This week, I felt led to take a little different direction. So take this message today as a Word from God.
 
Let’s go over to the 23rd Psalm. Anybody here have any idea what this psalm says?
 
As I like to say about this Psalm that you pretty much only hear at funerals, this is not a psalm that speaks of death; it’s a psalm of life! It is because I believe that it is a beautiful, poetic description of what this good life that God has prearranged and made ready for us to live really looks like. In fact, I taught a long series on this particular psalm a few years ago and we went through each of the things King David said here to describe the kind of life our Good Shepherd wills for all of us have. If interested, I can point you the direction of how to listen to it in its entirety.
 
But today, I just had on my heart to emphasize one verse in this loaded psalm – Psalm 23:5
 
THE HONORABLE HOST
 
Notice that in the last couple of verses of Psalm 23, David is continuing to directly address His Shepherd in this verse like he did at the end of verse 4. However, notice the transition in verses 5&6: Now the example of a Shepherd and His sheep is no longer being used. No, in verses 5&6, he is using the analogy of a person being invited into someone else’s home and being shown great hospitality and honor.
 
So, these last two verses of the 23rd Psalm show us another part of God’s nature. Not only is He that Good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep; He is that Honorable Host who crowns us with His lovingkindness and tender-mercies. Yes, He prepares this table before us and makes all things good and ready! Upon entering, He honors us by anointing our head with oil! He fills our cup up to overflowing! Then our response is, “Surely, my host’s goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life! And I will live in His house forever!” Amen! This is living the good life, my friends!
 
Now let’s look at the beginning of verse 5: David says in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”     
 
Now again, it’s important to realize that this is not referring to the sweet by & by; no, it’s referring to the rotten here & now! Sure, there will be a great marriage supper of Lamb, but what David is referring to is the spread the Lord has prepared for us now in this life. How do I know this? Well, look at this verse …
 
David includes the phrase – “in the presence of my enemies.” How many of you know that when we die and go to heaven, that we are not going to be in the presence of our enemies; we are going to be in the presence of God! No, our enemies are present now, here on the earth. So this is where the Lord has prepared a table before us! Amen?  
 
EATING AT THE KING’S TABLE
 
Now as I meditated on this truth about eating at the Lord’s table, I couldn’t help but think of that story in the book of Second Samuel that is a beautiful type and shadow of what we have in Christ - the story of a man named Mephibosheth … 
 
Notice in Second Samuel 4:4 that we have a brief description of Jonathan’s young son. And when the news came from Jezreel that both his father and grandfather were killed, his nurse took him up and fled in haste. We are told that this is when he fell and became lame.
 
Now as we are going to see through this story of David and Mephibosheth, these things are a type and shadow of our relationship with Christ. So, I want to bring to your attention the lesson we can learn from this:
 
First of all, notice his name – Mephibosheth. Now back in their day, names had much more meaning than they do in our current society. His name meant “dispeller of shame.”
 
Now do you suppose this boy’s name might have had an impact on his life? I guarantee you it did. It would be like one of us having our parents call us shameful our entire youth. I don’t care who you are, that will impact your soul.
 
But guess what else it will do – it can impact your life too.
 
You see, a lot of the things people go through in life can be directly attributed to their identity. And I think that might very well have been the case with Mephibosheth. His identity was that of shame and then in his infancy, he was dropped by his nurse and became lame. I wonder how many people have “lame” lives today because of their “lame” identity.  
 
Well, if that’s you, YOU are the very one that the Lord is inviting to His party! Yes, you are the one that the Lord is seeking out to bring to His table to dine with Him forever! Amen!
 
Now back to the Second Samuel 4:4 – Why did the nurse flee with Mephibosheth after hearing the news of both Saul and Jonathan being killed? It was because it was customary then for one, when taking the throne, to kill all surviving descendants who might ever try to reclaim their family’s throne. Therefore, this nurse assumed that David was like the rest of the kings.
 
But she obviously didn’t know David, did she? She was completely unaware that he was different from others. Yes, David was kind. He was noble. He was gracious. But she didn’t know Him to be this way.
 
Do you reckon that there are many of God’s children out there today who are, likewise, unaware of how good, gracious, and kind our God is? It is sad, but a good portion of God’s church do not truly know their God’s true nature. Just as this woman assumed David was like any other man, likewise Christ’s bride assumes their God is like any other god (i.e. quick to judge, harsh, condemning, critical, etc.)
 
So, this misconception of David caused her to do what? To take Mephibosheth up and flee from David’s presence! Likewise, this misconception of God’s true nature has led many Christians when they have missed it and fallen short of His glory to run from Him rather than to Him.
 
But notice that this response of fear was what caused Jonathan’s nurse to run from David and what caused this accident that left Mephibosheth lame. The same happens to us, my friends. When we run from God in fear, guilt, condemnation, etc., this is when we open ourselves up to falling even further into more permanent spiritual conditions (i.e. spiritual lameness).
 
