PRAISE

Throughout the Bible, the commands to “praise the Lord” are too numerous to mention.

o Angels and the heavenly hosts are commanded to praise the Lord. (Psalm 89:5, Psalm 103:20, Psalm 148:2)

o All inhabitants of the earth are instructed to praise the Lord. (Psalm 138:4, Romans 15:11)

o We can praise HIM with: Singing (Isaiah 12:5) (Psalm 9:11) Shouting (Psalm 98:4) Dance (Psalm 150:4) Musical Instrument (1 Chronicles 13:8) (Psalm 108:2)

(Psalm 150:3-5)o Praise is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us.o It is closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God

appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf.o Praise is universal and can be applied to other relationships as well.o We can praise our family, friends, boss or paperboy.o Praise does not require anything of us.o It is merely the truthful acknowledgement of the righteous acts of

another.o Since God has done many wonderful deeds, He is worthy of praise.

(Psalm 18:3)o In Scripture, praise is usually presented as boisterous, joyful and

uninhibited.o God invites praise of all kinds from His creation.o Jesus said that if people don’t praise God, even the “stones will cry

out”. (Luke 19:40)

WORSHIP

o Worship should be reserved for God alone. (Luke 4:8)o Worship is the art of losing self in the adoration of another.

Praise can be a part of worship, but worship goes beyond praise. Praise is easy; worship is not.

o Worship gets to the heart of who we are. To truly worship God, we must let go of our self-worship. We must be willing to humble ourselves before God. Surrender

every part of our lives to His control. Adore Him for who He is, not just what He has done.

Worship is a lifestyle, not just an occasional activity.o Jesus said the Father is seeking those who will worship Him “in spirit

and in truth”. (John 4:23)o We read verses like

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 96:9)“Come let us worship and bow down” (Psalm 95:6) Often, worship is coupled with the act of bowing or kneeling which

shows humility and contrition. It is through true worship that we invite the Holy Spirit to speak to

us, convict us, and comfort us.o Through worship, we realign our priorities with God and acknowledge

Him once more as the rightful Lord of our lives. Worship is intertwined with surrender. It is impossible to worship God and anything else at the same time.

(Luke 4:8)(Matthew 6:24) The physical acts often associated with worship – bowing, kneeling,

lifting hands – help to create the necessary attitude of humility required for real worship.

Worship is an attitude of the heart.

CONCLUSION

God sees the heart and He desires and deserves sincere, heartfelt praise and worship.

WORSHIP(Greek/Hebrew Word)

1. SEBOMAI (seb'-om-ahee) – (Gr.) to revere, adore, devout, religious, worship

2. PROSKUNEO (pros-koo-neh'-o) – (Gr.) to prune, to worship, to prostrate oneself in worship, to reverence, to adore, to kiss like a dog licking his mater’s hand

3. SHACHAH (shaw-khaw') – (Heb.)to bow down, prostrate oneself, fall down flat

4. LATREUO (lat-ryoo'-o) – (Gr.) service sometimes worship (It has its own interest.)

5. SAGAD (saw-gad') – (Heb.) to prostrate oneself (in worship), bow down, fall down

PRAISE(Hebrew Word)

1. YADAH (yaw-daw') – (Heb.) the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with hands extended

2. HALAL (haw-lal’) – (Heb.) to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish

The word “Hallelujah” comes from this base word and is a primary root word for praise in the Hebrew language.

3. SHABACH (shaw-bakh') – (Heb.) to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph

4. BARAK (baw-rak') – (Heb.) to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration

5. ZAMAR (zaw-mar') – (Heb.) to pluck the strings of an instruments, to sing, to praise

A musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.

SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES

A. Living Sacrifice (Romans 12:1)B. The Sacrifice of Faith (Philippians 2:17) (Meal Offering)C. The Sacrifice of Praise (Hebrews 13:15)D. The Sacrifice of Doing Good (Hebrews 13:16)

Romans 12:13 James 1:27

E. The Sacrifice of Material Assistance (Philippians 4:18)F. Spreading the Word of God (Romans 15:16)

1. Worshipping GOD with My Mindo Knowing information about God is different from actually knowing

Him through that information.o John 5:39-40o But if we love God we’ll want to know Him better.o As Christians, God calls us not only to love Him but to love the truth

about Him.o 2 Thessalonians 2:10; John 17:3; John 14:6; John 8:32; 1 Timothy

2:4; Romans 1:18; John 16:2-3; John 17:17o That’s why worshipping God must engage our minds and

understanding.

