Reboot Worship
September 19, 2021
You are wired for awe. I am wired for awe. I remember the first time I experienced awe. I was about five years old when my parents took us to the Oregon coast for the first time. Just standing there taking in the vast expanse of the ocean, hearing the relentless crash of the waves upon the rocks, and feeling the cool summer breeze, I can still remember this feeling of amazement and wonder. Then there was the time I experienced my first rock concert as a teenager. The driving beat of the drums, the exhilarating riffs of the guitar, and the thrill of the crowd all rising as one. It left me amazed and wanting more. Then there was the day I stood on the stage at West Salem Baptist Church, and this young woman dressed in a white gown joined me there. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I stood in awe as God united us as one before Him. Awe. It’s tough to describe. But we’re all wired for it. For you awe might be found in the embrace of a newborn, or a cruise to Tahiti, or gliding through fresh powder on your favorite mountain. But one thing is for certain, we all live for awe. It’s what gives life joy, richness and satisfaction. It’s what shapes the direction of our lives. Awe stimulates our greatest joys but also gives way to our deepest sorrows. Since we are wired for awe, you and I will feel moments of incredible happiness as well as crushing disappointment. Our pursuit of awe will fill us at times with moments of great contentment, but at other times our pursuit of awe leaves us restless and dissatisfied.
Why, because this capacity for awe is something God gave you, and since He created this longing in you, ultimately He is the only One who can truly fulfill this longing. That’s why every awesome thing in this life points you to something greater than itself: From the vast depths of the Grand Canyon, to the explosive thunder in a monsoon. From the delicate beauty of an orchid, to the amazing miracle of a newborn baby; God has created everything that’s full of wonder and amazement to point us to Him, the Creator of every good thing. And in discovering Him, not only can our hearts be filled with awe, but with rest, joy and satisfaction that cannot be found in created things. You are wired for awe. And that means you are wired to worship the source of awe, who alone is majestic in His splendor and awesome in His power. You are wired to give praise to the One who hung the stars in place and made a place for you in His family. You are wired to give praise to the One who saved you when you could not save yourself. And you are wired to give praise to the One who gave us Jesus and forgave us all our sin.
So, this morning we are going focus on rebooting praise. In fact, is we look into what David says about praise from Psalm 145:1-12; we’re going to see Why praising God may be the best thing you’ll ever do. So let’s begin by reading Psalm 145:1-3. David writes: I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise Your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:1-3
Why is praising God the best thing you’ll ever do? David tells us why: 1) It’s because our God is worthy to be praised. He is God, He is King and He is great. All three ways God praised His God. But as we look into this, allow me to make three observations from David’s praise of God. First, David begins his praise expressing His relationship with God by saying: “I will exalt you, my God the King.” David begins by expressing what he knows to be true. David’s worship of God is personal. God is not some distant impersonal force, but is knowable, approachable, relatable. He knows God, and out of His experience of knowing God, He worships Him. Secondly, David worships God as His King. What’s so great about this is that David is the King of Israel. But he recognizes that his position is small potatoes in comparison to the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. So, in these first words of praise, David reveals not only an intimate relationship, but his dependent humility. David may be great in the eyes of the world, but he confidently praises the true King – the only One worthy of worship: Only God is King! Only God is to be exalted. Only God is to be praised.
And from David’s humble praise we see at least two ways giving God His rightful due benefits those who praise Him. First, When we praise Him as our God, we affirm our personal relationship with God as His children. You see, only those who know God in a personal way, can say of Him, “my God.” And if you have come to faith in Him through Jesus Christ, you can say that. “I exalt you, my God.” The Creator of heaven and earth is your God. You have His ear. You have access into His presence, because Jesus gave you this access. You know He loves you, and you love Him.
