12/5/11 PRAISE AND WORSHIP THE ALMIGHTY GOD
Psalm 134:1-135:21                                                        Monday, December 5, 2011
Key Verse: 135:5                                                             Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.”

Dear Lord Jesus. Good morning. I pray that I may trust your guiding hand in the all the choices that my kids make in their lives. Jennifer is making choices for her future. May you guide her heart and guide her along the path to eternal life and along the path that you want for her in this life. I pray that I may finish my book today and the papers and participate and contribute to the program at the Wheaton Co-hort group. Be with the meeting and guide the discussion. Please guide my heart and my life and our house church. May we worship Jesus this Christmas. Please grant me one word of God through this passage. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ holy and powerful name. Amen!

1. Praise the Lord (134:1-3).

Verses 1-3 read, “Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. 3 May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Our chief end in life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. When we come and worship God, he blesses us. We need to know what it means to praise the Lord. We must love Jesus and enjoy Jesus. That means that our chief end is not to build up a large church or to make a large number of converts. Our chief end is to enjoy Jesus forever. I pray that I may praise Jesus and enjoy Jesus forever. I pray that my kids may come to this faith. I repent that I so many times I have lost sight of Christ and just focused on” getting things done”. I pray that I may have the right focus.

2. Our Lord reigns (135:1-14).

Verses 1-14 read, “ 1 Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, 2 you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. 4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. 5 I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. 6 The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. 7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. 9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings— 11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan—12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.13 Your name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations.’ 14 For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants”

The Lord does whatever pleases him. He controls the winds and clouds and storms. His people didn’t win victories by their ability, but by his mercy (14). He delivered us from bondage to sin and gave us a new life. He wants to fulfill his purpose of world salvation.

We don’t win victories by our own ability, but by the mercy and grace of Jesus. I have won many victories in life. I have maintained a family and got a career and have a Christian ministry. I have a website. We got out of credit card debt. I love my wife. I can bear Christian fruit in this world, while I am here. I am in Christ and maturing in him. These victories are not wrought on my own. These are from Jesus, by God’s grace. I could never be where I am without the grace of Jesus. I would only be lonely and bitter and angry and alone. I could bear minimal fruit. But by the grace of Jesus I could taste victory upon victory. And these victories will not end, as long as I am in Jesus. The final victory is when I close my eyes in rest and enter into eternal glory because God kept me in faith to the end.

3. The gods of the nations (15-21).

Verses 15-21, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 17 They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.19 All you Israelites, praise the LORD; house of Aaron, praise the LORD; 20 house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD. 21 Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.”

People who worship idols are very foolish. Due to their own greed, their spiritual eyes become blind and their ears deaf. In time of crisis, their idols cannot save them.

There are so many idols that we worship, give our hearts to and depend on and expect to provide. Our idols in America can be our own strength. Our career pursuits. Our jobs. Even our families, if our hearts are drawn away from Jesus. A university degree at a certain university could be an idol. We need to keep our hearts focused on Jesus and on the will of God. We need to worship Jesus with our whole hearts and not half our hearts. We must seek to praise Jesus and be blessed by Jesus alone and not expect blessings from the things of this world. Lord, protect my heart and my family’s hearts and the hearts of my Bible students from idols.

Prayer: “Lord, you are the God who reigns. Reign in my life. May I devote my life to you, my Lord and my God.

One Word: Jesus is Great.