The Hallelujah Factor Series
Based upon Jack Taylor’s book The Hallelujah Factor
Protesting or Practicing Praise Part 2-Hidden Sin
July 22, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A Opening story
B Unconfessed sin in the believer’s life restricts praise.
1 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Psalms 19:12-13 (NASB)
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. Prov 28:13 (NASB)
a Praise is the vocal, audible, and/or visible adoration of God.
b We’ve looked at...
aa Pathway to praise (choice to rejoice, persistent prayer, gratitude attitude).
bb M M B W W
cc Protests to praise (pride)
dd Today...hidden sin
2 Let’s pray
I Coming into God’s presence always means we deal with our sin.
A God commanded Moses to put a "sink" in between the tent of meeting & the altar of incense. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 "You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; 20 when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD. 21 "So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations." Ex 30:17-21 (NASB)
1 The altar stood directly opposite to the ark. You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. Ex 30:6 (NASB)
a The altar is where incense would be burned.
aa Acknowledged Deity (You a real, here, among us)
bb Prayer May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalms 141:2 (NASB)
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. Rev 8:3 (NASB)
b Before the priests entered the presence of God they were told to wash their hands & feet, come clean into worship.
2 That is still true today!
a What that doesn’t mean...
aa Penance, confession between 4 & 4:45 on Saturday, offer a sacrifice!
bb The debt has already been paid, but we must be cleansed from any hindrance of sin in our lives.
b The psalmist writes, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalms 103:1 (NASB)
c If sin is in the praisers, we can’t bless the Lord because praise involves "all that is within us."
3 If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear Psalms 66:18 (NASB)
a Unconfessed sin stifles the sound of praise.
b Paul told Timothy, Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Tim 2:22 (NASB)
c We are to come to Him out of a pure heart! How?
B If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
1 We can substitute confession for many, many things.
a Rationalize, deny, or ignore it-none of them will give us a pure heart.
b On the slopes of Long’s Peak in CO lie the ruins of a massive tree (400 years old).
aa Endured thousands of storms, hit by lightning 14 x’s.
bb In the end, it was not killed by storms or lightning, but by an army of beetles, so small a man could crush them between his finger & thumb.
cc You can go through storms, lightning, & yet it’s that little hidden sin that will bring you down.
c Confess it quickly so your heart will be pure.
2 Pure (Greek kataros): clean or clear
a Our hearts can only really praise God when they are unmixed, undivided with sin.
b Confession prepares us to praise & praise prepares us for confession.
C Preparing for Pizza with the Pastor always means one thing-clean the house.
1 Dust, vacuum, spic & span-clean!
a As soon as I open the curtains & let the sunshine in, I see all the dust/cobwebs we missed.
b Light will always expose the dirt.
2 The closer we get to Jesus, the more we’ll have to deal with "hidden sin".
a Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Psalms 19:12-13 (NASB)
b Allow God to reveal hidden sins in your life.
Conclusion
A Unconfessed sin in the believer’s life restricts praise.
B We’ve looked at protests of praise for the last two weeks:
1 Pride (tradition, what others will think)
2 Hidden sin
C Will you pray with me?
1 Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal hidden sin
2 Ask for forgiveness
3 Commit to praising God 7 x’s a day
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
