Happy Hallelujah!

“Happy Hallelujah!”

October 29, 2006

Pastor Steve N. Wagers Gardenview Baptist Church Jacksonville, FL

1 “Happy Hallelujah!” Psalm 147: 1 Pastor Steve N. Wagers October 29. 2006 Sermon Outline 1. Committed to the Practice of Praise! A) A Personal Practice B) A Perpetual Practice 2. Conscious of the Power of Praise! A) Saints are Refreshed by Praise B) Satan is Resisted by Praise 3. Comfortable in the Presence of Praise! A) An Enjoyable Experience B) An Exciting Experience

A British poll of more than 2000 people was used to reveal the country’s consuming belief in the supernatural. It found that:

(68%) in ghosts (55%) in God. (26%) in UFO's (19%) in reincarnation (4%) Loch Ness Monster. (12%) have actually seen a ghost.

Responding to the findings of the poll, spokesman David Rich said: "We are becoming a society that believes more in ghosts than in God.”

Exwitch Ministries is an outreach to those who are involved in the occult and supporting those who are exploring the claims of Christ. But Halloween doesn't have to be a trapdoor to hell. And many former witches don't want to see the holiday left in Satan's

2 hands to be used for his own purposes. They want to see the day redeemed.

Mark Bishop, a self-described former "eclectic witch," said in a recent interview that when he first came to faith in Christ, he really hated Halloween was because of his sensitivity to the occult symbolism associated with it. He said, "As the costumes got more and more grotesque and more celebratory of darkness, it bothered me a lot. I knew what was on the other side and I knew it was real."

Strangely enough, his son's kindergarten teacher helped him understand that God made Halloween just like He made every other day of the year. "Satan doesn't own the day," said Bishop. "I still know what's real and what's on the other side. But God made this day just like He made all the others and we don't have to give it to Satan."

Bishop, in fact, recommends that Christian believers teach their children to reclaim the day. He comments, "The Scripture says we are in a battle against principalities and powers of the air, wickedness in high places. If Halloween isn't a reminder of that, what is?" What better time to stand against the night?"

Over the centuries, there have been numerous attempts to redeem the holiday, most notably led by the organized church. Somewhere in the 17th century, commemoration of the Celtic New Year celebration of

3 Samhain was replaced by Pope Boniface IV AS All- hallows or Halloween. It’s interesting that October 31 was passed in prayer and fasting with November 1 and 2 becoming All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, respectively. [1]

As Bible believing Christians we should not look to October 31 as a diabolic day, but as a divine day. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Church at Wittenburg, Germany in opposition to the erroneous teaching, and dangerous practice of indulgences in the Catholic Church.

The sound of the hammer that day would resound across Europe and eventually reach the entire civilized world with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That day was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. [2]

Instead of greeting you today with Happy Halloween, I greet you with Happy Hallelujah. In Psalm 147: 1, the Psalmist reminds us of our responsibility to praise God. He speaks of the duty of praise, and then outlines the definition of praise.

If we were to go around the auditorium of the average Baptist church we would find that many are doubters, and many are pouters; but, all should be SHOUTERS! God desires, demands, and deserves that His people give Him praise.

4 From Psalm 146: 1 to Psalm 150: 1, we see God’s command to give Him praise. On each occasion we are commanded to “Praise ye the Lord.” The words “praise ye the Lord” are actually one Hebrew word and it is the word for “Hallelujah!” In the providence of God the word is transliterated instead of translated. That simply means that it is pronounced in almost every language the same that it is in the original language of the Bible.

In English, it is “Hallelujah.” In French, it is “Hallelujah.” In Spanish, it is “Hallelujah.” In German, it is “Hallelujah.” The word “Hallelujah” is a combination of 2 Hebrew words. It comes from the word hallal which means, “To brag, or boast;” and, the word Jah that is simply a shortened name for God. Thus, when we say “Hallelujah,” or when we praise the Lord we are simply bragging on and boasting in the Lord of Glory.

