ARE WE PILLARS
Notes
Transcript
IT IS THEM OR US
IT IS THEM OR US
Have you ever known it is your responsibility and just said I can not or I am not going to do what I know I need to do. I think we all have moments when we are like this. However we are commanded over and over again that we are to praise the lord. How do we praise him in a way that is worthy of the one who paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and me. Jesus did not slack or did not all his responsibilities to just pass him by, and neither should we. But it never fails when things get a little hectic or stressful, or just are not going the way we want them to go we want to slack on our responsibilities. Believe it or not this is common for all of us. However we are not common once we have accepted Jesus as our savior, the scriptures tell us we are changed and should continue to be changing through the remainder of our lives. Changing to be more and more like him and being like him means we will not allow our responsibilities to go undone. So today lets look at a key responsibility which will
Fulfill a command we have been given
Put in a place where we are able to receive from Him
Puts in a place above what we deserve
1 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised. 4 The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? 7 He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, 8 That He may seat him with princes— With the princes of His people. 9 He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!
Today as we continue in the Book of Psalm, I want to look at this passage. This passage is very similar to a passage found in 1 Samuel 2:5-8 which we will pick up on a little later. but first lets look at the beginning and the ending of this Psalm. This Psalm begins and ends with a command. This Command is to “Praise the Lord!” in fact the word Praise is used three times in this first verse alone. I was always told if something is said more than once it is important. So here we see something being repeated, and in scripture we are told if something is repeated it is being stressed by the writer for a reason.
The reason is we are being commanded to Praise the Lord. Now there are several ways we are able to express Praise to the Lord.
Ways to Praise the Lord
Singing
dancing
Musical Instruments
words
actions
uprightness
with all our hearts
through Thanksgiving
Prayer
realizing his works in our lives
We see numerous references to Singing in the Book of Psalm
We also see various places and times where the Scriptures speak or mention various instruments, like the Harp, Lyres, Tambourines, flutes, cymbals and trumpets
Praising God openly with our words
My favorite is found in Psalm 100:1 where it encourages shouting for Joy and praising God.
Hebrews 13:15 speaking of Sacrifices of Praise
Psalm 119:7 talks about us living right being a form of Praise
Colossians 3:17 hints or suggests that all we do in the name of the lord is praising him actions
Meditation on the scriptures about Praise help us to Praise him
Journaling and Tracking blessings and acknowledging them is a form of praise
Fast from Negativity and Complaining is a form of Praise
So you can see their are a lot of ways we can praise the Lord We honor God with Tithes by fulfilling a Command but the giving of Offerings and Alms are forms of Praise
Okay lets look at the next one
When we have done our part then we put ourselves in the correct place to receive from him. God will bless those who follow his Command’s and Commandments. He will Bless those who Praise him.
One author said it like this “Obedience allows God’s blessings to flow without constraint. He will bless his obedient children with freedom form bondage and misery. And he will bless them with more light.”
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
When we obey God and we keep his Commandments and we serve him as he deserves to be served and Praised then we can Receive “powerful blessings.”
1 Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 “Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 “The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. 6 “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them.
Look here when Hanna had Prayed what begins to happen. If you remember in Chapter 1 Hanna was one of two wives to Elkanah. However she was barren and this caused her to be sad possibly even depressed. However year when it was time for Elkanah to make his sacrifices he would always give Hanna a double portion. But hanna remained sad and did not eat. Then this all changed when she had prayed and asked the Lord to remember her and her womb. The priest thought she was drunk, but Hanna explained her situation to the priest and then after returning from the Sacrifices and feast, Hanna was with her husband and became pregnant with Samuel.
Interesting enough in her prayer pleading to God she vowed that Samuel’s hair would not be cut. Does this sound familiar? Samson
His mother also vowed the same for him but guess what else. She was also barren for a period. Both women vowed their son’s to be Nazzarites for live.
3 when we do what is required of us then we are in a place where we can be blessed or put in the arena of excellence.
We see these things all over the scriptures, From the beginning of the scripture until the very end, those who obey and Praise and Worship him are then ready to receive from God.
Their minds are right
their faith is strong and without doubt
They are poured out before the lord
and they come seeking Him with a Purpose or need.
The scripture says Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all things will be added to you
Faith can move mountains, allow us to do great things be present for miracles, like wallking on the water as Peter did, or just giving to those who are in need Like Peter and John did the lame man outside the Gates of the Temple. They offered what they had the out pouring of the Holy Spirit which healed the man.
So as we close today I want us to remember we have a designated purpose in the kingdom and one of those is to praise the lord. When we do these things we are placing ourselves in a position for Him to move. When God moves all things must change. Are we willing to Change and become a Pillar????
