The Perspective Of Praise Series

The Hallelujah Factor Series

Based upon Jack Taylor’s book The Hallelujah Factor

The Perspective of Praise

June 17, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction

A One of the six purposes of our churches is to worship God, praise.

1 Mouse: Will People Embrace Domesticated Farm Mice

a Worship, prayer, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, & ministry

b Many see praise/worship as what they do, or where they go at 10:30 on Sunday morning.

aa When we define our praise as such...we’re missing what praise is intended to be scripturally.

bb Praise is what we are called to daily (7x’s a day)

2 The emphasis on this series is on private worship (daily intimacy through praising God)

a I am convinced that you & I will never praise God more intimately publically than where we’ve been with our praise privately.

aa The reason we don’t experience, engage in a meaningful worship experience at 10:30 AM on Sunday is because we’ve not experienced or engaged in meaningful praise in private through the week.

bb Exceptions? Yes. Revival, awakening-meant to take us to a new level.

b When Dwain Miller left, I asked him, "What now?"

aa Teach your people about personally praising God. Pointed me to Jack Taylor’s book, The Hallelujah Factor.

bb Changed me, approach praise, see the world

c I want to teach you these tools this summer!

B For a few weeks, I want to turn our 10:30 AM service upside-down.

1 We’ll hear the word, learn the tool, & then join in corporate worship.

a Always wanted to try it, never had the opportunity, or a good reason.

b Let’s pray before we learn the foundational lesson we’ll build the Hallelujah Factor upon.

I What is praise?

A For the hundreds of books on this topic, there are just as many definitions.

1 "Praise is the vocal, audible, and/or visible adoration of God."

a This will be our working definition

b Remember...this is aimed at your private praise of God.

2 Praise may be vocal

a My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD...Psalms 145:21a(NASB)

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. Psalms 63:3 (NASB)

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth... Psalms 66:1 (NASB) Shouting

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders...Psalms 26:7 (NASB)

b These are all vocal aspects of adoration

3 Praise may be audible without being vocal.

a Clapping is audible O clap your hands, all peoples... Psalms 47:1 (NASB)

b Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre. 4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. Psalms 150:3-5 (NASB)

4 Praise may neither be vocal or audible

a So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalms 63:4 (NASB) More on this in weeks to come

b Kneeling (harah) worship used over 60x’s in the Old Testament. Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 2 Chron 20:18 (NASB)

c Let them praise His name with dancing... Psalms 149:3a (NASB)

d In 1 Chron. 15, David finally brings the ark of the covenant back to its rightful place & all of Jerusalem praises God.

aa Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres. 1 Chron 15:28 (NASB)

bb David danced in celebration & Saul’s daughter "despised him in her heart." It happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart. 1 Chron 15:29 (NASB)

cc The reason Michal despised David was because she wasn’t a dancer (if she had known God like David did, she’d be a dancer, too!)

B We’ll never (seldom) praise God publically more than we praise Him privately.

1 The reason why many don’t shout, "Hallelujah! Amen! Praise the Lord!" here is because we don’t before we get here.

a Clap-we don’t do it publically, not done privately

b Lift our hands, kneel, dance-we don’t do it (never been taught it)

2 For the 31 years I’ve been a Southern Baptist, I never sat under a pastor who taught me the significance, blessing, power, that is found in privately praising God.

a I’ve never been taught to do it!

b Praise is at 10:30 AM/6:30 PM on Sunday

aa (IL) My dental hygienist’s 5-yr.-old daughter asked her, "What are we going to do in Heaven?" "Praise God."-sound boring