 
 
 
WHO IS YOUR GOD?
 
You see, we attract what we believe. Much of the body of Christ does not realize how our belief system impacts the fruit we receive in our life. And this is particularly true with how we see our God. I am convinced that there is so much more that God desires to do in our lives than we allow Him to. Yes, just as the children of Israel were guilty of limiting God’s will for them in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, we limit God through our wrong thinking and wrong believing.
 
We have a powerful proverb that teaches us a similar lesson and illustrates to us what Mephibosheth’s nurse did: Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion!”
 
Of course, this first part of Proverbs 28:1 means that those who actually are wicked will flee, but did you know that the same holds true for those who see themselves as “wicked”? Yes, if one sees themselves as a sinner & wicked in the eyes of the Lord, then they will do the same – flee when no one pursues.
 
You see, we are not wicked anymore. If you are a born again, child of God, your nature has been changed and you are not a sinner any longer. Sure, you can still sin after you have been saved, and likely you will. But that does not change your nature.
 
However, notice it is the wicked who flees when no one pursues. And this is exactly what sin consciousness will do in our lives: When we see ourselves as “wicked”—that is, when we are conscious of all of our faults, weaknesses, mistakes and shortcomings— we will flee when no pursues. That means that we will run from God when He is not out to get us. This happened in the Garden after the first sin of man, and it is still happening today when God’s children sin. We sin, and instead of running to God (like we should), we run from Him thinking He is pursuing us to punish us. But the truth is that God is pursuing you when you sin, but not to punish you; He is pursuing you to restore, redeem, and reconcile you!
 
So, the wicked—or the one who thinks he or she is wicked—will flee when no one pursues. This describes far too many Christians. They are running from the righteousness of God because they have an incorrect view of God and of themselves. But, again, God is not pursuing to punish; He is pursuing to pour out His protection and provision.
 
Do you see the perverted thinking much of the church has adopted? We think we are being pursued to be punished, condemned, etc.! We think God is out to get us. No, church, God is for us, so who can be against us! This is what we should believe!
 
But notice the second half of this verse: “But the righteous are bold as a lion.”
 
Now just like it was with the “wicked” in the first part of the verse, this can describe those who actually are “righteous” in regard to their actions, but it can also describe those who see themselves as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
 
You see, this is the truth we need to displace that lie with! The devil just walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, yet we see him as the big, bad lion. But we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and we need to see ourselves as that big, bad lion! Why? Because we are in the Lion of Judah! We are the ones who are hid in the King of the Jungle! Therefore, we should be the bold, confident ones! We should be the ones that are walking about boldly like lions, seeking which works of darkness that we can devour, not the reverse! Hallelujah!
 
Friends, understanding our righteous position in Christ will produce boldness and confidence! Having our state of justification revealed to us will produce the full assurance of faith in our hearts! Hallelujah! We are to be playing the part of the lion, not the devil! We are to be the ones on the hunt; not him! We are the ones with the authority! We are the ones with the position! We are the ones with the name above all names! We ARE the righteousness of God in Christ!
 
So, stop fleeing like the wicked and start pursuing like the righteous! Be bold and be confident! God is on your side!
 
CONTINUE EATING AT THE KING’S TABLE
 
Now let’s go back over to the Book of Second Samuel and look at 2 Samuel chapter 9. In this chapter, we get to see what happened with Mephibosheth later in his life:
 
Chapter nine begins with David saying, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (verse one)
 
Notice, here in verse one, that David said that he was going to show this kindness for Jonathan’s sake. Here, we see a beautiful type and shadow of how God shows us the same “covenant faithfulness” for Jesus’ sake. Amen! In other words, all the goodness, grace and mercy of God that was shown to us was not given to us because of who we are, but because of the Father God’s and the Son of God’s relationship. Amen!  
 
Then notice in verse three that David said that his desire was not just to show any old kindness, but “the kindness of God.” You see, there is a big difference between “our kindness” and “God’s kindness.” Our love is oftentimes conditional; His love is unconditional. Our love is oftentimes merited; His love is unmerited. Our love oftentimes fails; His love never fails! Thanks be to God!  
 
Then, in verse seven, I want you to notice several of the same characteristics of the good life of Psalm 23 that are found here:

1. First of all, David encouraged this man not to fear. This is echoed in both the truths that we need to see God as a good Shepherd with no hint of testing us with evil and that we also do not need to fear any other evil as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
2. David said again that this kindness he was going to show Mephibosheth was for his father’s sake. Remember that David said that He would lead us on the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake - that is, for His own reputation and name’s sake.
3. David told him that he was going to restore to him the land that was his rightful inheritance - reminding us of the truth that we serve the God of restoration, who restores to us the years that we have had stolen from our souls.

