The Reason for Worship | Psalm 145

BINTRODUCTION

God is the only person who is worthy of worship and God rightly deserves worship. Do you worship God? You may ask, “Pastor what a question is that, if not for worship why would I come today?” What is the true reason for worship?

I want to give you some foundational reasons to worship God.

We have been looking at the aspect of worship for the last couple of weeks. From Psalm 95 we learned that biblical worship involves both Rejoicing and Reverence and is always followed by a Response. We discovered last week from Psalm 96, true worship is when we Exalt His Name, Extend His Kingdom, Express His Greatness and Expect His Coming. This morning, we are going to look at Psalm 145. Here we find the reason for worship. We will see that worship is designed to radically impact our very lives.

In this Psalm David begins each verse with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. If you’ve ever tried to write poetry, you know that it takes a lot of thought and attention to express what is on your heart in an alphabetic way. I can’t imagine how long this took David. By the way, these kind of literary devices enable the listener or reader to remember the content a bit more easily. However, David’s attempt to use all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet didn’t quite work out there’s one missing.

This psalm could be considered the “new song” as we saw last week. This is really David’s crown jewel of praise. This is the last psalm that has David’s name associated with it and it has the title, “A psalm of praise.” It’s set apart for a specific purpose of praise, much like Psalm 86 which is referred to as “A prayer of David.”

SEVEN REASONS TO WORSHIP GOD

1. HIS POSITION

Psalm 145:1-2

¹I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

²Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

David as God’s king adores Almighty God as his king above all kings. To “exalt” is to set on high above all others, it’s the expression of the greatest possible admiration. The phrase “forever” means that David’s praise has no end, but when he adds another “ever” to it, David means that our praise of God shall be as eternal as the God we praise.

Praise is the only activity that we’re called to do now that we’ll continue doing in eternity. We pray now, but there will be a time when our prayers will no longer be needed. elieve, but there shall be a time when our faith will be lost in sight when we see Him face to face. We hope but a time is coming when what we hope for will come to glorious fruition. But, praise is with us now and will continue in heaven.

We are to praise Him “every day” regardless of how our day looks. When we’re up and everything looks good, we’re to praise Him. And, when we’re down and things look dark, we’re still to praise Him. Every day is a new opportunity to praise Him.

 “We praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.” – C.S. Lewis

Because of His Position, I should Praise Him daily.

2. HIS POWER IS A REASON FOR WORSHIP

The second truth that rocks David is God’s Power.

Psalm 145:3

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

While God is great, David recognizes that “no one can fathom” his great power completely. When we contemplate the immensity of our Triune God, we find ourselves surrounded by unknowable wonders. Paul put it this way:

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Psalm 145:4-6

⁴One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

When we understand what we can, we’re challenged to pass along what we know to the next generation. Specifically, we’re to tell those who are younger about God’s works and mighty acts. As parents we are to praise God before our children and remind them of the ways that we’ve seen God at work in the past. Each generation is to catch the praises from the last, echo them, and pass them along to the next.

It is the biblical duty of every generation of Christians to see to it that the next generation hears about the mighty acts of God.

I want you to notice that verse 4 does not say that we are to merely “teach” his works. It says, “Commend your works to another.” That means that we pass along our praise to them by commending the attractiveness of God. We must not only aim at education, but also focus on exaltation.

My passion is that all of our young people would be radically surrendered to Jesus and radically committed to His cause of world evangelization. What we want from the next generation are not just heads filled with the right facts about the works of God; we want heads full biblical truths and hearts that burn with the fire of love and intensity of full devotion to Christ which explodes into unbridled and ecstatic praise.

I want to personally thank those of you who influence and impact kids for Christ. Whether it’s in your home, in a class setting, or in a youth activity, you are a difference maker for Christ and His kingdom. If you are looking for a way to serve and make a difference in the spiritual trajectory of the next generation, may I encourage you to join our Sunday School or VBS that is coming up.

Some of you are no married, but we have a responsibility to teach others about God’s power.

Psalm 145:5-6

⁵They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

⁶They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds

One of the ways we can meditate on God is to hear God’s wonderful works.

Biblical meditation has three main objectives:

1. Think. To Think about what God is like.
2. Remember. To Remember what God has done.
3. Contemplate. To Contemplate what God has said.

Because of His Power, I will Disciple my kids.

