By
Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah
(Evangelist)
EXORDIUM
Praise is
beautiful (Psalms 33:1). Praise is a powerful means of communicating to God. It
has been said that when prayer fails, one should switch over to praise. The
importance of praise cannot be over emphasized in the lives of God’s people.
When God’s people immerse themselves in praise of their God, He in turn
“inhabits” their praises (Psalms 22:3). When God is happy, the joy of the Lord
will in turn translate to the strength of His people (Nehemiah 8:10).
“Praise”
is thanksgiving. Bible teaches that it is God’s ultimate will in Christ for us
to praise Him in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in (cf. I Thessalonians
5:18). In other words, praise is a Christian’s lifestyle.
When we (made in the Image of God) refuse
to praise God, elementary objects will do just that (cf. Luke 19:37-40). This
explains why a popular singer, Ron Kenoly sang, “Nothing can out praise me…!”
There is
absolute and overwhelming power in praise. The glory that emanates when God’s
people praise Him were exemplified by:
1. Israelites
during dedication of the temple at Jerusalem II Chronicles 5:12-14. The result
was God’s glory filled the temple. The same can be our experience when we
constantly praise the Lord as His glory will fill our environments.
2. Early church,
shortly after the establishment and induction of the new membership engaged in
spirited praises (Acts 2:47). The results were:
(a). People
around held them in high esteem (Acts 2:47b).
(b). The
church grew daily (Acts 2:47c).
3. Surrounded
by enemies and threatened to extinction, Israelites sought the face of God and
were instructed to praise Him (II Chronicles 20:1-26).
4. Paul and
Silas were locked up in prison but because they engaged
in spirited praises,
God became involved in their circumstance,
sent angels who opened the prison
gates (Acts 16: 25-26).
Praise God in your tough times and expect Divine
intervention. When you are up to your neck in hot water be like a tea pot and
start to sing! Singing is an outward expression of an inward sense of praise.
In Scriptures when we read of saints in worship
sessions, we see them rendering thunderous praise to God in humble adoration
and in Joyous celebration of His eternal mercies unto them. Examples
abound:
1. When the
LORD led the Israelites through the Red sea
(Ex.15:1-11f).
2. In heaven
the Living Beings and the 24 elders (Revelations 4:8-11).
3. When the
LAMB of God, Jesus received the sealed book from the hand of God (Revelations 5:8-14).
4. The
blood-bought congregation (Revelations7:9-15).
5. The
four-fold Hallelujahs (Revelations 19:1-7).
So, when next you come before God in worship,
you are not just there to pray, study God’s Word, give of your means, partake
in Lord’s Supper but also to engage in sing-spiration (praise songs) in
exaltation to the LORD.
There are two categories of praise: Personal
(private) and corporate (public). In personal praises, we give time to exalting
the LORD who is the captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10), the High Priest of
our confession (Hebrews 3:1), the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
In praises, question is not, “How much
of God do I get? “But”, How much of my praise do I give to God?”
WHAT IS BIBLICAL PRAISE?
Biblical
praise is praise in line with Scriptural principles and injunctions. As
Christians, we offer worship and praise to God as He desires not as we desire.
We so according to Holy Spirit’s directives and in line with Truth (John 4:24;
17:17; cf. I Corinthians 14:15).
To
do this, we follow strictly what Bible says (I Peters 4:11), not introducing
any foreign practices (Leviticus 10:1-2). To bring in what is not authorized
makes our worship and praise to be in vain (Matthew 15:8-9).
As
Christians we follow the teachings of our Saviour and Lord (John 8:24) as well
as examples of the Apostles (Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:42).
We
must guard against doing things contrary to God’s original patterns (Hebrews
8:5).
It is one
thing to be zealous for God while it is another to be zealous for God in
accordance with knowledge (Romans 10:1-3). Serving God is not doing what we
think is right, but doing what God says we should do, irrespective of how
popular or unpopular they are.
Assumption
is a sin with grave consequence. We must be sure that we are sure. There must
be a Bible book, chapter and verse authorization of what we do. The key word,
therefore, is PATTERN. Missing Biblical pattern is missing the mark. When we
miss the mark, we end up dissipating energy in that which is of no value.
Pattern
is one concept that says it all – whether you are in manufacturing, building
and construction, shoe-making, fashion designing, etcetera. If men and women,
fickle as we are know the strategic importance of maintaining pattern, we
should begin to see that God places high premium.
Calling
and commissioning Moses to build a Tabernacle, God told him matter-of-factly,
“…See, that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the
mount” (Hebrews 8:5). Capitalizing on this landmark instruction, Holy Spirit
applied this instruction and testified that certain things, “… serve unto the example
and shadow of heavenly things…” (Hebrews 8:5a) In other words, earthly
activities of mankind, whether in their general daily comportments or worship
should be reflections of how they are done in Heaven. No wonder our Lord while
teaching His disciples the modus operandi and vivendi of prayers had said,
“…let Thy Will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
Keying
into or a failure to key into Divine Pattern is make or mar; determining
whether one is right or wrong; approved by God or disapproved by Him. Show me a
person who sticks to God’s Pattern and I will tell you the name of a person who
God is pleased with.