 
However, David went on to promise Mephibosheth that he would eat bread at his table continually. The word “continually” comes from the Hebrew word tamid (pronounced “tah-meed”) which means “constantly, always, evermore” but the root word describes continually from an eternal standpoint. So, when you look at this from the perspective of us eating at the Lord’s table, we are invited to eat from this table today in the presence of our enemies, but we will continue to partake of it all the way to the marriage supper of the Lamb and forevermore. That’s a lot of food, amen?  
 
Then notice in verse eight, Mephibosheth’s response to this good news: He said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”
 
So, what we see here is this man had a serious identity problem. To refer to oneself as a “dead dog” means that they see themselves as having no value. This could have been because of what happened to his father’s house, but it also likely had to do with his lameness. You see, sometimes the things that have happened to us in life can warp our sense of value. But what we should be encouraged by here is that it did not change the king’s perspective of him. You see, we tend to think of ourselves as having little to no value and are unworthy, but to God, we are extremely precious and have been made worthy through our “Jonathan”- our Good, Heavenly Father.  
 
Finally, in verse thirteen, we are told, “for he ate continually at the king’s table.” This is the fourth time in this chapter that Mephibosheth eating at David’s table is mentioned. Biblically, the number “four” describes “totality.” Therefore, this table has been “totally” prepared for us! It is a done deal! All things have been made ready and complete! Now it is just up to us to come partake! Amen.  
 
Notice that this beautiful story ends with the phrase, “And he was lame in both his feet.” Now the awesome thing about this whole story of kindness and mercy is that when Mephibosheth sat at David’s table, his lameness was covered. It was hidden. When eating at the table of the Lord there is no sign or indication of our weakness. We are on equal “footing” with Him. Amen!
 
So this is our inheritance in Christ Jesus – to eat at the King of king’s table continually! However, there are just a few things that keep most of God’s children from partaking of this party …
 
One is certainly the unworthiness of feeling like we don’t deserve His grace. So in our hearts, we reject the goodness of God. But here’s another big reason …
 
ACCEPTING THE INVITATION AND NOT LEAVING THE PARTY!
 
In Luke 14:15-24, Jesus used an example to describe how the Lord invites us to His table for a meal and all that were invited began to give excuses, one by one, as to why they could not attend. This angered the Lord and compelled Him to begin inviting those who were less noble - the poor, the maimed, the lame, etc. (Notice here the reference to the “lame.” This will become important later).
 
What’s the lesson here? The Lord has prepared this table before us and has invited each of us to come partake, but we must accept the invitation - not having anything or anyone else be more important than attending His supper.
 
So, just because the Lord has prepared a table does not automatically mean everyone invited will partake of it - not because God is holding back, but because those He invites generally don’t make showing up to that dinner a priority in their lives. Let’s change that! Let’s make eating at the Lord’s table a priority! God is not looking for the able, but for the available. He can and will enable us to do whatever He calls us to.
 
Just as it was said to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20 - the Lord is standing at the door of our hearts knocking, desiring for us to open the door, invite Him in, and dine with Him. And this was written to a church, saints! So, evidently even born-again Christians are capable of not experiencing all that the Lord desires for them.  
 
And again, what we see here is that all that God has for us does not just include us eating at the Lord’s table; it includes eating “in the presence of our enemies.”
 
Now David was certainly a man who experienced this truth in his life, amen? The Lord honored him time and time again during his time in King Saul’s presence. Yes, even though Saul was driven by iniquity and constantly persecuted David, the Lord continued to bless David and delivered him from Saul’s hands. 
                             
This shows us that our God delights in defending us from our adversaries. But the key to experiencing this is found in doing the same honorable things that David did in the midst of his persecution. He continued to honor the king. He did not take things into his own hands. He let the Lord justify and deliver him. Even when he seemed to have every right, he did not touch the Lord’s anointed.
 
Now we are all the Lord’s anointed now. Yes, if you are a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are an anointed king and priest. Therefore, even when one of your brothers and sisters in Christ (who are also loved by God as much as you are) do things that hurt you, you are to respond like David did, letting the Lord defend you. You and I are still to do good to them. We are to pray for them. We are to bless them. Bless and do not curse, knowing this that you were called to inherit a blessing! (First Peter 3:9)
 
But what so many Christians do is this: when their brother or sister does something to them, they fight back. They retaliate. They take matters into their own hands. However, in doing so, they get up from the Lord’s table. And what they need to understand is - even if they are successful at avenging themselves, they are missing the meal. Do you know how many of God’s children are missing out on the party at God’s table because they decided to let their enemies spoil their fun?  And don’t you know that the devil plants people and circumstances in our paths to distract us from staying on the path with God?
 
Church, when people—even God’s anointed ones—irritate us, we don’t need to miss the meal God has prepared for us because of someone else. We cannot control how others act, but we can “sho’ nuff” control how we react. Don’t leave the table for someone who decided not to come to the party! Amen?
 
