"Raising Praise In Times Like These”

Psalms 34:1 - I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. (3) O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

I. Do you really understand what praise is? I know that seems like a question I don’t need to ask you since you are coming to a church called “Praising Place”, but I feel that it is one that needs to be addressed.

1. As I look at the church today, I am amazed at the attitude that some of us have adopted. It blows my mind how many folks come into the House of God week after week and this be the only time they praise God. It’s mind-boggling to me how some folk treat God like a umm umm call.

a. They just show up to get their praise on; a little feel good and out the door they go; until the next Sunday. They will spend an entire week miserable and defeated. It seems like you ought to get tired of the same old things; you ought to get tired of living from day to day without any joy, peace, and happiness in your life…

2. You ought to get tired of being down and out…Going through…Going under… going backwards…You ought to be tired of coming in here week after week and leaving the same way you came…Leaving here with the same ole problems…Leaving here with the same ole heartaches…Leaving here with the same ole heartbreaks…Leaving here with the same ole let downs…Leaving here with the same ole setbacks…

a. I Don’t know about you but I’m not going to be down and out…I’m not going to be the tail; I am going to be the head…I’m not going to be defeated; I am an over-comer…but what it all comes down to is how we respond to what life brings to us and how it treats us.

3. Part of our problem is that you won’t praise God in spite of. We all know the saying, “when praises go up, the glory comes down” but do we really know and understand the Power of Praise and its benefits? Praise can cause walls to fall just ask Joshua, praise can stop the fury of fire just ask 3 Hebrew Boys, praise can make a den of lions lose their appetite, just look at Daniel. Ask your neighbor, “are a real praiser”!

4. Praise is simply an expression of approval, admiration, gratitude, or respect. Praise is our weapon in this fight and it can only be used in faith, by believers. Real praiser are the ones that can do it when no one is around, when there is no music, no church service, when everything isn’t going their way. Anyone can pretend to praise but a true praiser has approval on their lives, they have a heart after God, He is their everything; always present in their lives. You don’t praise looking for benefits, you praise cause you love God.

II. When you bless the Lord at all times (good times and bad times) and His praises are always in your mouth; something happens when you live a life of continually praise; you begin to RAISE YOUR PRAISE! Understand me when I tell you that Praise is permeated with Productive Power. True Praise has the Proclivity and the Propensity to be a Powerful Producer. How is Praise a Producer? How do you “raise your praise”?

A. Something happens when you continually praise; in 1Ch 4:1 The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. Judah means “Praise” but, did you notice that something is missing from that verse… there is no mention of the mother anywhere here; there’s a father (producer) present, but there is no mention of the mother (carrier/ womb).

aa. Judah (Praise) needs a partner (a bride/ womb/ carrier) to help nurture the seed that must be produced (the sons) but Judah isn’t just looking for anybody.

B. Some of you are not attractive to Judah because your heart’s not right, your motives aren’t right, your intentions are not right; that’s why it seems like you’re not growing and gaining in Kingdom Principles. Dress up all you want, GQ it but that don’t do it for God. He is not desperate for your praise, Jesus said in Luke 19:40 that He can get the rocks to do what you will not do own your own.

1. That’s why: The church is boring to you, the devil is beating you down, the enemy is wreaking havoc in your life, because you refuse to hook up with Judah and consummate your relationship with him by making a true commitment to God; I need to tell you that there are some advantages to hooking up with Judah. Your praise will produce seeds that will give way to fruit!