Rev. 5:11-14
"11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round
about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12Saying
with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I
saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty
elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever."
God will receive praise. If not from us, from the heavenly beings He
created for the sole purpose of giving Him praise, glory, and honor. We
were created for that same purpose, the word says "Every knee shall bow and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Praise is
important to God. So important, that the angels and the beasts in heaven
continually praise and worship and described in the scriptures above.
Praise is not a type of music. It is not a behavior.
It is an attitude of the heart. It is knowing and realizing in our hearts
that God is supreme and perfect and that we are very imperfect. It is to
fear God, not as in fear of terror or dread, but a fear of wonder and awe at the
majesty and greatness of the infinite God. To take God and the things of God
seriously. It is lift up the name of Jesus, giving glory and honor to God.
Praise must be in our hearts to the point of overflowing.
When it overflows it comes out.
It may come out in a song:
(Ps. 9:11 Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in
Zion: declare among the people His doings.)
It may come out in music: (Ps.
33:2 Praise the Lord, with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltry and an
instrument of ten strings.)
Some let it out in words: (Ps 35:28 And my tongue
shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.)
Others shout: (Ps. 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be
glad, that favour my righteous cause.)
All are to praise in truth and Spirit: (Mk. 12:30 And
thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength this is the first commandment.)
We should enter the church house for one reason only. To
worship. (Ps. 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and
into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.)
We should go to church to lift up the name of Jesus in praises and
thanksgiving. Anything less is just as Cain's offering unto God, a work of
our own hands. Cain did not recognize that he had sinned. Able
recognized that his sin was deserving of death, therefore a blood sacrifice was
needed. We must die to self and offer our lives as a living sacrifice unto
the Lord. He wants our hearts. Nothing else will be accepted. (Ro
12:1 I urge you therefore; brethren, by the mercies of God to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
service of worship.)
True worship and praise will break strongholds, just as it did for
Paul and Silas in the prison in Acts 16:25. It will bring unity as
it did in 1 Chronicles 23:5 where four thousand praised at one time and
in 2 Chronicles 5:11-13 where 120 priests sounded trumpets at one time
and it was all as one in praising and thanksgiving unto the Lord. It says
that the glory of the Lord filled the place so strong that the priests could not
even stand.
Worship will bring Victory in battle as it did in 2 Chronicles 20:21-22
when the praise and worshippers when out in front of the army before battles.
And most importantly, it will draw lost souls to Christ. The
word says "If my name (Jesus) be lifted up, I will draw ALL men unto me."
Ps. 40:3 says: (And he hath but a new song in my mouth, even praise
unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."
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