And so now when you praise Him as your God, your praise of God benefits you by reminding you that He will always seek what is best for you. So, when praise your God, He will produce in you a sense of security and confidence that He will always be there for you. Pretty great. That’s one reason why praising God may be the best thing you’ll ever do. But there’s more. The second benefit of praising God is this: When we praise Him as our King, we remind ourselves that we are His subjects. Well, how does this benefit us. First of all, it fosters humble dependence in us. He is the King and we are not. And praising Him as king also reminds us that this world is not our home – that we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. So praising God as your King gives you perspective. It reminds you that God is in control over this world. You don’t have to fret, you don’t have to worry. “My God the King is large and in charge.” So then, in praising Him as your God and King, you won’t just be secure, you’ll be free. This is why praising God may be the best thing you’ll ever do. But that’s just my first observation. Now the second:
David resolves to praise God every day. He says, Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Psalm 145:2 What a great habit to build into your life: Praising God daily. Think about this. When you are praising God your thoughts are no longer about yourself. You take your thoughts off your circumstances. You take your thoughts off your worries. You take your thoughts off what’s happening in the world. And the more you praise God, the more He will transform your perspective on life. He will get bigger, your worries and doubts will grow smaller, your trials and sufferings shrink, and confidence will fill your heart. Here’s the benefit of daily praise: When you praise God daily, your faith will grow! When you praise Him for His steadfast love… everyday, you will start to sense that He’s always for you. When you praise Him for His abundant goodness, everyday… you’ll start to see His hand of goodness all around you. But when you don’t praise, you fall back into old habits of criticism, doubt, and worry. So one of the great benefits of learning to praise God every day is that all those little things that used to bug you will lose their grip on you; and you’ll become more patient, more joyful, more thankful. Your growing faith will help you from being swept up into the negativity of the day, because you’re praising God every day.
If there’s one application to this message today that I can encourage you to make, it’s this one: Praising God everyday will free you from the negativity of the day. Praising God everyday will keep your heart from wandering. Praising God everyday will change you. That’s why praising God may be the best thing you ever do. So here’s one challenge for you: Take verses 8 and 9, and praise God in the morning before you start your day. Write it down. Say it: The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.
Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him in the evening. Praise Him in the car. Praise Him on the golf course. Praise Him when you start to worry. Praise Him when you are tempted to get angry. Praise Him every day and see what God might do in you. That’s the second observation. Now the third:
David praises the unfathomable greatness of God: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3 Here David gets specific in his praise and uses the Hebrew word gebur to describe God. It is a word that can be translated: Mighty, strong, valiant, warrior or hero. So what David is declaring here is this: God is the mighty hero who saves. Zephaniah used this same word in declaring God’s great salvation: “The Lord your God is with you. He is the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you. In His love He will no longer punish you. He will sing over you with joy.” Zephaniah 3:17. This is why God is worthy of our praise. Our God and King is our Hero! He sent Jesus to save us. He sent Jesus to defeat sin on the cross and conquered the grave when He rose from the dead. And now He gives salvation to anyone who believes. He makes anyone who trusts in Him, completely righteous! He reconciles rebellious sinners to Himself. He forgives every sin, past, present and future. He adopts us and makes us His very own. He does everything for us. He is our mighty hero who is worthy of our praise.
But then he declares, His greatness no one can fathom. Think about that. Even if we had a thousand years to explore the greatness of God, it would be impossible to reach the end of His greatness. His greatness defies our investigative powers. As Job wrote: “How great is our God – beyond our understanding.” Job 26:26 Ancient church father, Notvatian put it this way: “His greatness cannot be conceived. If we could conceive of His greatness, He would be less than the human mind could form conception. He is greater than all language, and no statement can express Him. Indeed, if any statement could express Him, He would be less than all human speech.”
If you’ve ever peered into the depth of the Grand Canyon, God is so much greater. If you’ve ever tried to comprehend the power released in the splitting an atom, His power is far greater. If you’ve tried to comprehend the size and scope of the universe, our God is greater still. He is greater than our comprehension and that’s a good thing. So, when we praise Him for His unfathomable greatness, not only is God honored as God, not only do we declare that no one is like Him, but in this praise, we gain a supernatural confidence that nothing can ever separate us from His love!
And the more we praise Him for His unfathomable greatness, the easier it becomes to trust Him with those challenges that overwhelm us. It becomes easier to step out and attempt great things with God. It becomes easier to ask God for the improbable in prayer. And it will become easier for you to live for His glory! So, let me ask you: Is it starting to sink in why praising God may be the best thing you can ever do?
