church worshiping.

• The reason for the exalting. "For he is holy" (). Purity not power is the reason given here for exalting the Lord. "Holiness is the harmony of all the virtues" (Spurgeon). The gods of the heathen were cruel, lustful, capricious. But Jehovah-God is holy which means "unsullied purity, unswerving justice, unbending truth, unbounded love" (Spurgeon).

Point #3- His Holy Ministry () God ministers to His people through His appointed servants.

Dictionary of Bible Themes 8602 prayer

Fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, expressed in adoration, thanksgiving and intercession, through which believers draw near to God and learn more of his will for their lives. Scripture stresses the vital role of the Holy Spirit in stimulating and guiding prayer.

Dictionary of Bible Themes 8605 prayer, and God’s will

prayer, and God’s will

Prayer is concerned not only with the well-being of the one who prays. A vital aspect of its purpose is to allow the will of God to be done, and to bring glory and honour to his name.

“Article from Crosswalk Magazine “We live in a world that has fallen to sin, and as a result, everyone is guilty of something. No one is perfect. Yet one of the great wonders of the Gospel is that God uses imperfect people to spread His glory. Since mankind first took their step outside Eden, God has been calling the broken, the faithless, and the poor in spirit to do great things in His name.

(KJV) 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

— Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

— But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1. The Praying in His Ministry () The praying of the saints ministers to His people.

• The requesters in the praying. "Moses... Aaron... Samuel... call upon his name; they called upon the Lord" (). These are some of the greatest leaders in Israel's history. Their greatness is not apart from their praying (). If great men pray, ought not the rest of us also be diligent to pray?

• The response to the praying. "He answered them" (). One of the biggest reasons we do not have more prayers answered is because we do not pray them. 2. The Proclaiming in His Ministry () "He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar" (). This was especially true of Moses. "It came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door... and the Lord talked with Moses" (). God speaking to man at anytime is an act of grace.

3. The Performance to His Ministry () "They kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them" (). This is a general statement. Moses (hitting the rock), Aaron (golden calf and hitting the rock), and Samuel (wayward sons) all had times of failures, but the general performance of these men was that of obedience to the Lord. If we want to be God's servant to minister to the people, we need to be in the habit of obeying God.

4. The Principle in His Ministry () "Thou answerest them, O Lord our God; thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions" (). God pardoned but He also punished. We like the pardon action, but we do not like the punishment action. But if God is going to be holy, He cannot pardon without punishment. In the Gospel, Christ took the punishment. In the believer's life, the believer experiences the rod of punishment though he is forgiven. This means that the man who comes to Christ after living a profligate life should not be surprised if the effects of profligate living bring punishment upon his physical life. He is pardoned of his sins but is punished for them, not eternally, but in the earth. The principle is that God punishes sin though He forgives the sin. God is holy is why He does this.

5. The Praise for His Ministry () "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy" (). This is the third time the emphasis on holiness is given and it concludes the third section of the psalm. This verse is very similar to the ending of the second section ().

• The respect in the praise. "Exalt the Lord our God" (). This is a repeat in substance of . Many in high office in our land oppose this exalting of God but we are to exalt Him anyway. Divine decrees have priority over corrupt decrees by corrupt courts.

• The reverence in the praise. "Worship at his holy hill" (). God is to be worshiped.

First, the precept to worship. "Worship." God seeks people to worship Him (). Not very many are willing to worship the Lord, however.

Second, the place of worship. In , people were exhorted to worship at "his footstool" which was the mercy seat of the Ark, for there God spoke to the people. Here people are exhorted to worship at His "holy hill" which is where the Temple and the Ark was. We are to worship where God is honored and Christ exalted. The Ark did both.

The reason for the praise. "For the Lord our God is holy" (). Today people are often rejected and ostracized because of holiness. Then people will worship God because of His holiness. Holiness is God's most important attribute. Everything He does is guided by His holiness.

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