The Hallelujah Factor Series
Based upon Jack Taylor’s book The Hallelujah Factor
The Pathway to Praise
July 8, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A We have spent several weeks on the topic of praise.
1 Established many facts, learned many things
a Praise is any vocal (shout, sing), audible (clap, music), and/or visible (raised hands, dancing, bowing) adoration of God.
b M(antle) M(iraculous) B(less) W(ard of spirit of depsair) W(eapon)
c Open door & occupied throne
d Crown jewel of the church has been pirated
2 My aim is to help you develop a private life of praise.
a Up until today-conceptual, today we shift gears in a practical direction.
b One seldom moves from one place to another in one giant step-generally done in smaller steps.
c Praise is that way.
B Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:16-18 (NASB)
1 Our text does not say praise, yet if we obey these three steps, praise will be the result.
a Likewise, if we abstain from one of these steps, we will be prohibited from praise’s fullest expression.
b Follow them? Land in the center of praise.
2 I pray you’ll memorize 1 Thess. 5:16-18
a Honestly assess your life’s tendencies in accordance with the spirit of our text.
b Ask God if there is anything for which you’ve not given thanks (repent & give thanks).
c Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances. Psalms 119:164 (NASB) (7x’s a day)
I The first step on our pathway to praise...we make the choice to rejoice. "Be joyful always" KJV, "Rejoice always" NASB, HCSB, "Be cheerful no matter what" MSG, "Always be joyful" NCV, TLB
A God is joyful, & desires/wants His people to be joyful, cheerful, rejoicing.
1 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh 8:10 (NASB)
a You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalms 16:11 (NASB)
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Psalms 30:11 (NASB)
Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright. Psalms 33:1 (NASB)
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" Psalms 40:16 (NASB)
b Ps. 47:1, 5; 66:1; 71:23; Isa. 12:3, 6; 35:10; 44:2-3; Jer. 15:16; 30:19
2 The case for joy continues with our Savior, Jesus, because bringing joy is what He does, wherever He goes. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people Luke 2:10 (NASB)
a These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11 (NASB)
b Jesus modeled this joy even on His way to the cross. ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 (NASB)
c Jesus encouraged joy even in the worst of times. Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 "Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. Luke 6:22-23 (NASB)
3 Paul, an apostle of joy, reminds us. ...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17-18 (NASB)
a But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness...Gal 5:22 (NASB) Joy is a fruit of the Spirit
b From prison he wrote with joy. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Phil 3:1 (NASB)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Phil 4:4 (NASB)
4 Our heritage as a New Testament church testifies of a church of gladness & celebration. ...they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. Acts 2:46b-47a (NASB)
B Why the detail? Most difficult point to understand-joy.
1 Joy is necessary for praise.
a Not flaky, fluffy feelings of emotion or shallow silliness.
b Genuine joy in the Lord.
2 Joy is not a consensus of emotion, but rather a spiritual choice.
a Rejoice always is a command (thou shalt have no other gods, honor mom & dad, kill, steal...all commands).
b Choice is to obey all of them! Why not joy!
c As we prepare for praise, joy is the first choice we make.
We make the choice to rejoice, but we must continue down the path if we are going to praise (transitional sentence).
II The second step on our pathway to praise...we make the choice to pray persistently (pray continually/without ceasing).
A When we think of prayer, we may imagine a physical posturing (kneeling, bowing, eyes closed).
1 It is a physical impossibility to pray at all times, it is a joyful possibility that we can be in a prayerful spirit at all times.
a All about developing a "Godward" look.
b Remaining in a frame of prayerfulness.
2 Jabez is a clear example of one who prayed persistently (without ceasing).
a His name meant "PAIN", yet he developed such a heart for prayer that thousands of years after the fact we not only know that he prayed, we know what he prayed...
b Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. 1 Chron 4:10 (NASB)
c The historian reported to us-"And God granted him what he requested."
aa The reward for persistent praying!
bb Praying persistently is a prerequisite to praise!
B So pray first, last, & always
We’ve chosen the choice to rejoice, persistently pray, let’s go to the next step (transitional sentence).
III The third step on our pathway to praise...we make the choice for a gratitude attitude. (in everything give thanks, give thanks in all circumstances).
A Does everything mean everything? The Bible says EVERYTHING
1 I don’t know of anyone who has learned to continuously praise the Lord who did not develop the gratitude attitude.
a C.S. Lewis, "Praise is inner health made audible."
b Continually thanking God is a valuable part of our emotional, mental, & spiritual health.
2 How do we develop the gratitude attitude? OBEDIENCE: we simply do as we are told.
a "I don’t feel grateful, how can I give thanks in gratefulness to God?"
b Common error!
aa FEELINGS ARE FLEETING (change with weather, relative humidity, function of your liver, & who knows what else).
bb We are not commanded to "feel grateful, give thanks."
cc Feelings change, fickle-the Word of God never changes!
c Giving thanks is an act of the will-choice!
aa We don’t have trouble thanking God when all is well, but when the lights go out, health breaks down, things go badly we are mystified with this command.
bb Where do we go in Scripture to help us with this gratitude attitude?
3 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB) All things
a God’s sovereignty is such that nothing can happen beyond His ability to make it a part in weaving the fabric of a meaningful & joyful life, for our good!
b Not grinning and bearing it-we give thanks because we know that the end result of the worst conditions will be for our good & His glory.
B For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:15-18 (NASB)
1 Key thoughts:
a What happens is for our benefit
b Thanksgiving will bring glory to God
c The glory that’s coming to me in the future outweighs today’s trouble
d Keep our eyes on the unseen reality rather than the seen.
2 "Isn’t it hypocritical to give thanks when you don’t feel like it?"
a It’s faithfulness to give thanks when you feel nothing!
b Open declaration that you believe the word of God is right, God is good & sovereign.
c When we thank Him when we don’t feel like it we are simply being faithful/obedient.
3 When you don’t feel like thanking God, thank God until you feel like thanking God-and then thank God some more!
Conclusion
A Choose the path that leads to praise.
1 Make a choice to rejoice
2 Persistent prayer
3 Gratitude attitude
B When you follow these steps, you are ready to land in the center of praise & cry out with the whole creation, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"
C I pray you’ll memorize 1 Thess. 5:16-18
1 Honestly assess your life’s tendencies in accordance with the spirit of our text.
2 Ask God if there is anything for which you’ve not given thanks (repent & give thanks).
3 Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances. Psalms 119:164 (NASB) (7x’s a day)
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