2. Worshipping GOD with My Soulo Scriptures says we are to pour out our souls to GOD. (Psalm 42:4)o Lift up our souls to Him. (Psalm 25:1)o Love Him with our soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5)o Boast in Him with our souls. (Psalm 34:2)o It’s one thing to know and declare true things about God. (James

2:19)o But God intends for us to cherish and treasure the truth about Him

because we cherish and treasure Him. (Psalm 37:4) (1 Peter 1:8) (Ephesians 5:19)

o God takes no pleasure in worship that isn’t connected to the heart. (Matthew 15:8-9)

o What should we do when what’s in our souls isn’t lining up with what we know?

o Where feelings for God are dead, worship of God is dead.

3. Worshipping GOD with My Bodyo The Biblical Evidence for Physical Expression

Scripture Language Scriptural Example Scriptural Commands

o These commands and examples cover both exuberant and subdued responses, celebrative and reverent.

o Our bodies can be used to communicate a variety of emotions, from joy to lament.

o Do our minds, hearts and bodies reflect the overall biblical model on how we are to respond to the greatness and goodness of God?

The Benefits of Physical Expression We magnify the glory of God. (Psalm 108:1-2) We follow the scriptural example. We encourage others. We can encourage our own hearts.

The Limitations of Physical Expression Physical expression doesn’t insure that worship is taking place

in the heart. (Matthew 15:8-9) Physical expressions can be self-deceiving. (Amos 5:23-24) Physical expressiveness can be self-glorifying and self-

gratifying. (1 Corinthians 12:7) (1 Corinthians 14:12)The Hindrances to Physical Expression

Lack of clear biblical instruction. Fear of man. Tradition or culture. Concern for others. Theological concerns.

CONCLUSION

Our bodily expressions should draw people’s attention to the reality, greatness and goodness of the God we worship.

It will look different at different times, in different churches and in different cultures. But there is no question that we have to help those in our congregations understand that God is worthy of our deepest, strongest and purest affections. And that to bring Him glory with our minds, souls and bodies is the very reason we were created.

A. What does it mean to give a sacrifice of praise? (Hebrews 13:15)

SACRIFICE

An act of Giving Up something valued for the Sake of … An act of Surrendering a possession as an offering to God. Offering something at great cost to ourselves.

PRAISE

Sounds joyful as it bubbles from a grateful heart. To express thanks to or love and respect for God. Act of expression.

B. SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

o The terms “sacrifice” and “praise” might seem to be opposites.o We think of sacrifice as offering something at great cost to

ourselves.o Praise, on the other hand, sounds joyful as it bubbles from a

grateful heart.o However, in the spiritual realm, SACRIFICE and PRAISE are

intertwined.o It takes an act of the will to lay our all on the altar before a God we

don’t understand.o When we bring a “sacrifice of praise”, we choose to believe that,

even though life is not going as we think it should, God is still good and can be trusted. (Psalm 135:3) (Nahum 1:7)

o When we choose to praise God in spite of the storms, He is honored, and our faith grows deeper. (Malachi 3:13-17) (Job 13:15)

o The command in Hebrews 13:15 says that this sacrifice is to be offered “continually”.

Our praise to God is not to be based on our opinion of His job performance.

Praise cannot be treated as a “reward” we give God for His obvious blessings. (Isaiah 29:13)

Real praise continues regardless of circumstances. It flows continually from a worshiping heart in good times and bad times. (Acts 16:23-25)

o The “sacrifice of praise” comes from a humble heart that has been purified by fire.

o It rises from a spirit that has chosen to honor God in spite of the pain that life is causing. (Psalm 51:16-17)

C. Bible Characters who offered Sacrifice of Praise in difficult situation.

1. Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25)2. Jonah (Jonah 2:9)3. King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:2-18)