To the world one may look foolish. To others, it may appear that they are putting on a show. Yet, as you look at the scripture you find that it is desired, and demanded by God Himself.

In our text, the Psalmist says that praise is “good, pleasant and comely.” From these descriptions we learn that praise is to have its part in the life of every Christian. As a Christian you may, or may not, observe Halloween. Personally, I am going to leave that up for you and the Lord to decide. But, while you

5 may not wish someone “Happy Halloween,” you should readily say “Happy Hallelujah” for 3 reasons.

First of all, we learn in the text that we should be:

1. COMMITTED to the PRACTICE of Praise!

The first word the Psalmist uses to describe praise is the word “good.” The Hebrew word is tabab and it speaks of that which is “suitable, or fitting.” The word literally means, “That which is in order.” In other words, the Psalmist is saying that when it comes to praise, in regards to believers, it is something that is suitable, fitting and is always in order.

Simply put, as believers, we should be committed to the practice of praise for 2 reasons. First, praise is to be:

A) A PERSONAL Practice!

As I said from Psalm 146 to Psalm 150 we are commanded to give praise to God. It is not a subject open for debate, but for duty. Our duty, as believers, is to give unto God the glory due to His name. The summation is given as the book of Psalms concludes, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

In Psalm 148, the angels praise God, the sun, the moon, the stars, the fire, the hail, the snow, the

6 stormy wind, the mountains, the hills, the trees, the beasts, the creeping things, and the cattle all praise God. In other words, all of creation gives praise to the Creator. Yet, the one person God wants to praise Him is the very one that often fails to praise Him, and that is man.

Every time a little bird chirps, or sings it is saying, “Praise the Lord.” Every time a little puppy barks, or runs in the yard it is saying, “Praise the Lord.” Every time a horse nays, or gallops through the hillside it is saying, “Praise the Lord.” Every time a cow moos, or gives milk it is saying, “Praise the Lord.’ Every time that the suns shines, the moon glistens, the stars sparkle, the wind blows, and the clouds give forth snow or rain, all of nature is saying, “Praise the Lord.’

Yet, man goes through life breathing God’s free air, eating God’s good food, and enjoying God’s beautiful creation only to moan, bicker, grumble and complain. As believers we ought to develop a personal practice where, if we live to see another day, we wake up and say, “Praise the Lord.”

As you read the Bible, you see that God wants us to praise Him with our:

Lips: (Psalm 63:3) “My lips shall praise thee.” Hands: (Psalm 63:4) “I will lift up my hands in thy name.” Songs: (Psalm 47:6) “Sing praises to God…sing praises.”

7 Shout: (Psalm 47:1) “Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” Clap: (Psalm 47:1) “O clap your hands all ye people.”

The scriptures are very clear that every believer is to make praise a personal practice in their lives.

One of my favorite characters is Billy Bray. He was a Cornish coalminer who lived a wicked life before God saved him. After his conversion he was never ashamed of the Lord, and never got over what God had done for him. He was a very unusual person. On one occasion a friend said to him, “The Lord told me to give you a coat. Try them on and see if they will fit you.” Billy Bray said, “Fit me? If the Lord told you to give them to me, they will fit, because He knows my size exactly.”

Some of his favorite expressions were “Bless the Lord, Glory,” and “Hallelujah.” He told people that he had named his left foot “Hallelujah” and his right foot “Glory.” He said that as he walked down the street he wanted his feet to shout “Hallelujah” and “Glory” to give praise to God. He was often criticized for his emotional behavior and his manner of praising God. He would jump, run and dance all the while praising the Lord.

Someone once told him that if he didn’t “simmer” down that they were going to shut him up in a barrel. Billy Bray responded, “That’s all right. I’ll just shout

8 through the knothole.” He would answer his critics, “Down here you might be a doubter, or a pouter; but, in Heaven you will be a shouter.” In fact, the last words that he ever spoke were “Glory to God!”

I know that in many of today’s churches a person like Billy Bray would be laughed at, ridiculed and made fun of. But, I would love to have a whole church full of Billy Bray’s who have never gotten over what it means to be saved; and, thus have no problem praising God.