3. HIS PERSONALITY.

Psalm 145:7-9, 17

⁷They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

In this section of the Psalm, David describes the multi-faceted beauty of God’s personality. Listen to the words he uses: “goodness,” “righteousness,” “gracious,” “compassionate,” “slow to anger,” “rich in love,” “good to all,” “righteous,” and “faithful.” These attributes help us see what kind of God He is and how He deals with people.

We are celebrate and joyfully sing praise to Him because of who He is.

Because of His Personality, I will Celebrate His attributes.

4. HIS PRE-EMINENCE

Psalm 145:10-13

¹⁰All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.

¹¹They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

¹²so that all people may know of your mighty Acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

This section tells us that God is preeminent. He’s over all because God has no rivals. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we should live in light of this fact. As we praise Him for His works around us, we will go on to worship Him for his works within us.

And, much like what we discovered in Psalm 96, once we praise Him for His preeminence in our lives, we will want to tell others about the glory of His kingdom. When we speak freely of God’s might, “All people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”

David is saying that there is a direct link between our heart and our tongue. We speak about what is in our heart. Some people really love to talk about sports, others talk a lot about their family, some talk about parties, some talk about their cars or houses, and still others focus their words on money or the weather. If you want to know what someone holds dear, just listen to what they talk.

Listen. If our hearts were full of God, then our tongues wouldn’t be able to stop talking about Him to others.

If we truly want verse 12 to be fulfilled and “have all men know of His mighty acts,” then it’s imperative that we cultivate a lifestyle of protracted praise and devoted adoration. Then, when we bump into others, our words will flow and our hearts will spill over with His love and grace. Someone has said, “If Christians praised God more, the world would doubt Him less.”

Because of His Pre-eminence, I will Tell others about Him.

5. HIS PROVISION IS A REASON FOR WORSHIP

Psalm 145:14-16

¹⁴The Lord upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

¹⁶You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

This section of the Psalm emphasis upon God’s provision. While God is extremely powerful and awesome, He is also tender and looks into the needs of His people.

Have you fallen recently? Are you bowed down with the weight of problems and difficulties? If so, turn your eyes to Jesus and He will provide what you need. He will uphold you when you fall and lift you up when you’re overwhelmed. The key is to look up.

God does not willingly withhold any good thing from His children. David praises Him for His open hand that satisfies the desires of every living thing. This is also a wonderful picture, isn’t it? Instead of giving grudgingly or a little at a time, God takes his hand and opens it completely to us.

ILLUSTRATION

When Sam and Grace were small I used to feed them grapes. They loved it. I often used to clean them keep it in my hands and feed them one-by-one. Grace was very small and she would jump to get the grapes from my hand. I closed my hand to hide them and she didn’t like that. I then opened my hand and let her take every one of them out. She was thrilled to have them all.

Friends, God has His hands full of good things for us and they’re much better than grapes. When we’re stressed out, hurt, or down, He wants us to look to Him. He won’t stomp on us when we’re down but will instead treat us tenderly and give us exactly what we need. Will you give your problems and yourself to Him right now?

ILLUSTRATION

One of the many interesting stories of the Bible is that of Elijah and the ravens. You remember that God sent ravens to bring His servant food, when he was at the brook, hiding from Ahab. Sometimes we seem to think that such wonderful things happened long ago, but that they do not happen anymore. But in this we are mistaken. God still cares for His people. He is always near, when they need Him.

David Brainerd was a famous missionary who went to the Indians to preach the Gospel. As a result of his labors, many of the Indians found their Savior. Brainerd was a man of prayer. In his diary he tells of his experiences on his many travels. And he often mentions how the Lord heard and answered his prayers.

One day, on one of his many journeys to visit an Indian tribe, he was overtaken by a severe storm. He looked for a place of shelter and eventually found one in a hollow log of a very large tree. While there, he prayed for the Indians and also that the Lord would take care of him and his needs.

When meal time came, he was hungry, but there was nothing to eat. He noticed a squirrel approaching the tree. The squirrel chattered a while. When the little animal disappeared, Brainerd noticed that he had left a few nuts behind. The missionary ate those nuts.

Three days the storm continued, and for three days Brainerd remained in the log. Each day the squirrel came to deposit some nuts at the entrance. David Brainerd knew that the Lord had sent that squirrel.—Indian Christian

Because of His Provision, I can Trust Him with my problems.

