Through Praise

Introduce the video clip to CHC church – from Insanity of God!

Dmitri’s Song by Chris Long – the sacrifice and the true meaning of praise is revealed in Dmitri’s life and song of praise that he sang every day in prison at sunrise to Jesus! He did this for 17 years. Even with the persecution, the hostility to his song from other prisoners, to the beatings he endured from singing his love song to Jesus. He still praised Jesus with verses and songs he would write on a piece of paper and offer to Jesus on a pillar in his cell. He never stopped praising Jesus even under severe persecution.

It’s hard to imagine that in the midst of severe persecution and torture you can find joy in the journey, Dmitri found it through praise and even worship but in Insanity of God Dmitri and a host of others are shown as examples that joy is found through praise even in persecution!

Series: We need to find joy in the journey!

Thesis of series: Joy needs to be experienced in the journey of life! But Joy, like any other attitude, can come and go. It is not guaranteed simply because we are born again believers. We must put ourselves in the places where experiencing joy is a possibility. We need to go after and find joy in our journey of life even in times of hardship and persecution.

Introduction: Quote from Chuck Swindoll’s book “Laugh Again”: “I know of no greater need today than the need for joy. Unexplainable, contagious joy. Outrageous joy. When that kind of joy comes aboard our ship of life, it brings good things with it-like enthusiasm for life, determination to hang in there, and a strong desire to be of encouragement to others. Such qualities make our voyage bearable when we hit the open seas and encounter high waves of hardship that tend to demoralize and paralyze. There is nothing better than a joyful attitude when we face the challenges life throws at us” (Swindoll, page 19).

Studying about joy in Scripture, looking at verses which speak of joy, helps build an understanding of how to put ourselves in places where it is possible to find and maintain an attitude of joy in our journey of life. We need to position ourselves in 2019 to seek after and find joy in the journey of life. God desires to help us find that joy!

• We can find Joy through laughter.

• We can find joy in God’s Love.

• But we also can find joy in praise to the Lord.

Sermon: Find joy in the journey through praise!

Gods greatest desire is that we – you and I - would act like Him and live with Him. God placed His nature in us and as a believer His presence lives in us (Gen 2:8). He desires to interact with us through praise which encompasses prayer and worship as well. We can discover with the help of the Lord joy in the journey of life – even when we face illness, death, persecution, trials and hardship.

Thesis: We need to experience the Spirit of the Lord in praise which includes prayer and worship. We need to invite Him to come into these times of hardship in our lives with praise and worship. We need to do it both individually and corporately so we are strengthened with His presence. When we experience His presence through the dimensions of Davidic worship spoken about in Psalms our lives will be renewed and we will find joy.

Introduction:

A few weeks back I left off in 1 John 5 as I spoke on finding joy in the journey through love.

I want to summarize I John 5 for us today before I proceed with finding joy in the journey through praise – you may be thinking good he is finishing 1 John, some may not even care that I am addressing it, others are excited to hear the last chapter of 1 John? So, let me answer the why of this summary? What John shares in this chapter should compel us or even lead us to want to offer up praises to the One who deserves our praise: That person is Jesus! 1 John tells me why I need to believe and how I should believe and why I should praise Him (Jesus).

When we are possessed by God’s love – when we really believe in Jesus and His mission – when we follow His Word and teachings – when we know He was sent by God to pay the sacrifice for our sins so we could be free – when we love Him enough to praise Him - we will get the strength to not fear anyone or anything. This lack of fear will cause us to stand for Jesus message whether we live in China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or even in the United States. How could this happen you may be thinking? Because His love is more powerful than fear and that love will drive us to praise the One who set us free - we will love Jesus even in the midst of suffering and persecution and fear will not hold us in bondage – we will be free.