Psalm 111: God Elicits Praise

Worship, Wonder and Wisdom

 

I.       Introduction

 

Johnny Bergman and his wife were enthusiastic participants in a congregation. Then, they had children, became wealthy and their lives filled up with boats and cars, house and social engagements. They worshipped less and less frequently and then not at all. After a two-year absence from worship, Johnny was there again. Surprised to see him, the pastor said, "Johnny! What brought you to worship today?" He said, "I woke this morning realizing that I am so blessed, so alive, so created; I just had to say thank you, and this is the only place I could think of to say it adequately. I wanted to say it to Jesus."[1]

 

Mr. Bergman chose to worship God as an act of thanksgiving to God for the blessings in his life. In other words, he praised God. This passage tells us something about praise. The Psalmist tells us God elicits praise from God’s children.  The Psalm also gives us three important characteristic of the praise, which God draws from us. It says: Worship is its form; Wonder is its cause; and Wisdom is its power. Worship, Wonder and Wisdom: let’s consider each of these.

 

II.      Worship is its form (v. 1)

 

God elicits praise from God’s children. We hear so much today about praise today. Here is a story, which presents what I believe is a prevailing view of praise in the church:

 A staid and orthodox Presbyterian minister of Old Scotland had a poor old woman in his congregation who was in the habit of saying, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," when anything particularly helpful was said. This practice greatly disturbed the minister and one New Year's day he went to see her. "Betty," he said, "I will make a bargain with you. You call out, 'Praise the Lord' just when I get to the best part of my sermon and it upsets my thoughts. Now if you will stop doing it all this year, I will give you a pair of wool blankets." Betty was poor, and the offer of the blankets sounded good. So she did her best to earn them. Sunday after Sunday she kept quiet. But one day as he preached on the forgiveness of sin and all the blessings that follow, the vision of the blankets began to fade away, and the joys of salvation grew brighter and brighter. At last Betty could stand it no longer and jumping up she cried, "Blankets or no blankets, Hallelujah!"[2]

 

Was that lady’s outward expressions a legitimate way of praising God? Maybe! Is the serene state of our worship also legitimate praise? Maybe again! Acts of praise are legitimate only as they express gratitude to God. Praise of God is not about what I say or how I say it. In truth, praise has nothing to do with my saying anything. Praise of God is a state of heart. The Psalmist describes it as an attitude of gratitude expressed in corporate worship: “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”[3]

 

God elicits praise from God’s children. To be a child of God means, in part, to praise God; to express one’s gratitude to God through worship. Why are you here today? If you are here for any reason other than to express gratitude to God, I suggest that you reassess your understanding of worship in order that future worship experiences might be richer and more meaningful.

One cannot worship rightly without praising God. Another way to say that is: no one can worship rightly without offering thanksgiving to God. Nor can one praise God rightly without doing so in corporate worship. Here, in corporate worship, we express our attitudes of gratitude to God. It is something that God’s children do because God draws it from us.

 

Praise is an attitude of gratitude. Worship is its form.

 

III.           Wonder is its cause (vv. 2-9)

 

Worship is truly worship only as we praise God or express our gratitude to God for the Wonder of God’s works. Worship is the form that praise takes and Wonder is its cause.

 

Samuel Wesley the father of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was a dedicated pastor, but there were those in his parish who did not like him. In 1709, a fire broke out in the rectory, possibly set by one of the pastor’s enemies. John, not yet six years old, was stranded on an upper floor of the building. One neighbor stood on the other’s shoulders and rescued John through the window. Samuel Wesley said, “Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God... Let the house go. I am rich enough.” In later years John often... gave thanks to God for God’s mercy.[4]

The Wesleyes praised God for the Wonder of God’s mercy in sparing John’s life. For what act of Wonder are you thankful? What has God done in your life for which you are praising God today? The truth is that unless God opens our eyes to the wonder of God’s gifts to us, we will never recognize them as gifts from God and we will never praise God for them.

The Psalmist says, “He [God] has caused his wondrous works to be remembered.” Then he lists several works of God, the greatest of which refers to redemption through Jesus Christ. All children of God serve a faithful God who has given to us an eternal promise of eternal life. Praise God!

