The Fruit of PRAISE.
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”- {Heb 13:15-16}
“Through HIM,…” the Father’s “Beloved,” the LORD Jesus Christ, we are to continually, not sporadically, offer up a sacrifice of praise to God for who He is, “through Him.” His greatness, goodness, generosity, contemplating and celebrating Him as we see Him for who He is in the Scriptures. A good study is to read chapter by chapter of Hebrews and underline who He is revealed as in each chapter. He is writing to believers who are weak in their faith and who are suffering. He writes to encourage them and to consider Jesus -{Heb 2:1-4.} “Consider” means to take your time to think. Consider carefully. It takes time, concentration, to the exclusion of other things. A good study is again to read Hebrews and underline what is revealed about Him so you have “fuel” to consider Him, feed your faith and that you may intelligently have fuel to Praise and Thank Him continually! Truth transforms us, through the LORD Jesus.
When our twins were about two years old, we lived in the country side, the nights were very dark due to the absence of street lights. On one occasion I was carrying them one at a time from the car to the house. It was a beautiful clear night and the stars were marvelous. sparkling against the dark canvas of the cold, crisp night. As I carried our little boy in I said “look at the stars King Jesus made” and he lifted his little head and looked up and said, “Wow, wow, wow!” I left him safely in the house and went back to the car for his sister and carried her in and I said “look at the stars King Jesus has made,” but she wouldn’t look up. So, I put my hand under her chin to help lift it so she could see, but she would not, and there was no “wow” from her lips because she never beheld the wonder! For some there is no “Wow” from their lips because they have never beheld the wonder of Jesus Christ, they are lost and dead in their sins. But for others, believers we have taken our eyes off Him and let the things of earth crowd out and control our thinking and their is little praise on our lips because we have forgotten the “WONDER” of God! Think on Him, meditate upon His Word, ask Him through His Word to reveal Himself to you for whom He is.
Jesus opened their minds in the Scripture to reveal Himself to the disheartened disciple son the road to Emmaues. And the result? Their hearts burned,to such an extent they returned that night seven miles to tell others, Jesus is Alive. Such is the influence from Him when He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and He revealed all concerning Himself in the Scriptures! The evil one, the flesh, society will seek to keep you from the Scriptures or trivialize them to you or taunt you that you cannot understand them. LIE! Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would “guide you into all the truth.”-{John 16:13}. The Teacher resides within you! And His job is to glorify Jesus Christ to and through you! Look for Jesus in the Scriptures, build up a knowledge of His character so you can choose to offer Him praise and thanks!! Read the Psalms and look at the reasons the Psalmist gives to God for His character and works! Note the times he says “Praise” or “Thanks,” to Him! And then you choose to praise and thank Him also! He is worthy!
Note, in Hebrews 13:15-16 we have permanent access and favor not through offering lambs and animals but through a new living Way through the Lamb of God who came to take away the sons of the world, The LORD Jesus our sacrificial LAMB, who guarantees us unlimited access to the Father through our “good works,?” NO! But through the LORD Jesus, His perfect and permanent work on our behalf which the Father fully accepts as the resurrection proves! We always come to the Father through the merits of our Lord Jesus. Think on that and Praise and thank Him continually for such love for you through Him!
Through Him “let us”continually”- this is to be a new habit pattern one of continuous as is to “pray without ceasing,” the attitude and actions when we see something beautiful we can Him, when we see something troubling we can intercede it is to be aware of life’s circumstances and people viewing them in relating them and all things to Him. So we continually consider, contemplate and together “us” we are all to be continually offering Him praise and thanks.
“… ‘praise continually.’ Not only in this place or that place, but in every place, we are to praise the Lord our God. Not only when we are in a happy frame of mind, but when we are cast down and troubled. The perfumed smoke from the altar of incense is to rise toward heaven both day and night, from the beginning of the year to the year’s end.”-{Spurgeon.}
“OFFER UP.” The present tense speaks of the believers continual practice. Not just on a Sunday in a service of “praise ” music. But wherever you find yourself, whatever the circumstances, good days, mundane days, bad days, every day… Where the priest in Old Testament days offered up sacrifices of animals etc we as his priest now we do not offer the blood of animals we offer up the sacrifices of praise, thanksgivings to Him, with our lips and good deeds with our lives!
Offer the Fruit of speech and sacrificial service. Lips and Life! Jesus exposed and spoke against a people once when HE said, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”-{Matt 15:8}. They gave lip service but no life behind their words! Here in Hebrews the passage before us it is lips and life combined!
“Let us Continually” be Praising Him because HE IS Worthy. Praising Him not because life is a bed of roses but when it is bed of sharp nails and broken glass, when life is painful He is still worthy to speak well of Praised and continually thanked for who He is! The Fruit of Thanksgiving to God is to be continuous feature in our lives. We are to be a thankful, grateful people rather than a complaining un-grateful people. In Romans 1, one of the characteristic of a lost person is they are characterized by being an un-thankful person!
“And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Let us not neglect doing good and sharing, for failing to do so misses out on the opportunity to please God. But as we do good and share with others we read God is what? Unimpressed? Indifferent? No …”God is PLEASED!” How wonderful that we can please Him by doing good and sharing with others! Hebrews 6;10 He reminds us,”God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them..” Wow! Re read that verse. We show love to Him as we help and continue to help His people. So not only when we do good and share are we pleasing Him but showing love to Him! Isn’t that wonderful motivation for us. We do not do good and share to EARN His favor, we already have it{Read Rom 5;2}. Paul wrote to the Philippians in regards their sharing with him, “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” -{Phil 4;14-19}. Jesus said, “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ -{Matt 25:40}.
Our doing good and sharing, pleases Him, express love to Him and He takes it personal as we do to others we do to…HIM! Keep offering with your LIPS, Continual sacrifices of praise and thanks to Him and with your LIFE deeds of good and sharing. As you do it through HIM it pleases Him.
THE MOTIVATION?
MANY PEOPLE can do what appears ” good works and sharing,” but the difference? The motivation! One is done ‘Through Him’ for Him, the other is not. One has eternal reward the other does not!
As you read His Word, look TO Him and FOR Him. Stop and consider what it says about Him and offer to Him, PRAISE AND THANKS! And look for ways you can do good and share with others knowing it pleases Him and expresses Love to Him!
Memorize and meditate and Do continually PRACTICE these two verses.
Write them down and carry with you or place somewhere you can see , like on a bathroom mirror and as you wash your hands, brush your teeth look, read word for word, phrase for phrase and over a week or so, you will find you are memorizing without trying. The Holy Spirit can bring back to your mind when He needs to remind, encourage you and empower you to offer praise, thanks and to do good and share and know you are pleasing Him, you are loving Him. Now, that is good news. That is GOD News!
Good job, keep going!