It's About Time Someone Shouted
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Some of my preacher friends started a new video series on Facebook; it comes on every Saturday night at 8. It’s called “The Amen Corner” and last night was the first episode…It’s four preachers gathered ‘round a table just talking about different things; each Saturday will have a different topic and it’ll last about 30 minutes. Ya’ll go on there and check it out, just search on Facebook for “The Amen Corner”.
Last nights episode was an introduction and they talked about the old amen corner and talked about some memorable church services they had all been in. Some of the ones they talked about I knew first hand because I was there too, others not, but one thing they all had in common were the people of God shouting and praising the Lord! There’s just something about a service where God kicks the honey-bucket over! There’s nothing like it, and my friend, if you’ve ever experienced that, you’re never satisfied until you experience it again and again!
“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”
Hezekiah here was thankful. He clapped his hands, he shouted unto God with the voice of triumph and he called on the people to do the same!
I’ve said it before that not everyone worships the same way…that some people just don’t shout and raise hands and act excited like others, but I’m going to say that through the conviction of the Word of God, I was wrong in saying those things.
And you might disagree with what I’m about to say, but by the time I’m done, at least you won’t be able to argue with me because I’ve got Bible for all of it...
It’s 100% Biblical for the people of God to shout every once and a while!
I don’t believe for two seconds that God is ok with us having dead, dried up, so quiet you can hear a mouse scurry across the carpet services!
There are some services where the Spirit of God stills the service; in those times, it should be quiet, but when the Man of God is up here preaching the Word of God and talking about how good God is and how wonderful God is and preaching about all the wonderful things that God has done for us, the church should not be quiet!
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous:
And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause:
Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified,
Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
God is gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness;
And let thy saints shout for joy.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation:
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
You might say – shouting makes me nervous. Listen – this is the quietest world you’ll ever live in!
If you die and go to hell, there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
If you die and go to heaven, there will be rejoicing and singing and praising for the rest of eternity!
Don’t believe me? Turn over to Revelation 4...
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Those four and twenty elders? Guess what ya’ll? That’s a picture of us!
Here is what we will be doing in Heaven! We will be worshiping...
V. 9–10a Your Worship Will Be Visible—When the beasts praise the Lord, the saints will rise from their thrones, they will bow before Him, they will cast their crowns at His feet and they will shout praises to the Lord. That is pretty visible praise! By the way, this is the kind of thing we are to be involved with while we are here! Too many want to try and worship God in their hearts. How does He receive glory from that? Praise is something that glorifies God and that points out His worth to others!
V. 10b Your Worship Will Be Valuable—They take the golden crowns from their heads and they cast them down at His feet. Why? Because the only reason they have them is because He loved, He extended grace to save them, He kept them, He gifted them to serve, He equipped them for victory, He did it all and He deserves all the glory and the praise. Down here, we try to keep some for ourselves. Over there, every selfish motive will have vanished forever and all that will matter is praising the One Who made salvation, service and Heaven possible.
V. 11 Your Worship Will Be Vocal—In Heaven, the saints actually praise God out loud! I know that is hard to believe, but it is true. You may never shout here, but when you get there, you will shout to the top of your lungs. You will join your voice with all the redeemed and you will praise the Lord Who sought you, bought you, kept you and delivered you home to glory. Notice what they praise Him for:
1. His Worth—He is worthy of our praise this evening simply for Who He is!
2. His Work—He is worthy of praise for all that He has done down through the ages, from creation, to redemption, even for His judgment. He is worthy of praise for His works. (Note: Think of how the Lord has worked in your life!)
3. His Will—The elders recognize that which we will understand some day too; namely, that everything that has happened, is happening and will happen is part of God’s perfect plan. He does it all for “His pleasure.” When we get there, we will see it as it should be and we will praise Him for it!
Would to God we would get a grasp on that now and praise Him while we were still in these bodies.
(Note: There is nothing wrong with getting in on a little of that vocal praise right now! He is just as worthy today as He will ever be. Therefore, let the “redeemed of the Lord say so!”
I hate a quiet, dead church service, and honey, we ain’t going to have one in Heaven!
I can’t stand to be around a Christian that acts like they are at a funeral all the time, but for the most part, that’s what we have!
The Christian life is the greatest life.
Our God is the best God.
It is OK to shout every now and then!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Sounds to me like Heaven is the kind of place I want to be! It sounds like it is better than the best service you have ever attended all the time! Thank God, I know I’m headed there and I know when I get there some of the things I’ll be doing. And, I like the sound of all of them.
What about you? Are you going? Is it settled that you are saved and headed for glory? If so, then praise the Lord for what He has done for you, why don’t you come pray that you’d get your shout; it’s ok to pray that you’d get excited…I’ve done it before, it works!
If you are lost or if you are not sure about your spiritual condition, then I invite you to come to Jesus Christ. Trust Him as your Savior and you can go to Heaven when you leave this world!