“Your Praise Is A Weapon!”

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 11/05/23 (1st Sunday Message) 

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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}

Message Title:

“Your Praise Is A Weapon!”

We are in the month of November!

As we think of a month of Thanksgiving… We have to talk about giving thanks.

When we’re thankful for all the things we have.

We have to be thankful to the one who makes it all possible.

God Is Worthy Of Our Praise!

Psalm 29:1-2 (NKJV)

1 Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

God is worthy of our praise!

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

You are a chosen people…

that you may declare the praises.

You were chosen - to praise. You were created - to praise.

{repeat}

“I Was Created To Praise God”

“My praise - belongs to God”

When Was The Last Time You Gave God A Good Praise?

Today we’ll talk about 3 important things about praise.

If you’ve heard the recent series on getting in the presence of God:

• Our Praise Brings God Closer To Us!

{William Murphy}

“Praise is what I do…when I want to be close to you.”

Even in the song…there is something that brings God close. when you want God near…what do you do?

Psalm 22:3

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

You ARE the praise of Israel.

Psalm 22:3 (NCV)

3 You sit as the Holy One. The praises of Israel are your throne.

This scripture says that your praise creates a throne for God.

…and it invites him to sit.

{Deuteronomy 10:21

21 He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.} 

To talk about the second thing, we have to set it up:

Acts 16:16-17

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

Paul, Silas and the rest of the group were headed to the place of prayer.

• • they were minding their own business.

  • they were met by someone who began to antagonize them.

They didn’t meet the girl… They were MET by the girl….

They weren’t looking for her… She was looking for them…

Even When You’re Minding Your Business, Trouble Can Come Looking For You!

How many times are you minding your OWN business and someone starts something with you?

• • especially when you’re on your way to church!?

  • she’s not talking TO them, she’s following them talking ABOUT them!

Sometimes when people can’t get anywhere talking to you…

 they’ll talk to a crowd ABOUT you!

They blast you on Social Media.

They send messages to people who know you.

You might not pay them any attention, but they’ll try and get you another way!

But why was she following them? She said it:

“These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

Looking at it…this is true. She didn’t know them…

But she knew who they served.

When God’s Presence Is On You, People Can See God Working Through You!

She could see God on them…

She KNEW they were servants of God

so that part was true.

If you know the story…Paul is going to get angry at her. Why??

Because there is also a lie in here.

“These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

“who are telling you THE way to be saved.”

• • In the greek, the word “THE” wasn’t present here.

• • So THIS spirit on the lady is saying they’re saying they are preaching “a way” and not “the way.”

  • There are “many ways” to God and this is one.

  • But THAT is the lie.

But Jesus said he IS the way

• • No one gets to the Father except through him.

This woman had a spirit on her that didn’t like that. What did the bible say about her?

She was a fortune teller.

• • apparently a good one.

• • she EARNED a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling.

  • she is now following Paul talking about him.

Acts 16:18-19

18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.

So what really happened here?

• • the woman was a fortune teller.

  • she made a “GREAT deal” of money for her owners telling fortunes.

The bible also says that she followed Paul for “many days.” If she’s following Paul:

• • she’s not making a “great deal” telling peoples fortunes.

Then Paul gets tired of it and calls the spirit out of the woman.

• • no she’s not telling anyone’s futures anymore.

  • she won’t make any more money for her owners.

  • and NOW her owners care.

Verse 20-21

20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

“throwing our city into an uproar?”

“advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice?” they should have just said these guys are messing with our money!

Verse 22-24

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

People who have money have influence… They can influence those in authority.

They can influence those around (the crowd). Paul and Silas weren’t given a fair trial.

They weren’t asked any questions. They were stripped…

They were beaten.

They were thrown in jail.

The jailer was COMMANDED to guard them like the criminals they were! They were put in the “inner cell.”

Fastened by their feet.

That’s where the worst criminals were.

Verse 25

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

so what does praise do for us?

• Our Praise Opens Doors And Breaks Chains!

God is a God that responds to your praise. In your worst times…

Offer God a praise.

Because praise not only destroys what others have placed on you.

It will open doors in front of them!! This leads us to a Third thing about praise:

• Praise Lifts Us Up When We Are Down

Psalm 42:5-6 (NLT)

5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and 6 my God!

Why am I discouraged?

Why am I sad?

The writer doesn’t say why

But the writer DOES say what should happen.

I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again!

“again” meaning that they praised him once already… Sometimes you need to praise him “again.”

And even if it doesn’t help… let’s keep reading…

Psalm 42:9-11 (NLT)

9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” 10 Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” 11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

The psalmist is saying that even after giving praise to God… they still feel down.

they still feel low.

the words of those haters still tear them apart. so what do you do?

put your hope in God…

and praise him again!!

There’s something powerful in this!

If You’re Feeling Discouraged: 

• Put Your Trust In God

• Give Him Praise

• Repeat

Why do these things work?

Because our circumstances don’t change how worthy God is! When you can praise him even in the worst of times…

THATs when you can see him move!

And God responds to your praise!

Even During Hard Times, God Is Worthy Of Our Praise!

Hebrews 13:15

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name.

A sacrifice of praise means even when we don’t ‘feel like it.’

{recap}

3 Things our praise does:

• Our Praise Brings God Closer To Us!

• Our Praise Destroys Chains And Throws Doors Open!

• Praise Lifts Us Up When We Are Down!

Also remember this:

If You’re Feeling Discouraged: 

• Put Your Trust In God

• Give Him Praise

• Repeat

Psalm 150:1-6 

1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

This Week:

• Review This Message (Today’s Stream, Study Groups, Lunch Recap)

• Spend Time This Week Giving God Praise For Something

• Don’t Miss Opportunities To Be In Praise And Worship This Month