"The Power of Praise and Worship" by Bishop Charles C Jones
Psalms 100
SCRIPTURE TEXT
1.Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2.Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3.Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4.Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5.For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
INTRODUCTION
There are some in the congregation who do not enter into worship with an attitude of gladness. Then there are others that enter in out of routine however the text commands us to make a joyful noise to the Lord,to come into His presence with singing why? because we are His creatures,and as His creatures we should submit to the Creator who made us. As sheep, we should submit to the Shepherd who died for us and now leads us in His paths. He not only made us, but He is making us as we yield to Him (Eph. 2:10 say's,"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."). When we mention the word submit a lot of times we look at that word as something bad but the word submit or being in Submission simply means fulfillment or that I am fulfilled. As you and I enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. As we are thankful to Him, and bless His name. We are spiritually,artistically or emotionally satisfying the Lord who not only commands us to worship Him but who also tells us that the only way to worship Him is in the Spirit.(John 4:24) It is a privelege to know that I have a right that's reserved exclusively for those of us who believe. Ask your neighbour are you an Insider? An Insider is priveleged to certain information that others may be restricted to. While the world looks for peace and happiness in differant things those of us who are insiders or worshippers have the inside scoop that Jesus Christ is Jehovah Shalom the Lord our Peace.
Story has it that there was a preacher that was trying to sell his horse. One day a potential buyer came to the church for a test ride. The preacher said," before you start ,you should know that this horse only responds to church talk." Go is praise the lord and stop is amen." So the man gets on the horse and says " Praise the lord," and the horse starts to trot. The man again says "Praise the lord," and the horse starts to gallop. Suddenly there is a cliff right in front of the horse and the man yells "Amen!!!" The horse stops just at the edge of the cliff. The man wipes the sweat from his brow and says, "Praise the Lord."
We know what we are to say, but somehow "Praise the Lord" has lost its meaning.
Today I want to talk to you about the reasons why we should praise God and then we are going to look at the ways we are to praise God.
BODY
"Reasons to Praise God"
1. Almighty God is worthy of our praise and worship.
Ps 18:3 say's,"I will call upon the LORD, for He is worthy to be praised.
This Psalm was composed when God delivered David from the hand of Saul during David's wilderness exploits. It is a song of testimony. When it comes to life we all are faced with struggles whether they be physical or spiritual. One of the great things we have the privelege of knowing as insiders is that God cares about us and that he hears us.
In Psalms 34:19 David said, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. How many of us can relate to David's testimony?..David was an Insider... In verse 2 of Psalms 18 David describes God in 6 ways. 1.) "my rock" - David found safety and security in God's immovable strength; 2.) "my fortress" - He found a place of refuge and safety where the enemy cannot penetrate; 3.) "my deliverer" - He found God to be a living protector; 4.) "my buckler" - a buckler is a type of shield , symbolizing that God comes between us and harm; 5.) "horn of my salvation" - God was a source of strength and victorious power to deliver and save him; 6.) "my high tower" - a safe place to lift him above the dangers of life.
How many of you know that you can't make a true statement like that unless you have experienced it?
We call it a Testimony
In Revelation chapter 5 John the Beloved Apostle was priveleged to recieve a revelation of Christ as the Redeemer as one who was the rightful Heir to the title deed of creation.Satan had offered Him the whole world in return for one act of worship, but Jesus won the right to recieve the scroll when He gave Himself on the cross. John saw Jesus Christ as the Lamb who was slain as a sacrifice for sin. So he began to Praise and Worship God by saying in verse 12 "Worthy is the Lamb" who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
Listen when we Worship it describes Who God is.....
When we Praise it proclaims What God has done ........
When we give thanksgiving it speaks of What God is doing right now for us. ( Elaborate )
Our Praise and Worship - must be verbalized. Don't ever let a day go by without giving God Praise or Thanks. Always show God your gratitude.
If you don't know how, begin to praise him from the Psalms. It is a book that tells us how to praise God.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
You should know who you are. You should know what kind of people you are. You are a chosen generation. The Greek words actually mean a chosen or elect race. Peter takes the term from the Old Testament where God stated the same thing about Israel.
The idea is that of a new race of people, a new species that differs entirely from the other races upon earth. This is a shocking statement to some people; nevertheless it is exactly what the Word of God claims. God is actually creating a new race of people upon earth.
How? How can it be that believers from China, Russia, Asia, Africa, India, Europe, the Americas, the Islands, Canada, and all the other nations of the world form a new race of people? By the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is changing people inwardly, not outwardly. He is not changing facial and skin features. God is changing people within their hearts and minds and lives, changing them where it really matters. God is implanting His divine nature within believers. When a person believes in Jesus Christ, God's divine nature is immediately implanted into their heart and life through the act of Regeneration.
To a person who has never given his life to Jesus Christ, God seems far away and off in outer space someplace. To them God just does not seem that concerned about human life. There is no personal relationship and little, if any, fellowship and communion with God. A daily relationship that praises and honors God and brings one's needs to God and knows that God will meet those needs— is missing to the person who has never committed his life to Christ. To them God seems untouchable and unreachable and out of range.
Without Jesus Christ a person just has no access and no closeness to God. This is the reason men have always felt the need to have priests, earthly representatives who would dedicate their lives to God and who would carry the needs of men before God.
This is the glorious message of the gospel: when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, God creates us into a royal priesthood. God makes a royal priest out of everyone of us. He gives us open access into His presence forever and ever. Hebrews 10:19 -2 say's ,"19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
So Yes We can actually approach God anytime. In fact, God expects us to live in His presence—to fellowship, commune, and walk in His presence all day every day.
2. Worship changes us.
Did you know that you become like what you worship?
If you worship superficial things, your life becomes superficial.
If you worship perverted things your life becomes perverted.
If you worship evil things your life becomes evil.
If you worship the true God your life becomes godly.
2 Cor 3:18 in the The Living Bible say's "And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him."
Conclusion
How Do I Praise God?
1. With my voice.
Ps 63:3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
2. With my body.
Ps 63:4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.ยจ
Ps 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
3. With music.
Ps 150:3-5 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals!
4. With my emotions.
Ps 47:1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
5. With my life.
1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS
Bishop Charles C Jones
