Psalm 98; Luke 18:31-43

Psalm 98
"Sing a new song to the Lord..." A new song? This means "fresh" or "new in quality." We shouldn't let our praise get stale.

Let's look at the reasons this psalm calls us to praise the Lord. vv. 1-3
1. He has done wonderful deeds--the most wonderful of these is that he saved us, helpless sinners who could not save ourselves.
2. He has revealed His righteousness.
3. He has remembered His promises, and He has been faithful to Israel--and by extension to us.

How are we to praise the Lord?
1. Shouting and singing? We don't do much shouting in our church--maybe we should do more. However, we do sing, and it's important to think about what we are singing so that we are truly praising the Lord!
2. Musical instruments played for God's glory are part of praise. This is not meant to be religious entertainment or performances, but joyful praises to God.

Who should praise the Lord?
Everybody! Even creation in all its glory is a praise to the Lord!

Luke 18:31-43
vv. 31-34 are a little interlude in which Jesus tells His disciples what will happen to him, but they don't get it. So I guess being dense about spiritual things is nothing new! Not that it's an excuse; we should always have an attitude of learning and understanding.

vv. 35-43 bring us back to the theme of this chapter as I see it--prayer. The blind beggar would not be discouraged; he kept asking Jesus. When Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" he answered specifically and honestly, "Lord, I want to see." And that's exactly what we should do; we should tell God exactly what we want and what we think we need believing as best we can that He will hear and answer us.