REAPING KINDNESS & MERCY
 
So, in conclusion, if we continue to read in the Book of Second Samuel, we come to David’s gross sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. 
 
Under the old covenant, when people were judged much quicker and far more severe than King David was for his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, what was it about David that caused him to reap unusual kindness and mercy from God? Our quick answer might be, "Well, God favored David." But I believe there were tendencies and characteristics in David that caused David to obtain this unusual favor. In other words, and more specifically, there were things that David sowed that caused him to reap like he did.
 
If you consider the chapters preceding David's big sin in the Book of Second Samuel (which occurred in chapters 11-12), you will see that he was sowing kindness and mercy into people like Mephibosheth and even Hanun (See Second Samuel chapter 10).
 
So, do you think it is any coincidence that David, the man after God's own heart, reaped unusual mercy right after he was sowing unusual mercy? I think not! Be merciful, my friends! Show God’s kindness to those around you! Forgive your enemies and even bless them. This is one sure fire way to partake of all that the Lord has prepared for us at His table. Amen!

REVIEW
 
“Praise the Lord” is a phrase you’ve likely heard many times, but what I aim to do in this series is for it to mean more to you than it ever has before. Yes, I want it to not just be something that we say, but to be something we do to a greater degree than we ever have before.
 
Let’s look over again at the last Psalm we have recorded – Psalm 150 – where the Book of Psalms comes to a dramatic climax. Again, this psalm is a beautiful summary of the common theme we see in the first 149 psalms, and that is the title of this series, “Praise the Lord!”   
 
This Psalm reads – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
 
We saw how the first & last phrase of this Psalm, “Praise the Lord”, comes from the Hebrew word that you’ve certainly heard before – the word “Hallelujah!” Hallelujah contains the Hebrew word halal, which simply means “praise”, and “jah” which is one of the Hebrew names of God, Yahweh or Jehovah. So now you know that this word we utter a lot in praise simply means “Praise God” or “Praise the Lord!”
 
But what we started noticing about this phrase/word last week is that it is a call to action. No, it’s not just there for informational purposes; it’s there telling God’s people what to do. So if I read in the Bible “Praise the Lord!”, what should my response be? It should be to praise the Lord, right? Yes, if the Scriptures say, “Hallelujah”, then I should stop what I’m doing and praise the Lord right then! Amen?
 
So I’d like us to do something fun throughout this series: Every time you hear the phrase “Praise the Lord!” I want the congregation to shout, “Praise the Lord!” And every time you hear the word “Hallelujah!” I want the congregation to shout, “Hallelujah!” Let’s practice right now – Me: Praise the Lord! (The congregation: Praise the Lord!) Me: Hallelujah! (The congregation: Hallelujah!)
 
You see, church, praising God is not just something we are to observe; it’s what we are called to do! I understand we have those in the church today who are specifically gifted to lead worship, sing, or play instruments in a praise service, but I made the point last week that I think it’s interesting that the New Testament doesn’t specifically identify this as a gift or office in the Body of Christ. I don’t believe this is because we shouldn’t have a praise & worship team, but rather because we are ALL called to this office! Yes, everyone is called to be a praiser, not just a select few. 
 
So that’s what we began talking about last week – how praising God is our calling in Christ Jesus!
 
I remember having a conversation with someone before I was born-again, where we were discussing what the purpose of mankind is. We were pondering those universal questions- Why am I here? What is my purpose? Of course, being lost, I was not able to answer these questions, but when I had my encounter with Jesus in 2000, I knew immediately the core-purpose of every single person who has ever lived on the earth – It is to know God! Yes, the primary purpose for every single person who ever has or ever will be created is to have a personal relationship with their Creator, and the predominant activity in that relationship is to praise and worship Him as His creation!
 
But we saw how this is not only God’s primary purpose for mankind. It is also the foundational purpose for all His creation. In the Psalms, many references are made to different created things such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, animals, etc. declaring God’s praise (See Psalm 69:34, 145:10, 148, and Psalm 150:6). Didn’t Jesus say that even the rocks would cry out (See Luke 19:40)?
 
So all of creation here on the earth is praising its Creator! But we also learned that this is exactly what is going on in heaven as we speak. Yes, if you study the Scriptures that give us a sneak peak into what is going in heaven, you’ll find that continual praise & worship of God is the main activity of heaven’s residents.
 
So if it’s happening with all of His creation in heaven, and it’s happening with His entire creation on the earth, then I believe it is easy to conclude that the praise & worship of God is the primary purpose for everything and everyone God has ever created.
 
So I made the point last week that if this is true, wouldn’t it behoove us, the crown of His creation, to join in? Yes, wouldn’t it be a good idea to begin fulfilling our divine purpose sooner rather than later? You see, there is coming a day soon and very soon when we are going to slip out of these tents that we call bodies and be ushered into the presence of God where, as we’ve seen, singing His praises will be our habitual tendency. Therefore, we ought to begin to do it now when we can do it by faith and please Him all the more. Amen?
 
