The Power of God - Part Four - Praise

The Power of God – Part Four – Praise
Sermon Notes – Ps. Jim White
Sunday 7th February 2010
• We’ve been looking at the power of God – and specifically, we’ve acknowledged the power of God’s Word – the power of the Blood of Christ – and the power of the Holy Spirit. If we will really begin to give rightful place to the Word, the Blood and the Holy Spirit in our lives – we will be transformed – and will live powerful lives. These are all God’s gift to us – given freely by His grace.

• But then there are dynamic aspects of our own lives as the people of God, that also release the power of God – and one of those dynamics I want to talk about this morning – is the power of Praise.

• Let me begin with a true story from 1799 – in a relatively small town in Austria – and it was Easter Day, and the people of the town were terrified because Napoleon’s army was just outside the gates of the city. Napoleon and his army were about to take the city by force, and the citizens were ready to raise a white flag to surrender.
But it was Easter morning, and the bishop of the town stood up before all the people, and said, this is the day of our Lord’s resurrection. We must have one moment of triumph and praise on this day of celebration.
Let the church bells ring – and fearfully, the people agreed – and soon the sound of bells was pealing out a celebration of victory all across the countryside.
Napoleon’s army was astounded. What could it mean? It didn’t take long for the generals to conclude that only one possible explanation could account for such a celebration: the Austrian army must have arrived during the night to help defend the town. The bells had not yet stopped ringing when Napoleon’s army broke ranks and fled.

• I want to share another true story with you in a moment from the pages of the bible – but my message this morning is that God is calling us to become a people of praise – because prise is not just a nice thing to do on a Sunday morning – praise is powerful strategy for living a victorious and powerful life.

• Let’s get way past the mindset that praise is what we do when we sing songs at church. Praise is about living life in a way that continually edifies, glorifies and honours God. Praise is not a nice churchy thing that men thought up. It’s who God made us to be!

• Isa 43:21 – “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” The Message bible says, “...the people I made especially for Myself, a people custom-made to praise Me.”

• We were custom-made to praise God with our lives. This is who we are meant to be – we were created and designed to praise.

• And do you know what happens when we praise Him? Ps. 22:3 (KJV): it says that He inhabits the praises of His people. Praise attracts God’s presence – and He dwells in the midst of people who will praise Him.

• You could easily be mistaken by hanging around some Christian’s, into thinking that negativity, self pity and criticism must be what brings the presence of God. You would think that some believed that God likes to inhabit our complaining and whinging. That might sound a bit severe, but you get my point.

• We’ve all heard sermons about the power of our words. Well as much as there is power in praise – there is power in negativity and criticism – because a lot of that stuff comes out of unbelief and fear and all the stuff the devil loves to haunt in.

• There are times to face reality and acknowledge the things that hurt us and frustrate us – but let’s not give it any more power than it already has to distract us from life.

• Do you want to see the power of God at work in your life? Then ask yourself: Does my whole life praise God?

• Ps. 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

• As long as we are still breathing – our job is to praise God.

• 1Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people [custom-made], that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”

• Ps. 149:5,6 – “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand.”

• What a great picture – joyful in glory – singing out loud on our beds – shouting out the high praises of God – and holding up and declaring the two-edged sword of the Word... That’s power! Especially when things are not going well. Especially when the circumstances of life are really dodgy.

• That’s when praise is an act of faith! It’s easy to praise in the good times – but what about the bad times? That’s when it’s even more important to praise God. Ps. 8:2 in the NIV says that “praise will silence the foe and the avenger.” Wouldn’t you like to silence a few things in your life right at the moment? And I’m not talking about your kids. I’m talking about those lies and fears and battles that shout to you from the inside.

• That battle is as real as the one that the people in that little village in Austria had to face. Napoleon’s army was silenced because they chose to praise and celebrate God right at the point of their greatest fear about to come a reality.

• The other story I wanted to share with you comes from 2Chron 20. This is an amazing story of God’s intervention when His people were about to be annihilated by foreign armies.

• Jehoshaphat was the leader of the people – and he was told that a multitude was coming against them – so they all fasted and prayed and sought the Lord together. And Jehoshaphat began to declare who God is.

• That’s a great start by the way – when things are coming against you – just begin to declare who God is. And so Jehoshaphat said you are the God of our fathers – are you not God in heaven – do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations – in your hand is there not power and might...

• And a prophetic word came – v15 – “Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s... You will not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you...”

• Another key – position yourselves... that’s what this message is all about – positioning ourselves in praise.

• Jehoshaphat said to the people – v20 – “Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established...” And then in v21 – “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of His holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah...”