 

Another John Wesley story: John was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He was from a strong Christian home and was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, while speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet the porter was an unusually happy person, filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man's misfortunes. "And what else do you thank God for?" he said with a touch of sarcasm. The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, "I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!"[5]

 

When God makes us aware of the wonder of God’s works, the fear of the Lord is born in us. Fear of the Lord refers to true faithfulness: the reverence that a faithful son or daughter gives to a loving parent.[6] The fear of the Lord calls us to praise God and we actually do.

 

God elicits praise from God’s children. Praise: Worship is its form and Wonder is its cause.

 

 

IV.            Wisdom is its power (v. 10)

 

Fear of the Lord is like an Africa fruit called the "taste berry." It’s called the taste berry because it changes a person's taste so that everything eaten tastes sweet and pleasant. Sour fruit, even if eaten several hours after the taste berry, becomes sweet and delicious. Fear of the Lord is the taste berry of the Christian faith.[7]

 

It is the power by which God’s children praise God for the wonder of God’s works. In other words, fear of the Lord is the power that moves us to accept with grace and gratitude the guidance given us by the all-wise God. Another word for this power is Wisdom. God elicits praise from God’s children. Worship is its form and Wonder is its cause. Wisdom is its power.

 

Biblical wisdom is a practical thing. It is, in brief, the God-given power to live life skillfully. That is, wisdom is the power to see God at work in the every day things of life.

 

Elizabeth Elliot, in her book Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how she had black hair while her friends had beautiful golden hair. She also complained that her friends grew tall, but she was only four 4’ – 10”. At last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary. She stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them was short like I.” She was then able to praise God saying, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”[8]

 

Wisdom is the power by which we both see the wonder of God’s work and thank God for it. Wisdom is also the power by which we choose to join God in what we see God doing. It is the power by which we heed the word of the Spirit. It is the power of obedience.

 

During the War Between the States, General Lee one day sent word to Stonewall Jackson that the next time he rode in the direction of headquarters the Commander-in-Chief would be glad to see him on a matter of no great importance. General Jackson received the message and immediately prepared to leave the next morning. Rising very early, he rode the eight miles to Lee’s headquarters against a storm of wind and snow, and arrived just as Lee was finishing breakfast. Much surprised, Lee inquired why Jackson had come through such a storm. General Jackson replied: “But you said that you wished to see me. General Lee’s slightest wish is a supreme command to me.”[9]

 

Wisdom is the God-given power to both see God’s work and to join God in what God is doing. Wisdom is the God-given power behind our praise of God.

 

God elicits praise from God’s children. Worship is its form. Wonder is its cause. Wisdom is its power.

 

 

V.               Conclusion

         

In conclusion: A conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. 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 through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over, 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased.[10]

 

I wonder how many balloons would have been released this morning if everyone here had been given one. We are here is the presence of God, the God who elicits praise from God’s children. Have you recognized the wonder of God’s work in your life? If so, have you praised God for it? Have you given thanks to God? In other words, do you have Wisdom, the God given power, not just talk about praising God, but to actually do it? Praise: its form is Worship; its cause is Wonder; its power is Wisdom. Let your balloon go! Amen


[1] Attributed to “Eugene H. Peterson, ‘Birthing,’ Christian Century, January 6-13, 1999, 27” at Homileticsonline.com

[3]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 (Ps 111:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[4] Attributed to “Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, W. Wiersbe, Moody Press, 1984, p. 251” at eSermons.com. Modified for inclusive language and clarity.

[5] Attributed to “Our Daily Bread” at eSermons.com

[6] The idea for this statement came from “M.G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897).” Easton’s definition has been greatly reworded for the sake of clarity.

[7] Obtained from http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+4418. The quote has been modified because it tends to uplift the human rather than God. The purpose of gratitude is praise of God alone. If its purpose is to fix my problems, then it is merely another form of attempted manipulation of God. Also, it has been modified to define “fear of the Lord” as the true “taste berry’ of Christianity instead of gratitude for gratitude is a power of one’s fear of the Lord. 

[8] Attributed to “Elizabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman” at http://elbourne.org/sermons/index

[9]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).

[10] Attributed to “Bruce Larson, Luke, p. 43” at eSermons.com