Sermon - A HEART OF PRAISE

 

A HEART OF PRAISE

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7)

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. (Acts 16:25-27).

When we look at the world around us, we are often overwhelmed by bad news. Political unrest in Myanmar, Palestine, Ukraine, Manipur, and the South China Sea region of the Philippines, along with reports of rape, homicides, landslides, and floods, weigh heavily on us. On a more personal level, we carry the burden of physical ailments, professional stresses, and family or social issues. It’s easy to see the world through a pessimistic lens and find reasons to complain about the socio-economic, religious, and political turmoil around us.

Yet, despite all these constraints, the Bible calls us to rejoice and sing praise to God. We are not merely asked but commanded to have a heart of praise—a heart filled with gratitude toward God. The Bible compels us to rejoice not once or sometimes but always.

Let’s consider the situation that led Paul and Silas to sing praise to God. Their circumstances were anything but pleasant.

While preaching the Gospel in Philippi, Paul and Silas encountered a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination, which earned her owners a great deal of money. This girl followed them, proclaiming that they were “servants of the Most High God.” Though her words were true, her persistent interruptions annoyed Paul, and he eventually cast the spirit out of her, freeing her from the possession.

Realizing they had lost their source of income, the girl’s owners dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities, accusing them of disturbing the peace and promoting unlawful customs. Without a proper trial, Paul and Silas were beaten, flogged, and imprisoned—their feet fastened in stocks, a situation that was both physically painful and humiliating.

In such dire circumstances, no one would have blamed them if they had complained or questioned why this was happening, especially since they were doing God’s work. But instead of grumbling, they prayed and sang hymns to God. Their faith and joy in such a miserable situation amazed the other prisoners, who listened intently.

It’s this heart of praise that moves God. Time and again, the Bible shows that when people sing praise to God, it’s often not in ideal situations. For instance, Mary sang the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) despite the peril she faced as an unmarried woman who could be stoned for becoming pregnant. Like Paul and Silas, she chose to praise God even in the midst of potential disaster.

Back in that Philippian prison, as Paul and Silas sang their praises, a powerful earthquake shook the prison, flung the doors open, and unfastened the chains of all the prisoners. This miraculous event not only freed Paul and Silas but also led to the conversion of the jailer and his entire household, who were baptized that very night.

Dear brothers and sisters, if we focus on the negative aspects of life, we will always find reasons to complain. However, if we shift our focus to what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do, we will always find reasons to praise Him. Let us recognize the blessings He has given us, the grace He continues to pour out, and the esteemed position we have as His children. Would we be where we are today had we not entrusted our lives to God?

Let us not wait for ideal conditions to praise God but, like Paul and Silas, let us cultivate a heart of praise even in the midst of trials. For when we do, we invite the miraculous power of God into our lives. Amen.

Now we will listen to a song that thanks God for the blessings bestowed. The joy, the praise and the thank heart of Christian may not seem likely, and we as Christians may not look rich in the eyes of the world. But we have our Lord, let us thank God for being our God. AMEN.

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