LEARNING HOW TO PRAISE GOD

TEXT- PSALM 34:1-3

INTRODUCTION

AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO DEARLY LOVED THE LORD WOULD OFTEN TIMES EXPRESS HER JOY IN CHURCH BY SAYING, "PRAISE THE LORD". SOMETIMES DURING THE PASTOR'S MESSAGE IT WOULD DISTRACT HIM TO THE POINT THAT HE WOULD LOSE HIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT. ON ONE OCCASION THE PASTOR TOLD THE WOMAN THAT HE WOULD GIVE HER A PAIR OF BLANKETS WHICH SHE DESPERATELY NEEDED; IF SHE WOULD STOP SAYING, "PRAISE THE LORD" DURING THE PREACHING. FOR SEVERAL SUNDAYS THE WOMAN WAS ABLE TO REMAIN PERFECTLY QUIET. THEN, ONE DAY, A VISITING PREACHER CAME TO PREACH. AS HE PREACHED ON GOD'S MANIFOLD BLESSINGS THE ELDERLY WOMAN THOUGHT LESS AND LESS OF THE BLANKETS, AND MORE AND MORE OF THE JOYS OF SALVATION. FINALLY, SHE COULDN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER AND CRIED OUT, "BLANKETS OR NO BLANKETS, PRAISE THE LORD!"

LIKE THE BLANKETS THAT KEPT THIS WOMAN FROM PRAISING GOD, OFTEN TIMES THERE ARE THINGS THAT SMOTHER OUR PRAISE TO GOD ALSO.

PERHAPS THE ONE THING THAT PREVENTS SO MANY PEOPLE FROM TRULY PRAISING GOD IS THE FEAR OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE OTHERS MIGHT SAY OR THINK.

SOMEONE WAS ONCE ASKED HOW THEY COULD BE SO UNINHIBITED IN THEIR PRAISE TO GOD. "IT'S SIMPLE" THE PERSON REPLIED, "i SIT ON THE FRONT ROW OF THE CHURCH."

IT'S HARD TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY OTHERS WHEN WE'RE PRAISING GOD ON THE FRONT PEW.

SOMETHING ELSE THAT PREVENTS SO MANY CHILDREN OF GOD FROM PRAISING THE LORD IS THEIR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.

LIKE EVERY OTHER FACET OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE, PRAISE MUST BE LEARNED AND THEN PUT INTO PRACTICE.

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN PSALM 34:1-3 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "LEARNING TO PRAISE".

WHILE EACH OF US MAY HAVE OUR OWN PARTICULAR STYLE OF PRAISING GOD, THERE ARE SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES FOUND WITHIN THE BIBLE CONCERNING THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN PRAISE.

HERE IN OUR TEXT WE FIND THREE THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN PRAISE THE LORD.