Praise Leads Us In

PRAISE LEADS US IN

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A farmer went into his banker and announced that he had bad news and good news. "First, the bad news..."

2. "Well," said the farmer, "I can’t make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I’ve taken out for the past 10 years -- I can’t pay that off, either. Not only that, I won’t be able to pay you the couple of hundred thousand I still have outstanding on my tractors and other equip-ment. So I’m going to have to give up the farm and turn it all over to you for whatever you can salvage out of it."

3. Silence prevailed for a minute and then the banker said, "What’s the good news?" "The good news is that I’m going to keep on banking with you," said the farmer.

B. TEXT & THESIS

1. One of the things that has always set Pentecostal/ Full Gospel churches apart from all other denominations is the way that we praise the Lord. We don’t praise God quite like some of these other denominations. We let God know how much we appreciate Him. Amen?

2. We sing! We dance! We shout! We raise our hands! And we don’t care who’s watching! Or what they have to say about it. Amen? Because we come to Church to praise Him! It’s a shame that all Christians don’t feel the same way about praising God!

3. I’ve had people tell me that they couldn’t come to this Church because we praise the Lord in a way that just didn’t seem traditional to them! Well I’ll tell you that if traditional is what you had in mind, You come to the wrong place because our praise is not traditional! It’s Biblical. Amen?

4. We praised the Lord this morning, and in turn we had a God-filled service. Amen? Because He inhabits the praises of His people. I believe that we were standing in His presence right here in this very building. Amen?

5. And how many know that we’re in His presence this evening? When we started praising Him this morning, we were inviting His presence in this place.

6. And How many know that the Devil can’t stand it when we come into His presence? Because He knows that with God’s presence comes His Power, and His Anointing, And Blessings and miracles!!! Amen? He knows that when the children of God come into the presence of God that 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! Because if you go through life defeated, not only does it effect you but it ensures that you won’t be the successful witness that God has called you to be!

7. Well I am going to preach something to you that I am certain that the devil does not want you to know!

I. THE MOTHER OF PRAISE - STRUGGLES

Struggles are often the antecedents of praise.

A. THE TRICKSTER WEDDING

Genesis 29 tells the story of Jacob meeting Rachel and immediately falling in love with her. He worked for her seven years. At the end of that time they were married and went on their honeymoon, or so Jacob thought. It seems the “schemer” had been out-schemed by his father-in-law Laban. The women of that day were heavily veiled during the wedding. In the honeymoon tent there were no electric lights, so it was quite a surprise when Jacob discovered his bride was Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob was furious but was told by Laban to finish the bridal week and then he could also marry Rachel.

B. RACHEL & LEAH COMPARED

1. The name Leah means “wild cow”; Rachel means female sheep. Genesis 29:17-18 says, “Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful.” Whatever “weak eyes” means, nothing is said about Leah being beautiful.

2. It’s hard to imagine how ashamed, hurt, and rejected Leah felt; sold by her father, who had to deceive her husband into marrying her; she was unloved and despised and mocked by her own sister. Life was not fair to Leah.

3. But Genesis 29:31 says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” Though her looks were against her, Jacob turned to Leah for children.

C. LEAH’S FAITH GROWS TO WALK WITH GOD

1. First son, she named Reuben, “See, a son!” Next son she named Simeon, “One who hears” because “the Lord heard that I am not loved” (33). Third son, Levi, “attached” because, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me” (34). Fourth son. She’s no longer disillusioned that her husband would someday love her; so instead she focuses on her relationship on the Lord; Judah, “praise,” “This time I will praise the Lord.” Leah’s faith in God grew; she believed God was in control of her life.