How to Use Your Keys
Jesus gives us the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16:19) “and I will give to you
the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven”. We have to understand how to use our keys to bring down
our heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1:3) “blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ”.
Psalms 100 is called a psalms of praise; it says “make a joyful noise to the Lord
Yahweh, all you lands. Serve the Lord Yahweh with gladness, come before His
presence with singing. Know you that the Lord Yahweh, He is God, it is He that
has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people, and the sheep of His
pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise;
be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord Yahweh is good; His
mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations”. So you see that
our keys is thanksgiving and praise, because that is how we enter into the
presence of God.
The scriptures affirm that only Yahweh (Jehovah), God of Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob is worthy of praise. Frequently the Bible speaks of praising “the
name” of God, meaning that He is to be praised for all the He is and has
revealed Himself to be (I Peter 2:9) says “but you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.
David in Psalms 34:1-9 expresses the rewards of our true reverence “I will bless
the Lord Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My
soul shall make her boast in the Lord Yahweh, the humble shall hear thereof,
and be glad. O magnify the Lord Yahweh with me, and let us exalt His name
together. I sought the Lord Yahweh, and He heard me, and delivered me from
all my fears. They looked to Him, and were lightened; and their faces were not
ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord Yahweh heard him, and saved
him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps round about them
that fear Him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord Yahweh is
good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him. O fear the Lord Yahweh, you His
saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him”.
A good example is Paul and Silas, when Paul had cast out the demon from the
fortune teller, and they were beating and thrown into prison; it says in Acts 16:
25-26 “and at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God; and the
prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one’s bands were loosed”. The jailer awoke and thought
that the prisoners had escaped and was about to kill himself, but Paul cried out
and stopped him, and he was saved with his household.
Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, when we praise
God continually, you will find that you won’t take his blessings for granted.
True thanksgiving is found by remembering what God has done, and telling
others about it; this shows God’s glory to others. Also by offering gifts of self,
time, and resources; if you are truly thankful, your life will show it (Hebrews 13:
15) “therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that
it, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name”.
We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any
effort, ability, or act of service on our part, however, out of our gratitude for this
free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love and
gentleness. We are not saved merely for our own benefit, but to serve Christ
and build up the church.
Psalms 145:1 says, “I will praise you, my God and King, and bless Your name
forever and ever”. A dedication to a life of praise is expressed in Psalms 146:2;
“I will praise the Lord Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God
even with by dying breath”. The whole of the Christian’s life is intended to be
devoted, in word and action, to the praise of God (Colossians 3:15-17) “and let
the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one
body; and be you thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever
you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father by Him”.
There are many ways to praise God; there is no limit to time or place, so there is
no limit to the ways in which God can be praised. He may be praised with
singing (Psalms 47:7); with dancing in Psalms 149:3; or with instruments of
music in Psalms 144:9.
Praise is an act of worship, such acts of praise reflects a true servants heart.
Our praise toward God is the means by which we express our joy to the Lord.
We are to praise God for who He is and for what He does. Praising God for who
He is, is called adoration. God is love and He has demonstrated His love in the
gift of His Son. Our love should be expressed, as His has been expressed, in
both deeds and words. When love for God fills our lives, we will express our
love to Him. Praising Him for what He does is called thanksgiving. Believers are
to live thankfully (I Thessalonians 5:16-18) “rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you”. Thanksgiving is the aspect of praise that gives thanks to
God. Thanksgiving is another word for gratitude. In Philippians 4:4-7 it says
“rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be
known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
In Colossians 2:6-10 says “as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk you in Him. Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware
less any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the
head of all principality and power”. As we recognize that we are complete in
Christ, our level of thanksgiving will grow.
One of the first marks of rejecting God is forgetting to thank Him. As we look at
where we were in our fallen state and realize that “while we were yet sinners,
God sent His only begotten Son to pay for our sins”. In Ephesians 2:12-13 it
says “that at that time you were without Christ; being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ”.
Thankfulness should be the prime characteristic in a Christian life; because our
salvation and even our faith is a gift from God, we should respond with
gratitude, praise and joy.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 16, 2010
Jesus gives us the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16:19) “and I will give to you
the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven”. We have to understand how to use our keys to bring down
our heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1:3) “blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ”.