• Now listen to what happens next – God must have brought total confusion into the enemy’s camp, because it says in v23 – “For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Seir, to utterly kill and destroy them.” I’ve heard Geoff Woodward talk about this part of the story – and he makes the point that these allies rose up to “utterly” kill one another – not just kill – but “utterly” kill. That’s got to be even more deadly and permanent...

• Then it says – “And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”

• Remember, all God’s people are doing is singing and praising God, and declaring who He is. V24 – “So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and there were dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.”

• It took them three days to gather all the spoil – all the valuables – and even then it was too much for them to carry away.

• It goes on to say that they returned to Jerusalem with joy, playing their instruments – coming into the house of the Lord. Imagine the praise that was going on in church that day.

• But the real key to their victory was the praise and worship that went up to God before the enemy was taken down. That’s our key – that’s your key – praise God before you get your breakthrough. Praise Him in spite of your circumstances. Praise Him even when you can’t see the answer – particularly when you can’t see the answer. That’s where the power of God is released – and that’s where He comes and inhabits your life.

• It’s the power of redemption – the power of the resurrection – where dead things come to life – where things that have been lost are returned. And the treasure and spoils of your warfare of praise will be more than you can even carry away with you.

• Church, don’t forfeit the power of praise by doubting and complaining and living in fear and worry. Don’t do what men and women without God do – and default back to a place of hopelessness.

• I may have mentioned in passing recently what happens in Revelation chapter 4, when John hears a voice like a trumpet say to him, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

• Now, most of us are aware that many of the things that Revelation talks about that are going to happen in the future are catastrophic. Wars, rumours of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, plagues... It’s not a pretty sight... until the end, anyway.

• The really interesting thing is that when this voice says come and I’ll show you what’s about to happen, John is immediately taken up – not with visions of terrible things, but with visions of God, and His throne, and all the heavenly beings around the throne... In fact, all of the next two chapters of Revelation describe an incredible, awesome experience of praise and worship.

• Rev 4:2-11 – “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“ Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “ You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honour and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”

• Even in chapter 5 there is praise and worship of Jesus – v12 – “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!”

• We can only begin to understand the majesty of the praise that was going up to God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

• But the point is – even before we begin to read about the terrible things that will happen in the last days, God is drawing our attention to Him – but even more particularly – to praising and worshipping Him.

• When we look around at the signs of the last days in our world right now, with talk about global economic collapse, and conspiracy theories of a one world order, and all the natural disasters that are taking the lives of thousands of people at a time, where is it do you think that God is wanting us to keep our focus?

• I don’t believe it’s on the destruction and disaster – I believe our focus must always remain on who God is – and our lives should continually praise Him and worship Him because our hope and our strength is in God alone.

• And the power of God is released through praise.

• That picture that Revelation paints, is one where the presence and the power of God is inhabiting the praises of those heavenly beings.

• As we face an uncertain future, we could be in no better place than an atmosphere of praise. It doesn’t mean we don’t respond to the world around us - and to the needs of those caught up in tragic circumstances – but if the circumstances become our main focus rather than Jesus, we will forget to praise – we will forget how mighty and powerful God is.

• Our vision for the future – for the world – for our own lives personally – has got to start in the Throne Room and finish in the Throne Room.

• That’s where the power is – the joy – the spontaneity – the wonder – the assurance of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

• 1John 4:4 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

• John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

• Chapters four and five of Revelation not only tell us that we will overcome – but it tells us also how we will overcome. We will overcome just as Jehoshaphat and the people of God did. And like the people of that little town in Austria did.

• We will overcome by praising God – shouting aloud His praises and singing and declaring who He is – worthy of honour and praise and wisdom and power and majesty and glory and all the other things that declare the truth of who He is.

• Our focus must always be on him – on His Throne – because His Throne represents His authority and power.

• Just as I finish, I’ve got one last little story. In 1607, a German named Martin Reinkardt, wrote a Hymn. It’s called “Now Thank We All Our God.” Many of you, who like myself, have grown up with a traditional church background – would just about know the tune and the words of this hymn by heart.

• It goes like this:
Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things has done, in whom His world rejoices
Who, from our mother’s arms has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given
The Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven
The One eternal God whom earth and heav’n adore
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.”

• I haven’t read those words just to say how nice they are.

• In that year that Reinkardht wrote that hymn, over 6,000 people in his German village, including his wife and his children, all died of pestilence. In the midst of that great catastrophic social and personal loss, Reinkardht wrote one of the most lasting and beautiful hymns of praise.

• In the end – the overcoming is not related to the circumstances. It’s related to our heart being filled with the love and strength of God – and our ability to continue to praise Him for who He is.