The Potential Of Praise
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Scripture Reading: Psalms 150 KJV
1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
We begin this morning’s message with the premise:
Praise is important to God.
We know from the scriptures and from our own experiences that many people never praise God at all. They never:
* Lift up His Name
* Give Him any credit (glory)
* Exalt His Son, Jesus.
* Thank Him, Worship Him or Adore Him
Many people never praise God at all.
And from those who do appear to praise God, there is still evidence that some don’t mean it. There is just no spiritual connection.
This is the difference between True Praise and False Praise
What we might call, Good Praise & Bad Praise
Some are just going through the motions of praise while filled with carnality and hypocrisy and not truly praising God at all.
While others are moving the heart and hand of God because they worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Few things move the heart of God like true, spiritual thanksgiving, praise and worship.
Key Scripture: John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
If praising God moves the heart of God
Don’t you think praising God can also move the hearts of man
The Bible says:
We should add thanksgiving with every prayer request we make: Philippians 4:6
It concerned Jesus when only one of the ten lepers who were cleansed returned to give proper credit to God. Luke 17
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. This is a picture of all creation finally praising God and His Son, Jesus. Philippians 2:10
God inhabits the praises of His children, Israel.
Israel means = Prevailed with God (a Prevailer; an Overcomer)
Through the praises of God’s Overcomers, He is enthroned as God in their hearts. Psalms 22:3 He inhabits the overcomer’s praise.
Praise is important to God …
Praise is also important to man
Few things can move the hearts of people, like the true praises of God.
Let me show you what I mean as we take a further look at:
The Potential Of Praise
I. This Story Comes From Genesis, Chapters 37 - 46
A. Joseph’s brothers didn’t like him and conspired to kill him
B. Reuben, the 1st born, saves Joseph’s life intending to free him
C. Judah sees the profit and prevails to sell Joseph into slavery
D. Israel’s (The Overcomer’s) heart is broken; fear takes control
E. Years later, after much trial and trouble, Joseph becomes ruler
F. Famine forces Israel to send to Egypt for food
G. Joseph sees his brothers once again
H. First Joseph is unknown, deceitful, threatening & mean
I. Joseph sends them home with one less brother and a mandate
Side note: Can’t you imagine that Jacob and his sons prayed for God to be merciful and lift the famine. For years they must have prayed and perhaps wondered why God did not hear them. You see, God had a plan and He was determined to succeed even if it cost Him their hunger and even if they became confused and even if they did not understand and some thought that He didn‘t care … God made them participate in His plan for their destinies. This should encourage us to Let God be God!
J. Israel fears the loss of another son and refuses Reuben’s request
K. Judah convinces Israel, his father, to take the risk
L. Joseph tricks his brothers once again and has them arrested
M. Judah intercedes for his father and his younger brother
N. Then Joseph breaks down, reveals himself & embraces them
H. Joseph sends for his whole family to come live in Egypt
I. Israel hears from God and is reunited with his son and lives happily ever after --- we see this in:
II. Genesis 46
2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am."
3 So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.
4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
28 ¶ Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen.
III. It is important to the story that we understand: The Cast in v.28
A. He = God’s Overcomer (Israel)
B. Judah = Praise
C. Joseph = The Blessing of God
Praise often comes before the blessing of God.
The overcomer sent praise to touch the blessing and point the way to Goshen
D. Goshen = Drawing Near (drawing near to the presence of God)
IV. The Story Unveiled (Scene One)
A. When we begin the story in Genesis 37, the brothers are listening to ‘Bad Praise’ (Evil, Carnal, Self Serving & Misguided Judah)
The Brothers Listen To Bad Praise
Genesis 37
26 So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 "Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.
Carnal, hypocritical or false, meaningless and self serving praise will not lead you in the paths of righteousness.
B. Next Scene: When fear, authority and tradition could not move the Overcomer’s heart - praise did!
Here Reuben, the first born, will play the part of authority & tradition, as it was his place to give strong counsel to his father.
Genesis 42
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you."
38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone.
However, Praise - played by Judah, succeeds where Reuben cannot:
Genesis 43
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.
9 "I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
11 ¶ And their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this …
Self serving praise can give a false sense of security.
C. Scene 3: In this scene we see that Bad Praise can be transformed into Good Praise - False Praise into True Praise
Judah speaks out - note the transformation
Genesis 44:16 Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found."
Judah has changed and realizes that before this, he had been self serving.
Brokenness and true repentance can release true praise.
D. Next: Joseph listens to - Good Praise - True Praise from broken, repentant and changed Judah, the man responsible for separating Joseph from his family and who had sold Joseph into slavery and pain
Genesis 44
18 ¶ Then Judah came near to him and said: "O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing,
33 "Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
E. True Praise Changes Things
Genesis 45
1 ¶ Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Make everyone go out from me!" So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud …
V. Everybody lives happily ever after. What did we learn?
A. True, Good, Spiritual Praise will:
1. Change hearts (Joseph could no longer refrain himself)
2. Multiply blessings (sent Judah to Joseph)
3. Draw you nearer to God (point out the way to Goshen)
4. Cause God to seek you out (in spirit and in truth)
B. What is true, good, spiritual praise?
It is when we, without carnality or hypocrisy, but in spirit and truth:
* Lift up the Name of our God
* Give Him all the honor and glory
* Exalt His Son Jesus.
* Thank Him, Worship Him and Adore Him
C. How Do We Become True Spiritual Worshippers
1. Ask God To Forgive You Of Ungratefulness/Unthankfulness
2. Give Him Credit For Being God He is more wise and caring …
3. Exalt Him Above Your Own Moment And Need
Praise is important to God
Turn your brokenness into true praise, draw near and receive the true blessings of God.
Be the one in ten who returns to give God praise!
