Power Through Praise

POWER THROUGH PRAISE

Ps. 33:1

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: REDNECK BLACK BOXES

1. The National Transportation Safety Board recently divulged a highly secret plan they had funded with the US auto makers for the past five years.

2. The NTSB covertly funded a project whereby the auto makers were installing black boxes in four wheel drive pick-up trucks in an effort to determine, in fatal accidents, the circumstances in the last 15 seconds before the crash.

3. They were surprised to find in 49 of the 50 states the last words of drivers in 61.2% of fatal crashes were, "Oh no, they ran the stop sign!"

4. Only the deep South was different, where 89.3% of the final words were, "Hey Y'all, watch this!"

B. TEXT

1. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness” Ps. 48:1.

2. “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous: for praise is comely (fitting) for the upright” Ps. 33:1.

3. “And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” Ps. 40:3.

4. “Let the people praise You, O God; let all the people praise You” Ps. 67:3.

5. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps. 107:8.

6. “Seven times a day do I praise You because of Your righteous judgments” Ps. 119:164.

7. “Every day will I bless You; and I will praise Your name for ever and ever” Ps. 145:2.

8. “While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being” Ps. 146:2.

9. “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” Ps. 149:6.

C. THESIS

1. Tonight I want us to talk about Praise & Worship. When we praise the Lord, God inhabits our praises.

2. It makes the devil mad, but makes God glad, when we come into the presence of the Lord.

3. The enemy knows that with God’s presence comes His Power, His Anointing, and His Blessings!!! Amen?

4. And then the miraculous starts to take place. And the Devil doesn’t want you to start experiencing the miraculous because He wants you to live defeated lives!

5. So we’re going to look at the 3 types of worship, the hindrances to praise, and then how we can let praise usher us into a walk of victory.

6. The title of this message is, "Power Through Praise."

I. THREE TYPES OF WORSHIP

A. PRAISE

1. Praise is excited, exuberant, and noisy. It’s characterized by rejoicing, singing, shouting, uplifted hands, clapping, dancing. Praise is Celebration.

2. The Houston Texans football team played the Tennessee Titans the other day. Fitzpatrick threw 5 touchdown passes and J.J. Watts was giving them grief. 3. Then Watts knocked the ball out of the QB’s hands, scooped it up and ran nearly to the goal line. Then Watts, as a receiver, caught a pass and went in for the touchdown. The place went crazy. It was celebration time. That’s what PRAISE is.

B. THANKSGIVING

1. Thanksgiving is different than praise because its motivation results from something God has done. How wonderful it is when a long sought answer to prayer arrives, and creates in us a tremendous feeling of thankfulness!

2. HUMOR

a. In North Dakota there was a clever old preacher who always amazed people, because no matter how bad the circumstances, he could always find something to give thanks for.

b. One cold December morning, he arrived late to church because his car got stuck in the snow drifts. The power went out and the piano player wasn’t there.

c. The parishioners were eager to see what the old preacher could come up with to be thankful for on that dismal and frigid morning. "Dear Lord," his prayer began, "I thank You, that not all days are like today.”

C. WORSHIP/ ADORATION/ LOVE

1. Then there’s worship. When you and God are alone together, face to face, and have shared a long and intimate relationship -- almost a romantic love is felt, except it’s reverential.

2. THE PROGRESSION OF WORSHIP

a. At the Temple in Jerusalem, Praise occurred in the outer courts. That’s where the sacrifices took place and the cleansings. That’s why Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

b. Next the priests, with sacred garments, moved into the Holy Place to fellowship with God. There stood the Table of Shewbread and the Lampstand/ Menorah. They symbolized our fellowship with JESUS as the LIGHT OF THE WORLD and as the BREAD OF LIFE, which came down from heaven.