So we learned that praise is not only our purpose, it is our calling too!
 
You know, when we meet someone new, we might ask them “how are you doing?” but that usually leads us to another question that we are much more interested in learning the answer to – “What do you do?” Yes, we are very interested in finding out what people do for a living.
 
Well, I believe we need to see ourselves as what we were all created to be in Christ Jesus – Praisers! This is what the Bible teaches us: First Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
 
This is who we are, saints! We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people! But what we are called to do as these things is to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
 
So this is to be our spiritual vocation! Isaiah 43:21 forecasted this by saying, “This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.”
 
And here is one of the main points we learned: Just as sometimes that question is not just “What do you do?” It’s “What do you do for a living?” And what that obviously means is, what is your job/occupation that you earn your income from and live off of.
 
Well, this is something that’s important to understand about being a praiser: not only is it what your spiritual vocation is, but it’s where your spiritual income comes from. In other words, praising the Lord isn’t just something we do to benefit the Lord. No, it is loaded with benefits for the one who “does their job.” Amen!
 
So we looked at the 103rd Psalm that shows us both our response to having this responsibility and occupation and also the benefits of doing our job well. Now Psalm 103 is one of my personal favorite psalms – namely because we see our benefit package in Him.
 
We learned that after saying “and forget not all His benefits” in verse 2, David begins to show what those benefits of our spiritual vocation are.
 
Verse 3 says, “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.”
 
Now by far, the most important benefit is this first one – the forgiveness of all our iniquities! No, not just some of them; all of them! I see this as the salary portion of praise’s employment package! It’s certainly the greatest and most important part of our job as praisers. But like it is with most people in this world’s workforce, it seems like most Christians are only concerned with their salary. Yes, it’s evident that most believers only know about the forgiveness of their sins. In other words, that’s the only part of their benefit package that they consider. It’s the big one. No doubt about that. But it’s not all that we have in our benefit package.
 
One benefit that the body of Christ does not esteem like it needs to is the next one – our medical/health insurance.
 
You know, if you’ve ever had to pay for your own health insurance out of pocket, then you probably know just how invaluable having health insurance included in your job’s benefit package is. It’s expensive! And oh, how expensive can physical issues be. 

Well, as we are promised in Psalm 103:3 among many other places, we have been given free health insurance! He heals ALL our diseases by the stripes of Jesus, being our Jehovah Rapha!
 
On top of that, some types of medical insurance cover prescription drugs too! And that’s covered under Jehovah Rapha’s insurance program as well: We are told in Proverbs 4:20-22 that God’s Word is “medicine” to all our flesh. So not only are we promised divine healing, but we are promised divine health because we have been given an unfailing medicine that will heal “all our flesh.” Amen!
 
Saints, our health insurance—the stripes of Jesus—have already paid for our prescription. Amen! And in God’s kingdom, there is no co-pay. There is no deductible that needs to be met. It’s already been paid for 100% by our Great Physician!
 
But what else do some businesses offer as part of their benefit package? Well, with some jobs we might get “life insurance.”
 
Well, Psalm 103:3 gives us another benefit of our covenant with the Lord: It says, “Who redeems your life from destruction.”
 
So guess what else we have as a benefit? Life insurance! We have been given the benefit of the God kind of life – which unlike life insurance in the world, can be experienced now! The Bible calls it eternal life, resurrection life, and abundant life! This is the life of God and it’s a part of our benefit package in Him! Amen!
 
But then notice what verse 3 goes on to say and then verse 4 – “… Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
 
Hmmm … So we see here the word “crowns” and then how He satisfies our “mouth” with good things. What benefit does that make you think of? Dental insurance! Lol!
 
I wonder how aware the Body of Christ is that we have the benefits of God crowning us with lovingkindness and tender mercies and also satisfying our mouths with good things so that even our youth is renewed. These are just a few more things that the Lord desires for us to taste and see!
 
So I think you get the point. There are a ton of benefits that the Lord has given us as we walk in our calling of declaring His praises! I’d encourage you to continue looking at the 103rd Psalm as it contains many more awesome benefits of our employment in the “Father’s business.”
 
But we saw how, unlike our jobs, these benefits are not just things we can partake of annually, quarterly, monthly, or weekly. No, these benefits are promises that we can experience DAILY – for as Psalm 68:19 says, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!”
 
But let me give you just one more very important benefit of God’s kingdom that we can also experience in our jobs on this earth – retirement planning benefits!

I know a lot of us have taken advantage of things such as 401(k)s, etc. at our jobs which help better prepare us for retirement, but there is no better retirement package than what we have in the kingdom of God. Our future is so bright, you have to squint to look at it.
 
Saints, as much as God desires to bless us in this life, our retirement package is loaded! And I can guarantee you that the more you and I live our lives to praise the Lord through thick & thin, the more we are seeing being contributed to that retirement package. Amen!
 
