HallelujahHallelujahHallelujahHallelujah

Psalm 113Psalm 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 m

essage:

ה לו-י� ל� ה�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.

NameAttribute Modesty

Empowerment

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!!

• 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

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.

Raise (v. 7)

Lift (v. 8)

Seat (v. 8b)

Poor and needy Barren woman

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

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