Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep; an act of killing a person or animal in a religious ceremony as an offering to please a god

Praise is a sacrifice because in order to offer it to God we have to crucify our flesh, our apathy, our pride, our fear. We must crucify anything that diminishes our worship of God. We have to turn our focus off of ourselves and onto the One who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. 

Getting past "self" is a requirement for worship. We cannot worship God while focusing on our problems, desires, needs, etc. 

When we come to God in worship we must lay aside every care and focus on the Savior. When we begin to worship the enemy will bring every distraction to hinder us. But if we resist he will flee. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Praise should be ongoing in our lives. Psalm 34:1-3 "I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together."

We must offer our praise in every circumstance. In the good times as well as in the bad times. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  Praise is not based on how we feel or what is happening in our lives at the moment, it is based on Who Jesus is. 

As we offer praise to God, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Looking at the cross we see a picture of ultimate love and sacrifice. Praising our Savior should come easy when we put our focus on who he is and what he has done for us. 

People cheer for sports teams or stars in the entertainment industry. What have they ever done for us?  Nothing!!  If we can stand up and scream at a football game or a concert, how much more should we praise the King of Kings?  

Let us offer up our praise to the only one deserving worship, our Savior and King.