Not only should praise be a personal practice, but:

B) A PERPETUAL Practice!

The words “good, pleasant and comely” are all indicative adjectives. In other words, they denote something that is be done, and done repeatedly. Simply put, we are not only to praise God personally, but we are to praise God perpetually. We should never cease to praise the Lord.

We read in Hebrews 13: 5, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

I love the music of Isaac Watts, believed by many such as Spurgeon, Wesley and Whitfield to be the greatest hymn writer of history. I believe Watts

9 understood the continual need of praise when he wrote:

I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath, And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers; My days of praise shall ne’er be past, While life, and thought and being last, Or immortality endures.

As believers, our praise to God should be a personal practice. Regardless of what other do, or say, we should find ourselves personally praising God. Our praise to god should be a perpetual praise. There should never be a day that goes by where we fail, or forget to give God praise. As our text says, praise is “good.” It is suitable. It is fitting. It is always in order.

Secondly, we should not only be committed to the practice of praise, but we should be:

2. CONSCIOUS of the POWER of Praise!

Our text says, “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant.” The next word he uses to describe our praise is the word “pleasant.” The Hebrew word chamad means, “To be desirable, or delightful.”

In other words, to the believer, praise is to be a desirable and delightful experience. Praise is an

10 enhancing, enriching and enlarging experience. Why? There is POWER in praise.

I think of a little chorus I learned a number of years ago:

It’s amazing what praising can do. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! It’s amazing what praising can do. Hallelujah! I don’t worry when things go wrong, Jesus fills my heart with a song. It’s amazing what praising can do, Hallelujah!

When we praise God it replaces our pity, our problems and our perplexities with power. Our text describes the power of praise by telling us that:

A) SAINTS are REFRESHED by Praise!

The Psalmist describes the effects of praise upon God’s people. He says in verse 3, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” In verse 6, “The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.”

He is describing the marvelous therapy that praise is for the hurting Christian. There is the healing of a broken heart and the binding of the wounded soul when we praise God.

11 So many Christians today are living lives of defeat, despondency, discouragement and depression. Yet, the prescription God gives is to praise Him. Why?

Simply because discouragement, defeat and despondency comes from a preoccupation with the problems around us. However, praise takes our focus off of the problems that are around us and puts our focus on the Person who is above us. The problems around us always change, but the Person above us never changes; thus, when we praise Him, our hearts are refreshed. I think of John Bunyan who spent 13 years in the Bedford Jail for preaching the gospel. During his long imprisonment, he carved a flute out of the leg of the only stool he had. With the flute he played melodies of praise and worship to God. Instead of focusing on his grief, he used that time to focus on God.

In Isaiah 61: 3 we are told to “give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” In other words, if you are fighting a battle, or carrying a burden the best prescription is to take off your “spirit of heaviness,” and put on the “garment of praise.

Praise is a Heavenly medicine for a discouraged heart. Praise is a spiritual therapy for a defeated heart. Praise is a Divine remedy for a distressed heart. Take your eyes off of your circumstances and

12 put them on the One who is above, over and in control of your circumstances. Not only are saints refreshed by praise, but:

B) SATAN is RESISTED by Praise!

If you are a Christian, you are in a battle. If you are a Christian, you have an enemy. If you are a Christian, you are going to battle with your enemy until you get to Heaven. I know there are a lot of “devil-chasers” on television who seem to think that we can bully the devil and scare him away. Yet, I remind you that you, or I, are no match, in and of ourselves, for the devil.

He is much more than a little man sitting on a can of potted meat with a long tail, two horns and a pitchfork. He is powerfully real, and he is really powerful. However, though we fight a powerful enemy, we serve an all-powerful God. We read in verse 5, “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

The verses that follow describe a God who is so powerful that He “covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. [9] He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. [10] He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. [14] He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. [15] He sendeth forth his commandment

13 upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. [16] He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. [17] He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? [18] He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.”

