Today's Sermon Notes:

Giving God a Pleasing Praise

The Text

Deuteronomy 10:1-22 (KJV) 

Deuteronomy 10:21 (KJV) He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

The Introduction

Deuteronomy 10:1-3 (HCSB) 
^{{Dt 10:1}}  “The LORD said to me at that time, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones and come to Me on the mountain and make a wooden ark.
^{{Dt 10:2}}  I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets you broke, and you are to place them in the ark.’
^{{Dt 10:3}}  So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and climbed the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.

Deuteronomy 10:3-4 (NASB) 
^{{Dt 10:3}}  "So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.
^{{Dt 10:4}}  "He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me.

Matthew 13:15 (ESV) ^{{Mt 13:15}}  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Revelation 2:29 (KJV) ^{{Rev 2:29}}  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Colossians 3:16 (ESV) ^{{Col 3:16}}  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Mark 7:6-8 (ESV) 
^{{Mk 7:6}}  And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
^{{Mk 7:7}}  in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
^{{Mk 7:8}}  You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Psalm 106:12 (KJV) ^{{Ps 106:12}}  Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

Psalm 138:1-2 (ESV) 
^{{Ps 138:1}} I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
^{{Ps 138:2}}  I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Psalm 138:4-5 (ESV) 
^{{Ps 138:4}}  All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth,
^{{Ps 138:5}}  and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.

The Lesson

We have a Priestly Calling to Praise and Worship

Deuteronomy 10:8 (ESV) ^{{Dt 10:8}}  At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.

1 Peter 2:9 (HCSB) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Hebrews 10:16-17 (ESV) 
^{{Heb 10:16}}  “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”
^{{Heb 10:17}}  then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

We have a Prophetic Covenant for Praise and Worship

Hebrews 10:19 (KJV) ^{{Heb 10:19}}  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Hebrews 10:21-22 (ESV) 
^{{Heb 10:21}}  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
^{{Heb 10:22}}  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

There is a Prescribed Consecration for Praise and Worship

1. A consecrated worshipper is pleasing to God. 

Hebrews 13:20-21 (KJV) 
^{{Heb 13:20}}  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
^{{Heb 13:21}}  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1. A consecrated worshipper is a blood covered worshipper. 

1 John 1:7 (KJV) ^{{1Jn 1:7}}  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 (KJV) ^{{1Jn 1:9}}  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Timothy 2:21 (KJV) ^{{2Ti 2:21}}  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV) 
^{{Mt 5:23}}  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
^{{Mt 5:24}}  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Proverbs 15:8 (NIV) ^{{Pr 15:8}}  The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Proverbs 21:27 (NIV) ^{{Pr 21:27}}  The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable-- how much more so when brought with evil intent!

Revelation 3:15-20 (NIV) 
^{{Rev 3:15}}  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
^{{Rev 3:16}}  So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
^{{Rev 3:17}}  You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
^{{Rev 3:18}}  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
^{{Rev 3:19}}  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
^{{Rev 3:20}}  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

1. A consecrated worshipper is an obedient worshipper. 

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (ESV) 
^{{Dt 10:12}}  “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
^{{Dt 10:13}}  and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NLT2) 
^{{1Sa 15:22}}  But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
^{{1Sa 15:23}}  Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

Psalm 51:15-17 (KJV) 
^{{Ps 51:15}}  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
^{{Ps 51:16}}  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
^{{Ps 51:17}}  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

1. A consecrated worshipper worships from a heart of love for God. 

Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV) ^{{Dt 10:12}}  “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Isaiah 29:13 (HCSB) ^{{Isa 29:13}}  The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service— yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship ⌊consists of⌋ man-made rules learned ⌊by rote⌋—

2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) ^{{2Ti 2:22}}  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

1. A consecrated worshipper worships with the soul. 

Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV) ^{{Dt 10:12}}  “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Psalm 103:1 (KJV) ^{{Ps 103:1}}  Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Deuteronomy 10:13 (KJV) ^{{Dt 10:13}}  To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

There is a Preferred Content for Praise and Worship

Deuteronomy 10:21 (KJV) ^{{Dt 10:21}}  He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

Deuteronomy 10:14 (KJV) ^{{Dt 10:14}}  Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

Deuteronomy 10:17-22 (NLT2) 
^{{Dt 10:17}}  “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.
^{{Dt 10:18}}  He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.
^{{Dt 10:19}}  So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
^{{Dt 10:20}}  You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.
^{{Dt 10:21}}  He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.
^{{Dt 10:22}}  When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!