Psalms 100 is called a psalms of praise; it says “make a joyful noise to the Lord
Yahweh, all you lands. Serve the Lord Yahweh with gladness, come before His
presence with singing. Know you that the Lord Yahweh, He is God, it is He that
has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people, and the sheep of His
pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise;
be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord Yahweh is good; His
mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations”. So you see that
our keys is thanksgiving and praise, because that is how we enter into the
presence of God.
The scriptures affirm that only Yahweh (Jehovah), God of Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob is worthy of praise. Frequently the Bible speaks of praising “the
name” of God, meaning that He is to be praised for all the He is and has
revealed Himself to be (I Peter 2:9) says “but you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.
David in Psalms 34:1-9 expresses the rewards of our true reverence “I will bless
the Lord Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My
soul shall make her boast in the Lord Yahweh, the humble shall hear thereof,
and be glad. O magnify the Lord Yahweh with me, and let us exalt His name
together. I sought the Lord Yahweh, and He heard me, and delivered me from
all my fears. They looked to Him, and were lightened; and their faces were not
ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord Yahweh heard him, and saved
him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps round about them
that fear Him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord Yahweh is
good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him. O fear the Lord Yahweh, you His
saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him”.
A good example is Paul and Silas, when Paul had cast out the demon from the
fortune teller, and they were beating and thrown into prison; it says in Acts 16:
25-26 “and at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God; and the
prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one’s bands were loosed”. The jailer awoke and thought
that the prisoners had escaped and was about to kill himself, but Paul cried out
and stopped him, and he was saved with his household.
Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, when we praise
God continually, you will find that you won’t take his blessings for granted.
True thanksgiving is found by remembering what God has done, and telling
others about it; this shows God’s glory to others. Also by offering gifts of self,
time, and resources; if you are truly thankful, your life will show it (Hebrews 13:
15) “therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that
it, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name”.
We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any
effort, ability, or act of service on our part, however, out of our gratitude for this
free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love and
gentleness. We are not saved merely for our own benefit, but to serve Christ
and build up the church.
Psalms 145:1 says, “I will praise you, my God and King, and bless Your name
forever and ever”. A dedication to a life of praise is expressed in Psalms 146:2;
“I will praise the Lord Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God
even with by dying breath”. The whole of the Christian’s life is intended to be
devoted, in word and action, to the praise of God (Colossians 3:15-17) “and let
the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one
body; and be you thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever
you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father by Him”.
There are many ways to praise God; there is no limit to time or place, so there is
no limit to the ways in which God can be praised. He may be praised with
singing (Psalms 47:7); with dancing in Psalms 149:3; or with instruments of
music in Psalms 144:9.
Praise is an act of worship, such acts of praise reflects a true servants heart.
Our praise toward God is the means by which we express our joy to the Lord.
We are to praise God for who He is and for what He does. Praising God for who
He is, is called adoration. God is love and He has demonstrated His love in the
gift of His Son. Our love should be expressed, as His has been expressed, in
both deeds and words. When love for God fills our lives, we will express our
love to Him. Praising Him for what He does is called thanksgiving. Believers are
to live thankfully (I Thessalonians 5:16-18) “rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you”. Thanksgiving is the aspect of praise that gives thanks to
God. Thanksgiving is another word for gratitude. In Philippians 4:4-7 it says
“rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be
known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
In Colossians 2:6-10 says “as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk you in Him. Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware
less any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the
head of all principality and power”. As we recognize that we are complete in
Christ, our level of thanksgiving will grow.
One of the first marks of rejecting God is forgetting to thank Him. As we look at
where we were in our fallen state and realize that “while we were yet sinners,
God sent His only begotten Son to pay for our sins”. In Ephesians 2:12-13 it
says “that at that time you were without Christ; being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who
sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ”.
Thankfulness should be the prime characteristic in a Christian life; because our
salvation and even our faith is a gift from God, we should respond with
gratitude, praise and joy.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 16, 2010
