Don’t Stop Short

In a passionate closing message on Psalm 150, Pastor Johnathan delivers a sermon titled Don't Stop Short, urging believers to stop holding back their praise and worship of God. He opens with a striking observation — that people will scream, cry, and throw their hands in the air for a performer at a concert, yet walk into the house of God reserved and disengaged. As he puts it, "We won't stop short of screaming at the name of someone who won't know you, but we stop short of shouting at the name of the one who calls you by name." Drawing on Exodus 20:5, he reminds the congregation that God is a jealous God who desires exclusive praise, and that a culture inviting us to put celebrities and influencers on the pedestal of our hearts is pulling us away from the one who is truly worthy.

Pastor Johnathan walks through Psalm 150 as a framework of praise, covering the who, where, why, and how of worship. He reminds the church that praise is not just a Sunday activity — it mirrors what is happening in heaven right now, as Revelation 4:11 declares God worthy of all glory and honor. He draws on the stories of the Israelites building a golden calf in Exodus 32 and the battle of Jericho to illustrate what happens when God's people stop short just before a breakthrough. Whether it's instruments, dancing, or a simple shout of "Hallelujah," Pastor Johnathan calls the church to let everything that has breath praise the Lord — boldly, authentically, and without apology, both inside and outside the walls of the church.