Made to Praise

June 18, 2017


Do you know what you were made for? You were made to praise God and bring Him glory! Sadly, when you replace your primary purpose with something else it leads to pain, confusion and even destruction. If you tried to use a saw as a hammer it would destroy the hammer and be painful for the user; not to mention ineffective at hammering nails.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Only God can satisfy you because He made you for a specific purpose; to love and adore Him.

Ephesians 1:3-14, “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

FOURTEEN THINGS PAUL WAS THANKFUL TO GOD FOR:

  1. Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing, (v. 3).
  2. Chosen to be Holy & Blameless, (v. 4).
  3. Adoption to Sonship, (v. 5).
  4. Glorious Grace, (v. 6).
  5. Redemption & Forgiveness, (v. 7).
  6. All Wisdom & Understanding, (v. 8).
  7. Knowing God’s Mysterious Will, (v. 9).
  8. Unified with Christ, (v. 10).
  9. God’s Plan, (v. 11).
  10. Made to Praise God’s Glory, (v. 12).
  11. The Gospel, (v. 13a).
  12. Marked & Sealed by the Holy Spirit, (v. 13b).
  13. Guaranteed Inheritance, (v. 14a).
  14. God’s Possession, (v. 14b).

DEFINITIONS

  1. HOPE: An expectation for something good to come to pass.
  2. PRAISE: The expression of approval, exaltation and admiration.
  3. GLORY: Honor achieved by great achievements.

REFERENCES TO PRAISE IN EPHESIANS

  1. Ephesians 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
  2. Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
  3. Ephesians 1:12, “In order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”
  4. Ephesians 1:14, “Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
  5. Ephesians 3:20-21, “20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
  6. Ephesians 5:18-20, “18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

FOUR WAYS WE BRING GOD PRAISE AND GLORY

  1. ACCEPT GOD’S GRACE: Lovingly, freely and joyfully accept God’s grace through Jesus and end our rebellion (Ephesians 1:6).
  2. LIVE IN GOD’S HOPE: Daily hope and trust in God’s plan, according to His will for your life (Ephesians 1:12).
  3. BELIEVE GOD FOR GREAT THINGS: Believe God is able to do more than you could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).
  4. SING & MAKE MUSIC TO GOD FROM OUR HEART: Put into song and music the thankfulness of your heart (Ephesians 5:18-20).

EIGHT BENEFITS OF SINGING

Physical Benefits

1. Singing strengthens the immune system

2. Singing is a workout

3. Singing improves your posture

4. Singing helps with sleep

Mental & Emotional Benefits

5. Singing is a natural anti-depressant

6. Singing lowers stress levels

7. Singing improves mental alertness

8. Singing broadens communication skills

*Source

I was made to praise, the God of my salvation, all my days!

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Posted in In Him Series