BEING A GOOD EMPLOYEE
 
So now that we’ve talked about how praise is our occupation in the kingdom of God and how doing our job well holds a myriad of benefits, let’s begin looking at what it means to do our job well. Yes, let’s learn how we can do a good job for our Father’s business that we are called to and employed for.
 
You see, when it comes to our jobs on this earth, there is a difference between being a good employee versus being a bad employee. And when I say “bad employee” I’m referring to those who aren’t necessarily bad enough to lose their job, but just aren’t the employees who do their job in excellence, work hard, and are dependable. The good ones are the kind of employees an employer is looking for, and I can assure you, they are not growing on trees in this world we live in.
 
For example, there are employees who just show up to work. Yes, they don’t call in sick much and they are dependable in terms of being physically present and manning a position. But that’s not what makes an excellent employee. A worker who is esteemed in a workplace is the one who not only shows up, but performs their job function well – meaning, they work hard, doing exactly what their boss expects out of them, and even go above and beyond those job duties.
 
So how does this relate to spiritual things? Well, it can mean that just because I faithfully show up at church every week and even come to extra things that are going on, that doesn’t automatically mean that by being present I’m pleasing the Lord Jesus, my Boss. No, I please Him by doing my job well while I’m here – which would be loving the people present, having ears to hear the message God has given the speaker, and certainly me engaging the Lord during our times of praise & worship.
 
Now regarding the praise service, that won’t be simply looking around and seeing what everyone else is doing. It won’t be me just standing there and watching what those like Bryan & Cameron are doing on the stage. No, it will be me participating! That might be me closing my eyes, raising my hands, lifting my voice, etc. It is me engaging the Lord by looking unto Him and lifting up my voice in song. This is how I don’t just show up to work, but I show up to work to work.
 
This also goes for how I praise Him in my everyday life:
 
You know, just like some Christians think they are doing enough simply by attending church, there are also a lot of them who think that by living a good life & not doing bad things that they are doing their Christian duty. Well, as good as that is, our duty to praise God goes beyond our church services.
 
You see, these praise services are not the only time that you and I are called to engage in praising the Lord. In fact, you don’t even need music playing to praise the Lord. It is something we can and should do all the time.
 
Didn’t King David say in Psalm 34:1 that he was going to bless the Lord at all times and His praise would continually be in His mouth? So this sounds like more than just when praise music is going on around us. This is at all times and continually!
 
So my occupation in the kingdom is more than just me going to church and living a moral life; it is me living a life of praise where I am giving Him glory “at all times” in my everyday life, and also giving Him all my heart during the praise services we have at church. God wants us to do our job well at all times – whether it be at home or at our church home.    
 
So let’s begin talking a little bit about what it means to doing our job of praise well – because I, for one, want my Employer to look at my life and say, “Job Well Done!”  
 
Let’s look at some of the verses in the New Testament where being a good “employee” is talked about, and by looking at these instructions to “servants,” learn how this applies to our occupation of praise …
 
BONDSERVANTS?
 
You see, the apostle Paul liked to deal with very practical issues like the relationship between a husband & a wife, how both a parent & a child should behave towards one another, etc. And beginning in Colossians 3:22, he gives instructions to one of the more prevalent situations in the early First Century church – the relationship of the “bondservant” with their “masters.” Yes, in this verse, he begins addressing the “slaves” who were a part of the Colossian church.
 
Now this might seem strange to hear that there were Christians who were still slaves in their church, but we need to understand the cultural differences between now and then. You see, while slavery is not a part of our society today (and that’s certainly a good thing), in Paul’s day, slaves made up over half of the population of the Roman Empire. In other words, it was a very normal part of society back then. So, what this means is that those who were considered the property of others made up the vast majority of the workforce back then. So my point is that this was an accepted part of society in the Roman world.
 
So how does all of this relate to us? While none of us are slaves today, I believe the way we ought to relate to these commands to “bondservants” is as words to the “employee” or the “volunteer servant.” Yes, the instructions for Christian slaves can be related today to Christian employees. Therefore, as we read the following exhortations, read them in this light—as words to the Christian worker, whether that be as a paid employee in the secular marketplace or simply as a servant in any other capacity. All of the following commands should be applied to any of us who serve others in any capacity.   
 
So let’s look at this verse and glean, not just how we should serve in our jobs or in any other thing we might volunteer in, but how I can serve the Lord in praise …
 
OBEY IN ALL THINGS
 
So in Colossians 3:22 the apostle Paul said, “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.”
 
The first thing that the apostle Paul tells these “servants” is to “obey in all things your masters according to the flesh.”
 