The Psalmist is reminding us that praise is the one of the greatest weapons in our arsenal. Praise is one of the greatest weapons we can use in fighting our enemy, the devil. Once you begin to praise God, it won’t be long before the devil will tuck his tail and run, because his ears cannot stand to listen to the praise the saints give the Savior.

One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of Jehosophat in 1 Chronicles 20. Jehosophat was faced with an army much greater and larger than his own, but when they went out to fight the battle, he put the choir on the front line, and the enemy was defeated. The plan of the enemy was overthrown through praise. When we praise God we are acknowledging who He is, and that is something the devil cannot stand. He may have power over us, but He has no power over God. Thus, when we give God praise, the enemy is resisted.

I love the words of James 4: 7-8. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [8] Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.” One of the greatest ways to

14 “draw nigh to God” is to give Him praise. When we “draw nigh” to Him, He “draws nigh” to us, and the devil has to flee.

Finally, the Psalmist reminds us that we should not only be committed to the practice of praise and conscious of the power of praise; but, we should be:

3. COMFORTABLE in the PRESENCE of Praise!

We read in verse 1, “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.” The third word that he uses to describe our praise is the word “comely.” It reminds us that when it comes to praising God it should be:

A) An ENJOYABLE Experience!

The word “comely” literally means, “To be at home with.” The word was often used in association with how a guest would feel in a Jewish home. If their time was enjoyable, they would often say that they had a “comely” time. In other words, praise ought to be something in which a Christian finds Himself very comfortable. A believer ought to feel right at home whenever praise is taking place.

Sad to say, praise, in a lot of Baptist churches, is an unnatural as a snake in a nursery. If somebody raised their hand, said “Amen,” or shouted “Glory to God,” it would totally disrupt the service. If someone

15 stood up and shouted, half the congregation would probably pass out. Believe it or not, to some Christians, praise is very offensive.

I think of the old lady who was visiting a large, formal church. Whenever the preacher said something she liked, which wasn’t very often, she would express her approval by saying, “Amen,” “Praise God,” or “Bless the Lord.” Everyone around her, including the pastor, became very uncomfortable.

Finally, the pastor motioned for the deacons to escort her from the service. Two ushers grabbed her and began carrying her toward the back door. As she neared the door, she started shouting again by saying, “Glory to God,” “Thank You, Jesus.” The pastor said, “What in the world are you shouting about now?” She said, “Glory to God, Jesus got carried into Jerusalem on just 1 donkey; but, I’m getting carried out of church by 2!”

There are those who say, “I think we ought to be reverent when we come to church.” I understand what it means to be reverent, but the most reverent place in the world in the graveyard. And, those people in the graveyard are quiet, but it’s not because they are reverent!

Many people don’t know the difference between reverence and rigor mortis. Some say, “I just don’t behave that way. I’m more reserved.” Yet, that same person will watch soap operas all day, and cry

16 like a baby; but, that’s acceptable because it is DRAMA. However, when someone praises God at church that is considered DRASTIC.

Some were at the Florida/Georgia football game yesterday and hollered until they were hoarse; but, that is acceptable because they are a FAN. Yet, if someone shouts at church that is considered being a FANATIC. A person will cry at a wedding because they are considered EMOTIONAL. Yet, a person who ‘let’s ‘er rip’ at church is considered EXTREME.

Praising God should be as natural to a Christian as swimming is to a fish. It should not be something that is endured, but something that is enjoyed. Finally, praise should not only be an enjoyable experience, but:

B) An EXCITING Experience!

If you study worship in the Bible, you’ll find out that worship was marked with brightness, spontaneity, and joy. The early Christians had something that fire could not burn, swords could not kill, water could not drown, and jails could not hold. They knew the holiness, loveliness, and glory of God in a life- changing way.

I recently saw a man that has not been back to our church in a few weeks. I told him that we missed him and invited him to come back. His comment to me was, “Preacher, I enjoyed your service, but you might

17 want to think about handing our ear plugs when people walk in the door.”

