It is fitting for us to praise God. We who fear his name, who trust in his salvation, who love him for who he is and what he’s done, it is fitting for us to praise him to bless him and to worship him in everything we say and do. And then to tell others about his praiseworthiness.

What was unusual about this oratorio was its language. Breaking with tradition, Handel wrote every word of his oratorio, not in Italian, German, or Latin, but in English. Well, every word except for one word, which was left in its original language and not translated into English. For millennia this word has been used by people of all languages in the original Hebrew. It is the word, Hallelujah.
The Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah appears at the end of part two, at the resurrection of Christ. It was at this moment in an early performance that a tradition was born.  The London premiere was held at the Covent Garden Theatre on March 23, 1743.
King George II was attending the performance and as the resurrection was announced by the commencement of the Hallelujah Chorus, he suddenly rose to his feet, apparently moved by the moment, or out of respect for the subject matter, or more likely he was just needing to get the circulation flowing in his legs.
Regardless of the reason, he stood up, and according to protocol when the king stands up everyone present must stand up too.  Nearly three centuries have passed since that day, but the tradition remains that the opening bars of the Hallelujah Chorus brings people to their feet.
In Psalm 135 we’ll see:
3 MOVEMENTS OF PRAISE SO WE WILL BE INSPIRED TO SING HALLELUJAH!
1. The Call to Praise
Psalm 135:1Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord,
The Psalm opens with a command that is familiar to anyone who has ever read a Psalm: Praise the LORD!  This is one of the most ubiquitous calls to worship in the Book of Psalms.
Praise the LORD is the Hebrew word Hallelujah.
Hallel means praise, worship, magnify.
U means “us” or “we.”
Jah is a common abbreviation for the name “Yahweh”.
So Hallel-u-jah, means “praise, us, Yahweh.” Or “Let us praise Yahweh.” Praise the LORD.
At its most basic, praising God is acknowledging his name, uttering his name as the cause or reason for anything we have in our lives.
We need to cultivate a habit of constantly praising God for all he does for us. Acknowledging that what we have from food, to family, from laughter to life and breath, groceries and saving grace, is all of God’s goodness to us.
If you aren’t saying hallelujah or “praise God” or at least PTL in your texts several times a day, it is because you are just not paying attention.
Don’t be like the kid on Christmas Day who unwraps a gift and forgets to hug the one who gave it.
Be the one in your world who acknowledges what God does for you.
Our highest calling as humans is to praise God. But why?
2. The Cause for Praise
SOVEREIGNTY:  6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
This is one of the most practical, comforting, and encouraging doctrines in Scripture and attributes of God: he is sovereign. He is in charge. The seas and the deeps represent all that is chaotic, unknown, and fearful for the Israelites.
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If you are asking for spiritual maturity, for endurance in a trial, for provision of your basic needs so you can continue to serve and minister and evangelize, and if you are asking for mercy, for forgiveness, for wisdom and compassion from our Father in heaven… then there is no spending limit! What a glorious promise this is for all who are in Christ. But this is an exclusive ability reserved for Christ’s followers. God hears us because of the righteousness of Christ. Without that, we have no claim of our own.

The American Express Centurion card, aka Amex Black Card is the most exclusive charge card on the market. Last week we learned that the Black Card is by invitation only, costs $10,000 to initiate and $5,000 per year, but comes with exclusive benefits like no spending limit, ten times the loyalty points which secure airline miles that never expire, and elite status at certain hotels. But I did not tell you about the main benefit. With the Amex Black card comes exclusive 24/7 access to a deluxe concierge service.
You get a number to call and instantly a friendly concierge picks up, ready to do your bidding, day or night. Usually this service is used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, ask about local attractions, secure tickets to sought-after events etc. But the power of the deluxe concierge extends beyond just administrative help.
You want tickets to a sold-out U2 concert? No problem. You’d like Tiffany’s jewelry store to let you shop privately after hours? Easy. You can ask your concierge to call you in the morning with a friendly reminder to go to work. And you can ask your concierge to remind you every year that it’s your wedding anniversary, and you can have them send flowers.
This is all pretty helpful stuff, but one curious user decided to see how far he could stretch the concierge’s abilities. He called with this request: “I’m traveling to Austin, and I want a big tub of nacho cheese. Make that a HUGE tub, enough to fill a punch bowl.”
The reply was simply: “Does it need to be in a tub?”
“Can, jar, tub, I don’t care, I just want liquid cheese, and a lot of it.” The concierge called back with the address of a store in Austin, that sells giant cans of liquid cheese.
So he persisted with odd requests … in his quest to find the limits, he got the concierge to… 1) solve a crossword puzzle, 2) help get daily calls affirming that he is a good person, 3) help book a trip to space (he didn’t end up going because it would cost too much).
But eventually he found the limit. They would not help him book the services of an assassin. In fact, they have a list of requests they have denied… including…
1. We cannot do your school paper or your job for you.
2. We do not have access to confidential government reports.
3. We can’t plan your wedding, but we can find you a planner.
4. We won’t facilitate unethical behavior like hiring contract killers.
Well, you might not have 24/7 access to a deluxe concierge, but you do have 24/7 full access to a Father who loves you and can help with anything you need. And the best part of this exclusive offer is that it is absolutely free.
Jesus is talking to his disciples the night before he goes to the cross. He has told them that he will be betrayed and that he is going back to the Father. We saw that Jesus offers them comfort that they will be with him again. Then Jesus taught them about 3 EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES ONLY AVAILABLE TO BELIEVERS
Last week we saw that Jesus gives exclusive access to the Father and exclusive acquaintance with the Father, and today
2 Exclusive Abilities that are a Privilege Christ Secures for His Followers

Extent of Our Reach

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
This verse is a notoriously misunderstood and misapplied verse. It is the mantra for the name-it-and-claim-it health, wealth, prosperity movement.
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