IMPORTANCE OF PATTERN
In
industrial production, every company has a pattern; else, there would be
differences in subsequent production. Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)
is laden with the responsibility of ensuring that all products produced in Nigeria or imported into Nigeria meet
regulatory standards. The same applies to NAFDAC.
God
recognized the need for pattern or standard before man and so ensured that His
patterns should be adhered to. Few Biblical examples might help in driving this
point home:
1. When Noah was to build an ark, God gave him a pattern or
specifications (Genesis 6:14-16; 7:5).
2. When Moses was to build a tabernacle for God, he was expressly
warned to follow a particular pattern provided for him (Hebrews 8:5; Exodus
25:40).
3. Because God’s Ark Covenant with Israel was not carried according to
God’s pattern, God was angry with David and so slew Uzzah (I Chronicles 15:13;
cf. I Chronicles 13:7-12) but when they went back to God’s word, the pattern
(way and manner which God had instructed that His Ark of Covenant with Israel
should be carried) was uncovered and Israelites in King David’s time were able
to carry it successfully (I Chronicles 15:14-15; cf. Exodus 25:14).
4. Because Nadab and Abihu did not abide by God’s pattern, God slew
them (Leviticus 10:1-2)
GOD’S PATTERN FOR PRAISES
Jesus is our grand pattern (I Peter
2:21).
Jesus’
pattern of is found in the things He taught and did (Acts 1:1). He had left
this patterns with His apostles, which is why they are part of the foundation
(Ephesians 2:20). We are, therefore, called upon to follow the examples of
Jesus and His apostles. We must follow the examples of those who followed
Jesus’ examples (I Corinthians 11:1). Succinctly stated, early disciples
followed God’s pattern (Acts 2:42). We must do well to follow that pattern.
What were
Jesus’ and apostles examples of praises to God?
1. Jesus
sang an hymn (Matthew 26:30).
2. Apostles
praised God by singing hymns (Acts 16:25).
Become a
‘Patterned’ Christian. Learn to speak where Bible speaks, be silent where Bible
is silent, call Bible things by Bible names and do Bible things by Bible ways.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ON WORSHIP: IS IT BY GOD?
No where
in both Old and New Testaments do we find GOD TELLING people to employ the use of
musical instrument in His praises or worship. God is actually against its use
(Amos 5:23).
What
about Psalm 150? Musical instruments in Jewish worship was the handiwork of
David. God accused David of “inventing” musical instrumental music into His
worship (Amos 6:5; I Chronicles 15:16).
Note: God at Amos 6:5 accused “David
of Inventing instruments of music” in His Worship. Was this allegation true?
What has David to say to this? At I Chronicles 23:5 and II Chronicles 7:6 David
admitted that he was inventor of musical instruments in Old Testament worship
(see also Psalms 150).
Under New Testament (Christian), teachings
and use of Christian Music are purely A-cappella (Singing without any
accompaniment of mechanical instruments (Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25; I
Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; Hebrews
13:15; James 5:13).
No where
is the use of instrumental music commanded, taught or used by and among
Christians in New Testament. Jesus did not command it. Holy Spirit did not
authorize it. Apostles and early Christians did not use it. Since these were
so, by what authority then do people use musical instruments in today’s
Christian worship?
WHAT SOME
PROMINENT CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS SAID ABOUT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP
Adam Clark, a Methodist Church Minister (Adam Clark’s
Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 684) said,
I am an
old man and an old minister and I here declare that I never knew them (that is
mechanized instruments of music) of being productive of any good in the worship
of God and have had reason to believe that they were more productive of evil.
Music as a science, I esteem and admire but instruments of music in the House of
God, I abominate and I abhor.
Martin Luther, the great Reformer called organ instruments in
worship as “An ensign of Baal.”
John Calvin said that “musical instruments in the worship were
no more suitable today than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps and
the restoration of other shadows of the Law.”
CONCLUSION
Are a
worshiper of God? Do you engage in praises? Are you praising God in accordance
with His established principles or according to Davidic injunctions?
Your obedience
and compliance to Biblical patterns of praises are what determines whether you
are pleasing to God or not.
I encourage
you today to come back to God’s patterns of praises, repent of your practice
and become New Testament Christian, worshipping and praising Him the way He
desires.
Would you give
your life to Jesus today? Would want to be baptized to wash away your sins and
make peace with God? The earlier this is done, the better. Today, as you hear
His voice, do not harden your heart (Hebrews 3:7-8). NOW is the acceptable time
and today is the day of Salvation (II Corinthians 6:1-2)!
God bless you.
No comments:
Post a Comment