Can I be honest? That fellow doesn’t need ear plugs, he needs a HEART MONITOR! A person whose heart is right with God will have no problem being in the presence of praise. You may not be a shouter, but it shouldn’t upset you if someone else shouts. You may not be an emotional person, but it shouldn’t bother you if someone else gets emotional.

I find it hard to believe how someone as big as God could step out of Heaven, get into our heart and it not cause us to raise a hand, wave a hanky, give a shout, run an aisle, or say “Amen!”

When I think about where I was, what I used to be, and where I was going. When I think about the day that I couldn’t get to God, but God came to me. When I think about the time that He picked me up off the road to hell and put me on the road to Heaven, I want to pull my shoes off, run around this place about 50 times shouting, “Glory to God!” “Hallelujah!” “Blessed be God.” “Praise the Lord!”

The Psalmist says in verse 1,” it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.” In other words, as believers, we should be committed to the practice of praise, conscious of the power of praise and comfortable in the presence of praise.

18 I’ll be honest with you, dead services make me nervous. I hate dead singing. I hate dead announcements. I hate dead handshakes. I hate dead giving. And I hate dead preaching. The God of the Bible; the God we come to worship; and, the God who saved our unworthy soul is not a God of the dead, but a God of the living. Thus, praising Him should be an enjoyable, as well as, an exciting experience.

Furthermore, I find it interesting how much the “Charismatic Movement” has damaged, and hindered our praise and worship of God. Yet, most of that crowd believes that you can get saved and lose it; yet, they run the aisles, climb the walls and swing from the chandeliers.

However, as Bible-believing Baptists, we believe salvation is God’s work from start to finish. Thus, when a person gets saved there is nothing he can do to keep it, or lose it; yet, we sit here and look like we ate persimmons for breakfast.

If you want to shout, you won’t scare me. If you want to raise you hand, you won’t offend me. If you want to run the aisle, you won’t bother me. To be honest, that kind of worship is what I “cut my teeth on.”

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about working it up. I’m not interesting in being around something that is fabricated, foolish or fleshy. However, I am saying that when God, in the person

19 of the Holy Spirit begins to move in your heart, and He prompts you to express your praise through your personality, you shouldn’t have to look over your shoulder as to what someone might think or say.

When God shows up, shows out and shows off we should feel right at home, and be comfortable in the presence of praising Him. C. S. Lewis said it well, “It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to men.” If you are not worshiping God, but you are serving Him (or so you think), you are making a big mistake. To pray without worship is mockery. To sing without worship is sounding brass. To work without worship is an insult to God. To teach without worship is ignorance. To serve without worship is hypocrisy. To witness without worship is perjury. God wants your worship.”

I think of a man who was left in a hospital bed to die. He had been terminally ill for a number of years, and there was nothing else that could be done for him. In his last moments of conscious life, he would often fade in and out. He would sit up in his bed and speak something clearly; and, then drift back into unconsciousness.

One day, the man suddenly sat up in his bed and said, “Bring! Bring!” The nurses charged into his room to what he wanted, but he fell back into unconsciousness. They thought he might want a blanket, so they brought one and laid it on his bed.

20 A little while later he sat up again and shouted, “Bring! Bring!” The nurses came in again to see what he wanted, but again he fell back unconscious. They thought perhaps he wanted a drink of water, so they brought it to him. A few minutes later he sat up and cried, “Bring! Bring!” The nurses thought he wanted his family, so they called his family to his bedside.

Several minutes later, the man sat up in his bed and shouted, “Bring! Bring!” His family, gathered around him, asked him what it was that he wanted. Suddenly, he sat up in his bed, open wide his eyes, looked toward Heaven and begin to sing:

Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all!

I don’t know about you, but I’d not only like to leave this world singing, shouting and praising God; but, I’d like to live the rest of my days singing, shouting and praising God. Why? Because of who God is to me, what God has done for me, and He is the One who desires, demands and deserves my praise. Endnotes 1) Crosswalk.com, “How Former Witches Want You to Celebrate Halloween.” 2) Heroes of the Faith, pg. 124-125.