Praise As A Weapon

PRAISE AS A WEAPON

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. JOKE #1

a. Samantha Couchoud’s father was on a business trip and approaching a security checkpoint at the airport. The National Guard shift was rotating, and a guard, in full uniform, was in line in front of him.

b. As with everybody else, the soldier was ordered to go through the metal detector. Before doing so, he handed his M-16 rifle to security personnel along with other items such as handcuffs and a flashlight.

c. Still the alarm sounded when he walked through. Further inspection revealed a Swiss army knife inside one of his pockets.

d. "Sorry, sir," security said to the soldier, "but this item is prohibited." Taking the knife away, the airport worker then handed him back the M-16.

2. JOKE #2

a. As a dental hygienist, Wanda Crumpler tries to relieve her patients' anxiety by going over the procedures before starting. After talking to one patient, a police officer, she asked him if he had any questions.

b. She must have been a little too graphic in her description, because he replied, "I have just one. I've never given you a ticket, have I?"

B. THE PERMANENCE OF PRAISE

1. There’s coming a day when all the preaching will stop, all the sermons will be finished, all the prayer meetings will no longer be needed, evangelism will be useless.

2. It’s the day we enter into eternity, the day when we go to heaven. On that day there is one thing that WON’T cease – in fact, that one thing will be done even more – and that one thing is praise and worship. That will never stop.

3. Praise & worship are going on right now in Heaven. Day & night, night & day – worship arises because He is worthy of it all.

4. As Tozer said, “Go to church once a week and nobody pays attention. But worship and serve God 7 days a week and you become strange! Tim Dilena said, “I’m signing up for the strange club. Augustine said, “A Christian should be a Hallelujah from head to toe!” Be a Hallelujah!

5. In Ps. 150 & 34 and John 4, the revelation of who God is and what God has done is the fuel for the fire of our worship.

C. THESIS & TITLE

1. So tonight we’re going to look at how praise is a weapon. The devil wants you to think it’s only for Sunday, but we’re going to see that we should be praising God every day of the week!

2. The title of today’s message is “Praise As A Weapon.”

I. PRAISE CHANGES YOUR FOCUS & PERSPECTIVE

A. A CHANGE OF FOCUS

1. The first reason to use worship as a weapon is that it shifts your focus and mindset.

2. When we fix our eyes on our problems and struggles, our faith and sight are covered with clouds. But when we turn our attention to God, His omnipotence & omnipresence drive back those clouds and our problems look smaller.

3. My mind focuses on what I can’t do. But worship reminds me of what the Holy Spirit can do.

B. CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE

1. Worship is also a weapon because true worship trades your earthly perspective for a heavenly one.

2. ILLUS.

a. A Pastor took over a dead church. No matter how hard he tried to get the congregation to pep-up their praise & worship, they were just not going to do it. But he got an idea.

b. So the next Sunday when the church came into the sanctuary, the Pastor had moved a huge boulder onto the stage. He had painted on it and it said, “If you won’t, I will!” in big letters.

c. Luke 19:40 says, “If they keep quiet, the stones will start shouting.” Prayerlessness is a characteristic of the unsaved. Worship is an act of war against the flesh, the devil, the world, even religion.

3. No matter what happens during your life – you can be confident that THE END OF YOUR STORY will be one of happiness, joy, peace in heavenly realms with Christ! It will glorious and will be worth it all.

4. As Paul said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” We’ll say, “Oh, death, where is your sting?

5. Worship helps you to zoom out from your circumstances and zoom in on God and eternity.

II. PRAISE CHANGES YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

A. EXPECT GOD TO HANDLE YOUR PROBLEMS

1. When Jehoshaphat & Judah were being invaded in 2 Chron. 20, Jehoshaphat called the people to fasting and prayer. As they prayed God spoke through a prophet. He told them 4 things it would be good for us to hear.