When you praise Him as your God and King, you grow secure in your faith. When you praise Him for His unfathomable greatness, you validate His worth. Our praise honors God and benefit you. But now in looking at the second reason David gives us to praise God, we see that our praise is also meant to benefit others. So let’s look now at the second reason David gives us to praise God:
2) So That All People May Know Our Great God Let’s read what David writes next: One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
They tell, they speak, they celebrate, they sing. Who’s David writing about? Who are the “they” who commend God’s works to another? We are “they!” Or let me say it another way: Our praise will awaken the next generation to God. Our praise of great God is meant to have an impact on our children and grandchildren. You see that’s the thing about praise, is that it is not private – it’s public. It’s one of God’s intended ways that we are to make Him known. There’s just something dynamic about praise. It communicates something of great value. We do this all the time. We can’t wait to talk about our team’s latest win. We’re thrilled to speak of the amazing meal we just enjoyed. We want you to know how beautiful it was to hike Smith Rock last Saturday. Remember, we are wired for awe. And when something is awe inspiring to you, you can’t wait to tell others about it. And others, especially our loved ones are wired to hear us. So here’s the thing: God has given you the unique privilege to speak of the wonders of God; to tell of His great deeds and to share about His amazing grace and love to your children and grandchildren. In His wisdom, God has placed each of us in prime positions of influence so we can inspire our children and grandchildren with our praises of God.
You see, when David writes “One generation commends your works to another” he declares that each generation will have their own experience of God’s mighty works to tell about. So now we get to tell our children and grandchildren how God has captured our hearts with the love of Jesus. Now you get to share how God forgave you. You get to tell how God has always been with you even when life was hard. You get to share how God gives you a peace that you can’t find in the world. And you get to tell how God answers your prayers, helps you when you’re helpless, and has given you a hope that the worries of this world cannot shake.
And when you praise God for what He has done and continues to do in your life. When you’re thrilled to speak about Jesus. When you can’t help but praise the God of steadfast love… at some point, your praise will ignite a spark of faith in those who hear. They’ll want what you have. And your praise will inspire faith. Now, I think that may just make praising God the best thing you will ever do. For as David declares, Our praise will awaken the next generation to God.
But it won’t just do that. In verses 10-12 he tells us that Our Praise will awaken all people to the wonders of God. All Your works praise You, Lord; Your faithful people extol You. They tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all people may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
Here’s how our praise of God is meant to benefit others! Everyone is wired for awe. Everyone is longing for something that transcends the mundane of the ordinary. And we have it. We are intimately connected to the source of awe. So when we can’t help but tell others of our awesome God who is slow to anger and rich in love. When we are thrilled to tell the story of Jesus and how he forgives us, fills us with peace and gives us a joy unspeakable. When we can’t help but describe God as our Father who pursues us with His love. That He’s so good that He’s not content with simply forgiving you, but actually makes it possible for you to be His beloved child. And when were so taken by His amazing and unrelenting love – then we won’t just honor our God, but God will use our praises, so that all people may know His mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His kingdom.
People around us are searching, seeking, and wondering if this is all there is. There is no question in my mind that what is going on in our world today is creating a sense of holy dissatisfaction with life. There’s growing sense of distrust, sadness, and despair. People are looking for life, meaning, joy and peace and they are not finding it. We are living in a world of misplaced awe: A world where people are hungering for something more, something better, something good. And we know the source of awe. We know the One of unfathomable greatness. We’ve experienced His grace, His mercy and His awe-inspiring goodness to us in Jesus.
So maybe it’s time we awakened the people around us to the wonders of God – by praising Him as our God and King, by praising Him every day, by praising Him in our conversations, by praising Him in our songs. By letting the world around us know what we know to be true. And let’s reboot our worship. Let us become a people known for our genuine and enthusiastic praise of the One who is worthy of all our praise.
Are you up for that? Is God worthy of you praise? Is He the source of all that is good?
If you’re up for that, let me suggest a couple of things we can do to become a people of praise:
First, find a way to praise God every day. Meditate on His wonders. Speak them aloud. Read the Psalms out loud. Then tell of His goodness or greatness to someone close to you – maybe a grandchild, who needs to hear how much God means to you. Then the more you praise God everyday: praising Him for His faithfulness, praising Him for His love, praising Him for His greatness… If you are doing this every day, it won’t take long until His praise will be on your lips in everyday conversations.
Secondly, do not forsake the gathering of worship. It is here that we can give God public praise. Remember, whenever we give Him praise, God’s Word says that He inhabits our praise. Your praise of Him will grow your faith, grow your confidence and set you free from the lesser gods of this world. Your praise will keep you humble. And your praise might just inspire someone to seek the God you praise.
Finally, let us praise Him today. If praising God is the best thing we can ever do, then let’s praise our great God and King together. In this Psalm, David shows us the way. Will you stand with me and give Him praise:
The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.
The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does.
The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
The Lord fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.
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