Giving Glory To God In The Highest

From the beginning of time man has sought to find the key to the Presence of God. We are created in the image & likeness of God. If we would only learn that what we seek is often the very thing that God would like to receive from those seeking Him. We love to be praised. We love it when people notice the things which we do for them. We love it when our spouses tell us how much we mean to them. We relish the words at work that tell us what a great job we are doing. We are driven by praise to do better and do more than ever before. It makes us want to do good things for our boss or our spouse or our neighbor or friend. When will we ever learn that the best way to make others happy is to show them and tell them how much we appreciate them and all that they mean to us? Let’s take a lesson from how we feel today and apply it to our spiritual life. We really do owe God a big thank you. He has blessed us way beyond our expectations. He has given us far more than we deserved. He paid the price for our sins. We should learn a lesson from the angels who attended the birth of Jesus and give Glory to God in the Highest.

Luke 2:8-14, 20

Revelation 5:11-12

Luke 19:37-40

I. Prelude to Praise

A. Reasons

1. The heavens declare it

Ps 19:1* The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Ps 50:6* And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Ps 97:6* The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

2. You should because of who You are -1 Pet 2

9* But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

10* Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. I Pet 2: 9-10

3. Because of what God has done for YOU – Deut 8

10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

11* Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12* Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13* And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14* Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Deut 8: 10-14

4. For Everything – 1 Thess

18* In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  1 Thess 5:18

 

II. The example of Scripture

A. Jehoshaphat – invaded by the Moabites 2 Chron. 20

1. Invasion V.1-2

1  It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2  Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

2. Proclamation of a fast    V. 3

3  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

3. Prayer V. 4-13

4  And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5  And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6  And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7  Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8  And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9  If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is  in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

10  And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

11  Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12  O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

13  And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

4. God’s response

15* And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16* To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel

17* Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

18* And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

19* And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

 

5. Jehoshaphat’s direction of Praise

21* And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22* And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

 

B. Paul and Silas in Prison – Acts 16

1. Beaten

23* And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24* Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

2. Cast into prison – secured in stocks

3. Began to sing praises to God

25* ¶ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

4. God responded

26* And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

5. Jailer and his family saved as a result

III. Our Response

A. What will we do ?  Pray & Praise

B. Praise is the proper response to life

1. God’s Blessings and Miracles in our lives

2. Problems and Things going Wrong

C. God will respond with His miraculous power