Praise with a Purpose March 1, 2015 Sermon #669
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 4:27PM Praise with a Purpose
INTRODUCTION: Pastor Dennis has been teaching a series on Praise. It has been tremendous. While we should correctly praise the Lord when we wake, when we retire and at all the times in between, there are times when praise has a process. While it blesses God, the process moves us to a purpose. There are 15 Psalms corresponding to the 15 steps, that the people ascended to reach the temple. Only four of those Psalms were created by David, and one by Solomon. You will find all 15 in Psalm 120-134, and the four by David to be, Psalm 122, 124,131 and 133. They were sung by the people at Passover, feast of Pentecost (gathering of the grain), Tabernacles, (booths-thanksgiving for the harvest). The purpose of their praise is found in Psalm 122.
Psalm 122:1-9(NKJV) – 1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
2Our feet have been standing “within your gates, O Jerusalem!” 3Jerusalem is built “As a city that is compact together,” 4Where the tribes go up, “The tribes of the Lord,” “To the Testimony of Israel,” “To give thanks to the name of the Lord.” 5For thrones are set there for judgment, “The thrones of the house of David.” 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” 7Peace be within your walls, “Prosperity within your palaces.” 8For the sake of my brethren and companions, “I will now say, Peace be within you.” 9Because of the house of the Lord our God “I will seek your good.”
I. First Gate - The Outer Court - is Courtship (This is Foreplay!)
Psalm 149:1-5(NKJV) – 1“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.” 2“Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.” 3“Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.” 4“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” 5“Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.”
Psalm 150:1-6(NKJV) – 1“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!” 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 lute and harp!” 4“Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!” 5“Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!” 6“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
ILL: The Hebrew word for "praise" and "play" have the same root.
ILL: David danced while taking the Ark to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 6:12-15(NKJV) – 12Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 14Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
ILL: Understand this, the Pastor is not against dancing - even in church - but it is courtship and should lead somewhere.
II. The Inner Court (The Holy Place) Worship! (Marriage)
A. Showbread - The Union of Communion
B. The Oil Lamp - Evangelism (The light has come into the world)
C. The Prayer table. (All of us have the privilege of speaking to God)
III. The Holy of Holies - The Ark of the Covenant (Conception)
ILL: Here God speaks to His people - The Word!
Luke 1:5-22(NKJV) – 5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
ILL: It was Zacharias' only time in his life to enter the Holy of Holies - and there he received the Word of God.
Romans 10:14-17(NKJV) – 14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
IV. Praise Leads to Worship, Worship Leads to the Word, the Word Leads to Service.
Praise is Courtship, Worship is marriage (intimacy), marriage leads to Consummation - fruit! Praise plows the ground.
Matthew 13:16-23(NKJV) – 16But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Conclusion: Praise in the Song of Songs and Reply
Song of Songs 2:10-14(NKJV) – 10My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. 11For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 12The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. 13The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away! 14“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.”
Song of Songs 8:13(NKJV) – 13You who dwell in the gardens, The companions listen for your voice—Let me hear it!
Conclusion: It's time to move on – praise, worship, conception – bringing forth new children in the Kingdom!