A Difference Praising Will Make!
Notes
Transcript
A Difference Praising Will Make!
A Difference Praising Will Make!
1 O clap your hands, all ye people; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
As we close this 21 annual SS Sunday lets celebrate.
Lets rejoice - God is good!
lets read psalm 150
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
ps 150.10
I Praise Him for His Church
I Praise Him for His Church
Lets praise him in the sanctuary tonight
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power.
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power.
ps 16=50.
The Bible is filled with examples of praise when we see His power released - life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him.
Tonight we have some that stepped out by faith to see what God is going to do....
Yet reality is that way too often, daily struggles or constant life demands can crowd out our praise to God.
Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We're weary. Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he's far away, or doesn't really care about what's troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling.
Here’s what can make a lasting difference. When we make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him praise, no matter what's staring us straight in the face, we suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the grip those struggles can have over us.
There’s power in our acknowledgement that He is worthy, above all else, of our worship and praise.
What the Power of Praise Can Do - 8 Things:
What the Power of Praise Can Do - 8 Things:
1. Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God.
1. Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
In our often “selfie” focused world, we need this constant reminder - life is not all about us. We may know that in our heads, but yet our hearts think differently so often. We're prone to selfishness, He desires our eyes be set firmly on Him, because that's where our true hope is found. He is worthy of our praise, no matter what we face from day to day.
“Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!”
"And my tongue shall speak of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long."
2. Praise brings us to a place of humility.
2. Praise brings us to a place of humility.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods.
ps
We remember our dependency on God, as we acknowledge our need for Him. As we praise Him as Creator and King of this world, we admit and recognize that we’re not in control, but He is. He is above all.
ps 3
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
3. Praise leaves no room for complaining and negativity.
3. Praise leaves no room for complaining and negativity.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
3. Praise makes the enemy flee. It pushes back the darkness the surrounds, and blocks the attacks and hissing lies over us. Evil will not stick around if we’re praising our God, who will fight our battles for us. In the story of Jehoshaphat, we see God miraculously defeat the enemy, because of the people’s obedience to praise Him.
“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated”
Sometimes even within our prayers, we can tend to complain about our problems. God knows our hearts. And He cares about all that concerns us. But through praise, we’re focused on Him, no longer allowing too much attention to be centered around the struggles. We’re reminded of what He has already done in our lives. We’re reminded that He knows what concerns us, and is capable of taking care of all that burdens us.
4. Praise leaves no room for complaining and negativity. Sometimes even within our prayers, we can tend to complain about our problems. God knows our hearts. And He cares about all that concerns us. But through praise, we’re focused on Him, no longer allowing too much attention to be centered around the struggles. We’re reminded of what He has already done in our lives. We’re reminded that He knows what concerns us, and is capable of taking care of all that burdens us.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”
4. Praise makes room for God’s blessings over our lives.
4. Praise makes room for God’s blessings over our lives.
He will not hold back His goodness, praise opens the gateway of blessing as we come into the Presence of our King.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5. Praise makes room for God’s blessings over our lives. He will not hold back His goodness, praise opens the gateway of blessing as we come into the Presence of our King.
ps 100
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
“He inhabits the praises of His people.”
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;"
7. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in His presence. We're strengthened by His peace and refueled by His joy. Through a heart of praise, we realize that God doesn’t just change our situations and work through our problems, He changes our hearts.
5. It paves the way for God's power to be displayed, miracles happen.
5. It paves the way for God's power to be displayed, miracles happen.
“In His presence, there is fullness of joy.”
8. It paves the way for God's power to be displayed, miracles happen. People's lives are affected and changed. God shakes things up through praise. As Paul and Silas sat in prison, shackled, and chained, they kept right on praising God. And God sent an earthquake that shook the cells and broke the chains. The jailer and all his family came to know Christ that very night.
People's lives are affected and changed. God shakes things up through praise. As Paul and Silas sat in prison, shackled, and chained, they kept right on praising God. And God sent an earthquake that shook the cells and broke the chains. The jailer and all his family came to know Christ that very night.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 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.
8. It paves the way for God's power to be displayed, miracles happen. People's lives are affected and changed. God shakes things up through praise. As Paul and Silas sat in prison, shackled, and chained, they kept right on praising God. And God sent an earthquake that shook the cells and broke the chains. The jailer and all his family came to know Christ that very night.
Acts
Lets thank God and praise him tonight!
Lets thank God and praise him tonight!
Or, we can ask God to help us take our eyes off all that may be swirling around, our problems and mess, or the voices of others. And we can look up...to Him, the One who holds it all together, and who holds us in his hands.
God desires our whole heart. He waits for us to return. He longs for us to know the power of His presence over our lives. He desires to bless us more than we could imagine. His Spirit urges us onward, calling us closer.
May He help us to look up...open our mouths...and sing.