"Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!" vs1-2

All God’s servants are to bless him. This is not reserved for the preachers of the gospel, or excellent saints who are missionaries. This is for every man, woman, and child that confesses Christ. You have been baptized, and acknowledge that he saved you. Therefore, bless the Lord. Live your life for his glory, and be unashamed of the gospel.

We don’t have to be rude, hard, or macho. We don’t have to pretend that we’re better than others. Simply bless the Lord for his amazing grace, and tell how he saves sinners. Mark 5:19, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he has had compassion on you.” Tell how he keeps us, recovers us, and lifts us from falling. Tell how he keeps us back from sin, gives us a new heart, and never leaves nor forsakes us. Heb 13:5-6, “For he himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what can man do to me?’”

Tell of his lovingkindness to the worst sinners on earth. I’ve heard homosexuals reproved, but I rarely hear them given the gospel. This isn’t praising the Lord; it is thanking him (hypocritically) that I’m not like others, which is the Pharisees religion, and it’s false. Luke 18:9, “Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” No, blessing the Lord gives hope to the vilest offender, and grace to the most unworthy.

Bless him when it costs you. Vs2, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Bless him when friends leave, when sickness comes, and when money is tight. Bless him because of eternal redemption, and things that can’t be lost. 2 Cor 4:18, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Bless him because Paradise is yours - heaven with all its bliss - and you won’t be in hell forever. Bless him for dying for your sins, choosing you, and working everything to save your immortal soul. Rom 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” Bless him when the church wants to hear something else. No, calmly, patiently, and lovingly, bless the Lord, no matter what.

Blessing the Lord is the best thing for us, because he comes through, and he sees it. Bless the Lord!

Secondly, who is the One we bless? It is the Lord - the Maker of heaven and earth. Vs3, “The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion.” He has all power in his hands. He chose us before he made the world, and ordained us to salvation. 1 Thess 5:9, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He controls demons, even using their venom to redeem the world, by nailing his Son to the cross. Acts 2:23, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” He has power over disease. He can take it away, using doctors, prayer, and traditional medicine. He can also leave the pain - not because he’s cruel or powerless - because infinite love and wisdom say, “This is best. It will bring many sons to glory; it will help the most of my people.”