6. HIS PRESENCE

Psalm 145:18-19

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

  “Oppressions and afflictions make man cry, and cries and supplications make God hear.” John Calvin

While God is the King of the Universe, He is also very near to us. When you’re feeling alone, David reminds you that you are never alone. Notice that He is near to “all,” not just to a special few. Some of you may feel that God is mad at you or that you’ve been disqualified from His grace and presence because of your sins. That’s not true. He is near to all with one qualifier, however. He’s near to all who call on Him in truth.

To call on Him in truth is to recognize that the only way to God the Father is through His Son. If you have been born again, you have called on Him in truth. If you are a member of the family of God through conversion, you enjoy the privileges of that relationship with a loving Father who will always be near to you. In addition, to call on Him in truth means that you are willing to be honest and open with Him.

When you call on Him in truth, He will fulfill your desires and hear your cries for help. No one has ever cried out to Jesus and not been heard or delivered.

Because of His Presence, I can Pray to Him.

7. HIS PRESERVATION

The final truth that impacts David to worship God is God’s Preservation.

Psalm 145:20

The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

God preserves those who are saved and will judge those who are not. This is both comforting and frightening, isn’t it? If you have been saved from your sins, if you are a born again believer, you can have the confidence that God will watch over you and usher you into His presence when you die. You can be assured of your salvation as 1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

It’s upsetting to me that while God watches over believers, He will destroy those who insist on going their own way. if you’re here this morning, and have never received the gift of forgiveness and salvation, then this verse is a warning to you. Don’t leave this service without getting right with God.

ILLUSTRATION

Once I met a believer anesthesiologist in relation to someone’s surgery. He said, “I put in 20 years of medical school, residency, higher studies and practice. As an anesthesiologist, I have the crucial role in putting patients to sleep and to revive them later. In Although the patients may not be aware of my presence during their surgery, I constantly monitor and watch over them, not just the operative part but the entire patient. This reminds me of how our Lord watches over each and every one of us, even though we may not be aware of His presence.”

In 1 Kings 18 we read about the prophets of Baal trying to reach their god. When Baal didn’t respond, Elijah teased them: “Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” (1 Kings 18:27) The implication here is if your god is sleeping when you need him, then you don’t have much of a god, do you?

But our God is always awake. He never falls asleep on the watch.

ILLUSTRATION

We used to have a watchman for our institute I studied at Peenya. Even in the day he used to be sitting and sleeping, but not God. He never dozes or nods off. He never even gets distracted. You can pray to him at any time and he always focuses on you and hears you.

And because God never slumbers nor sleeps, because God is awake, you can sleep. It’s like a child who can’t sleep until their parent promises to stay by their bedside. Then the child trustfully falls asleep knowing their parent is there to watch over them. It’s the same way with God. It doesn’t matter what problem you’re dealing with, you can leave it in God’s hands and go to sleep at night knowing that God never slumbers nor sleeps and he will take care of it. He will take care of you.

Psalm 145:21

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.

The final verse of this canticle of praise repeats the opening chorus: Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.” David does not have a monopoly on praise, he longs for every living person to praise his holy name always.

Because of His Preservation, I am called to cultivate a Lifestyle of praise.

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION

• Because of His Position, I should Praise Him daily.
• Because of His Power, I will disciple my kids.
• Because of His Personality, I will celebrate His attributes.
• Because of His Pre-eminence, I will tell others about Him.
• Because of His Provision, I can trust Him with my problems.
• Because of His Presence, I can pray to Him.
• Because of His Preservation, I am called to cultivate a lifestyle of praise.

Our words are important. We have the opportunity to use them in praise to God or we can be careless and end up doing far more damage than a bulletin blooper. The overriding message of this series is this: Praise God with everything you have ­ whether you feel like it or not.

I read recently about a Christian conference that was held at a church in Omaha, Nebraska. People were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. All during the service balloons ascended, but when the service was over, 1/3 of the people were still holding on to their balloons! Friends, don’t hold back ­ let’s let our praise rise up to God!

“Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever!” Amen.

There is no part of God’s greatness which is not worthy of great praise. No chorus or hymn is too loud, no band or orchestra too large, no psalm too lofty for the lauding of the Lord of Hosts.

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