The Praising Church Series

TEXT: Exodus

TITLE: The Praising Church

TOPIC: The Praising Church

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, February 3rd, 2008

PROP.: Worship happens when God reveals Himself, We choose to remember, and then we respond.

INTRODUCTION: At this time we would like to dismiss our Jr. Church age kids ages 4 years old - 4th grade and if you would take the attendance pads and pass them down the pew you’re sitting in.

We are journeying together to become the church that Jesus desires. The text that is the model for us to follow comes to us from

Acts 2:42-47

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Today, and for the next 3 weeks in February, I want us to be PRAISING GOD!

God’s people have always worshipped Him! From the beginning of time where Cain and Abel offered up their sacrifices of worship, to the time Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice Him on the altar, God’s people have always offered up worship to Him!

To start this sermon series off right, let’s start with the Israelites (God’s chosen people) and how learn how worship works: Let’s start in Exodus 3:12.

You know where the Israelites are, right? They are in Egypt serving Pharaoh and being mistreated and abused! Moses fled Egypt and was living in Midian because he killed an Egyptian. And here our story begins…

Exodus 3:12

And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [ The Hebrew is plural. ] will worship God on this mountain."

Why did God want the Israelites free from persecution and slavery? Sure, he was upset about the treatment of His people…but God makes a promise to Moses and the Israelites: WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE FREE, THEY WILL WORSHIP ME!

Each and every time Moses visited Pharaoh, and before each plague hit, Moses told Pharaoh to let God’s people go so they could WORSHIP Him! And worship Him they did!

T.S.: WOSHIP HAPPENS WHEN….

I. REVELATION OCCURS:

1. When God shows Himself - When faced with the almighty, powerful God, you can’t help but worship Him!!

--The story of Moses

God showed up in the life of Moses in a special, powerful way. Moses was tending to Jethro’s flock and there, God grabs the attention of Moses. God shows Himself in the form of a burning bush that never becomes consumed! So Moses does what any of us would do in his position - He investigates closer. As Moses approached the bush, he heard a voice say to him: STOP! IT WAS THE VOICE OF GOD!

There at that burning bush, God maps out His plan. He told Moses in

Genesis 3:19-20

“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.”

But Moses was a little unsure about God’s plan…so what did God do for Moses? God shows Moses a little hint of His power:

1. The staff turning to a snake (4:2-4)

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘What Is that in your hand?’ “A staff,” Moses replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to Him, “reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.”

2. His healthy hand turned leprous and then back to a healthy hand (4:6,7)

Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. Now put it back in your cloak.” So Moses put his hand back into his cloak and when he took it out it was restored like the rest of his flesh.”

3. Turn the Nile into blood. (4:9)

“But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the dry ground.”