Highest Praise

Highest Praise

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Psalms 148, Luke, 2:8-20

I want to point out that the glory and praise they said with their mouth was generated from their experience with God.

Can I mess with what you believe about Christmas?
Loaded question: In our text, did the angels sing?
Did you know that when you study this bible from cover to cover, not once does it mention angels singing.

In all of Creation – only we who have experienced salvation can sing about amazing grace. This is beyond even the angels’ personal experience.
I think this is part of what is being said in 1Pet.1:12 “Even angels long to look into these things.”
You and me alone have the privilege of giving worship from a place of redemption.
We worship not only for who He is, but for what He has done – for our personal encounter with the God of creation.

So next time you have an opportunity to sing your worship, let it come from your personal experience with God Himself.

Last week I listened to a play list of songs about “Highest Praise.”
While listening to the selection – different artists singing songs about giving God the Highest praise – my mind kept cycling back to the questions: What is the “Highest” praise I / we can give?

Would that be a well written poem or writing that we rehearse and say to Him?
Would that be a special song?
Maybe getting the world’s most skilled musicians together – maybe 100 piece orchestra, or 100 voice choir – or both.
Would that be “The Highest Praise” we can give?
Do you remember the song “The Little Drummer boy” – what was the dilemma he had? “I am a poor boy too, I have no gift to bring, That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum.”

What is the Highest Praise I can possibly give to the God of the Universe, who created everything with just a word?
How can I give anything that is actually of value?
Our best efforts to give the very best falls short in so many ways.

So I asked Google - “What is considered the highest praise in the Bible?”

According to Google’s AI response, most Christian scholars think the phrase "Hallelujah" is considered the highest praise in the Bible.
"Hallelujah" is a combination of the Hebrew words "Halle" (praise) and "Yah" (a shortened form of Yahweh, God's name).

I think the writers of Psalms faced this dilemma.
We know the Palms are not in chronological order, but when I look at the last chapters of the book it is as if the people who put the book together was trying to end the Psalms with “Highest Praise.”

Psa.148
Ps.150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Google did give me this caution: “We must be careful to place ratings on worship to our heavenly Father. The expression of worship is not measured by the words uttered out of a mouth but rather the posture of one's heart.”

What is the answer to this problem the little drummer boy was facing?

What ever I bring, however it is presented, my praise needs to come from my heart having experienced God for myself.

This year, in this season of my life, a problem I recognize I’m facing is that “I have done this for years now.”
How can I make this Christmas time special? What can I bring to this church gathering that will inspire our hearts to worship?
I read the Christmas story, hear the songs, put up lights, plan special events, but the caution I hear is, “Don’t give up my wright to worship because it has gotten familiar.”
The simple message of Christmas should stir my soul and spirit to give the Highest Praise I can.