Now while Paul does say to obey our “masters” (i.e. bosses, supervisors, etc.) “in all things,” we need to balance this statement out with other truths in the Bible. Specifically, we can see from other passages that “all things” does not include breaking God’s commandments and violating His precepts and statutes. We see this in the story of Daniel and three Hebrew boys: They did not obey the king’s commandment when they were told to not pray and to bow down before an idol. However, when it came to something like their dietary laws, they honorably requested that they might abstain from those foods. In other words, they did submit to their authority when it came to just about everything, but refused to violate things that were clearly against God’s commandments.
 
And also, by throwing the phrase “according to the flesh” in there, Paul was making sure that these servants understood that while they might have earthly masters, that is all they are—masters “according to the flesh.” In other words, our true Master is “according to the spirit” and His name is Jesus (which he gets into in this passage).  
 
So when we look at this from the perspective of our job of praising God, obeying in all things our Master according to the spirit means “all things.” In other words, everything He tells us to do is right and appropriate. Therefore, there is no room for questioning what the Lord tells me to do.
 
So when it comes to this subject of praising God, it’s important that I fully obey the Lord in it – which includes not only when I do it, but also how I do it. In other words, if it’s for Him, I need to do it His way and not my own.
 
Let me give all of you employees out there a good piece of advice – When your boss tells you to do something, it’s wise to simply do it his or her way. For example, if they tell you to do something in a certain way or at a certain time, don’t do it your own way or when you feel it’s the best time to do it. Being a good employee means following the instructions of your superiors even if you feel there is a better way to do it. Now that doesn’t mean that you cannot respectfully ask your supervisor if they are okay with you doing it another way, but just blatantly disregarding instructions because, after all you know better, is not best.  
 
So the way this applies to praising God is that you and I need to search the Scriptures to find out how the Lord would like us praising Him. In other words, we ought to study to see what are the specific instructions He gives us to praising Him in the Bible and then do it the way He teaches us.
 
I say this because how many Christians do it their way? I mean, if they do it at all, how many just do it like they feel it needs to be done and never consider looking at how God describes true praise in the Scriptures? That’s kind of arrogant when you look at it that way, isn’t it?
 
And the truth is, church, that God has shown us how He likes to be praised in the Bible and so one thing we are going to do in the weeks ahead is look at some of these things so that we can learn how to work for Him the way He desires us to. Amen?
 
EYESERVICE & MAN-PLEASERS
 
Now the next thing that Paul said to these “servants” in Colossians 3:22 was that they needed to obey their masters “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers.” What he was obviously saying here was “But don’t simply obey your supervisor only when he’s watching you. Do your job for him or her just as hard when they aren’t watching—for if you only work hard when their eyes are on you, then you are only seeking to please man and not God.”
 
But the truth is when it comes to our service of praise unto the Lord it is definitely intended to be for HIS “eyes” and a “service” unto Him. Yes, our praise of the Lord is to be a pleaser of the Lord.
 
However, I believe a good takeaway from this is that we need to avoid the being “men-pleasers” part and how we don’t want our praise to be done with “eye-service” to the ones around us. In other words, we are not to be concerned with how we look or how we sound to anyone else in the room.
 
I’ve just seen cases where people keep from singing out loud because they are worried about others around them hearing them. In other words, they are self-conscious of their singing ability and hold back because they don’t want others to know how bad they think they sing.
 
Church, that should never be a deterrent from any of us singing out loud in church. No one in here should be judging other’s vocal abilities in here anyway. It’s all unto the Lord, not unto others. And if that is something you are really insecure about, leave the pew where you are sitting and go to a part of the church where you feel more comfortable singing out loud. Again, we want to be God-pleasers! And one of the things He has told us to do is sing, shout, dance, etc. Don’t let flesh & blood keep your mouth shut!
 
Now on the flipside of this, there are also those who have NO problem singing, lifting their voice, jumping, and dancing in front of others. And the way I believe this applies to this specific group of people is to also be sure we are not doing it to be seen of man.
 
This has not been much of an issue here @ HPC in recent time, but I have been in the churches where some “praisers” like the attention they get. So there is a lot of singing where people like to show off their voices, some dancing that seems to be more for those in the room than for the Lord, and some other demonstrative forms of praise that are certainly motivated by being “men-pleasers.”      
 
And this is the truth of the matter—if we only put our best foot forward when others are watching us, then we are proving that we are only interested in pleasing man rather than pleasing God. A person of praise will glorify Him all of the time—when the boss is around and when he is not—because they believe they are really serving God and not those around them.
 
SINCERITY, FEAR, AND TREMBLING
 
Then Paul counters the doing things with eyeservice with the phrase – “but in sincerity of heart.”
 
The word “sincerity” here is defined by Thayer’s as “the virtue of one who is free from pretense and dissimulation.” In other words, this describes one who is genuinely, sincerely, and honestly serving and is void of any self-seeking agenda. This is what God desires from all of us, saints – To be a people who walk in the truth and sincerely serve our authority figures from the heart. It is easy to go through the motions and serve because we either are afraid of the consequences or because we are seeking a reward, but the Lord has called us to whole-heartedly serve sincerely.
 
So when it comes to serving the Lord through praise, it’s important that we do it in “sincerity of heart”—that is, it’s genuine, heartfelt, and sincere.
 
This reminds me a little of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:23-24 where Jesus said the hour was coming where God was seeking those who would worship Him in spirit and in truth. The truth part might be described as “sincerity of heart.”
 
Then Paul includes “fearing God”: In his letter to the Ephesians, he said it a little differently. He said, “with fear and trembling” (See Ephesians 6:5). This phrase does not mean that we are to be afraid and terrified of our authorities. It just simply means that we are to obey them “carefully, reverently, zealously, and diligently.”
 
For example, if you were personally instructed by some dignitary to perform a specific task, how would you perform your service? I suppose you would perform it carefully, reverently, zealously, and diligently because of who it was that gave you the duty. Well, that is the same mentality we should have when serving our “masters according to the flesh.” Everything we do for our authorities should be done in excellence and for the glory of God!
 
Likewise, when you and I praise God, there needs to be this same attitude where its not just this casual drawing near unto Him, but something that we handle with care. Like, for instance, you and I were asked to introduce some elected official. If your audience were some people of clout and importance, I can guarantee you that you will handle that introduction with some “fear and trembling.” Well, any time we are entertaining the King of kings and Lord of lords, we ought to handle those times with care and revere the One we are praising.
 
AND WHATEVER YOU DO
 
Then in verse 23, the apostle Paul said, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
 
The phrase “And whatever you do” can be applied to “whatever”, which would certainly include whether we lift our voice, dance, raise your hands, etc. in praise. So whatever we do in life including praise, we need to do it in the following manner …
 
The first thing he said, “do it heartily”- The word translated “do” here is a word describing “work or labor” and the word “heartily” comes from the words ek psuche, which means “out of the soul.” So, this phrase literally describes one working out of the soul as opposed to out of mere pretense and outward conformity. In other words, the Lord desires for all of us to serve with all that is within us—that is, for it to come out of the heart and not just external obedience. 
 
So what the Lord is looking for in us when we praise Him is that we do it “heartily” – that is, out of the soul.
 
I know some of us have been trained in church to not to praise & worship God from the soul but from the spirit, but I don’t believe that’s what the Lord would say to us. Yes, praising & worshipping Him in spirit is the highest & best form of it, but this does not mean that God does not want us doing any of this from the soul either. Yes, He wants your personality involved in praising Him. Let those emotions out! Let your whole heart fully be released when you praise Him! He wants all of YOU to praise Him from the inside out. Amen! 
 
The next thing he said was that whatever we do, do it “as to the Lord and not to men.” And here is the foundation & motivation of both our servanthood and our praise of God: We are not simply serving another human being; we are serving the Lord when we serve others.
 
Oh, that we would have this mentality throughout all our life on this earth—that the things we do and say are all “as unto the Lord and not to men.” I guarantee you that this would change the way many of us lived our lives, including our praise lives!
 
THE INHERITANCE OF PRAISE
 
So this is both how you and I can serve on this earth and serve the Lord via praise. If we praise God this way, I believe that the Lord would say, “That’s a job well done!” And as we know about the Lord, there is no job done well that won’t be rewarded by Him. And that’s what we see in the next verse …  
 
Colossians 3:24 then gives us an awesome promise of what serving the Lord in this way will lead to when Paul said, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
 
In the Book of Ephesians, where Paul said a lot of similar things about the master/servant relationship, he described this reward part a little differently: He said in Ephesians 6:8, “knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”
 
Regardless of which verse you are looking at and the specifics of the rewards, it is important to see that it is from the Lord that we will be rewarded for doing what is right.
 
When it comes to working for others, too often we look to man for our raise, promotion, words of affirmation, etc. We ought to avoid that and look only unto the Lord for those rewards. He is the One who exalts one and brings down another! He is the giver of all favor! So, avoid the temptation of making man your source and begin to look unto the Lord as the One who will provide you with all of the favor, honor and reward that you need. Amen?
 
And what an awesome promise this is that we can expect when we do good to others! We will (not might or hopefully) … we will receive the same from the Lord for whatever good we do! And I can promise you one thing: when the Lord returns the favor, it will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over! In other words, you will reap from the Lord in a much greater measure than you sowed it into others!
 
So what about when we praise the Lord? If we do our job of praising Him well, is there a reward in that? You can bet your bottom dollar there is! Just like in your worldly job, you can receive raises, promotions, benefits, etc. from the Lord when you do your job of praising Him well.
 
Just as that common Christian cliché says, “You cannot out-give God!” there is also truth in this – You cannot out-praise God! Yes, the more you glorify His name, the greater your name can become! The more you lift Him up in praise, the more He can give you a “raise.” Great are the benefits of the employee of praise, church!