The Hallelujah Factor Series
Based upon Jack Taylor’s book The Hallelujah Factor
The Five Factors of Praise
June 24, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A (IL)
B Last week...
1 We’ll never praise God more intimately in public than we have in private.
a Praise is the vocal, audible, and/or visible adoration of God.
b Shouting, singing, clapping, instruments, dancing, kneeling, lifted hands.
c Praise (lever) & God’s sovereignty (fulcrum)
aa Open door
bb Occupied throne
2 Today, I pray you’ll commit to memorizing these verses: Psalm 8:2; 50:23; & 100:4...
a Use Psalm 100:4 several times a day in your heart
b Break out in thanksgiving and praise several times a day this week.
C Let’s continue The Hallelujah Factor by looking at 5 factors of praise today (transitional sentence).
D Pray
I The 1st factor of praise is the mantle (cloak) of God.
A Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Psalms 22:3 (NASB)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalms 22:3 (KJV)
1 In other words, God lives surrounded by the praise of His creation.
a He indwells praise, it is His home environment.
b Although God is everywhere (omnipresent), He is not everywhere manifested.
aa He’s at home in praise, & there He manifests Himself best as God.
bb When we choose to make God at home through praise, we invite Him to act at home.
2 This factor answers key questions for me: why do the major experiences I have had with God center around a praise service? Why does healing come on the wings of praise? Why am I shaken to my spiritual, emotional, & intellectual core when praise is practiced?
a God inhabits praise (He’s at home!)
b He is enthroned & free to act mightily in praise.
B We’ll run at an opportunity to praise him if we believe this 1st factor.
1 Praise is something we’ll not miss publically, privately.
2 Why? God is at home! Present! Indwells! Inhabits!
a I want to be where God is this morning-praise Him & He’ll be there!
b Praise is the mantle of God, so when God shows up God things happen.
II The 2nd factor of praise is the preface to His miraculous deliverance. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God Psalms 50:23 (NASB)
A There are at least 3 illustrations of praise preceding deliverance.
1 ...and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ’Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 ’Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 ’You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." 2 Chron 20:15-17 (NASB) (Pink)
a Judah was out-manned, out-gunned, everything...but the battle wasn’t theirs.
b God didn’t leave them! When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." 22 When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. 2 Chron 20:21-22 (NASB)
aa V. 21 "give thanks" (yadah): Hebrew for "with hands lifted"
bb God wiped the enemy out when His people praised Him (praise preceded deliverance).
2 But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD." Jonah 2:9 (NASB) (Orange)
a Jonah was running, skipped town, & was swallowed by a whale.
b The precise moment Jonah praised God, God delivered him & had the fish vomit Jonah onto dry land (praise preceded deliverance).
3 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. Acts 16:25-26 (NASB) (Blue)
a Paul & Silas in jail (not a white-collar prison, hard time), & they praised God!
b The earth shook, the foundation was rocked, doors of bondage opened up! Praise preceded deliverance!
B What are you being delivered from today?
1 What if I told you deliverance is right around the corner of praise?
2 Makes sense...God inhabits the praise of His people!
3 We’re not the only ones blessed when we praise (transitional sentence).
III The 3rd factor of praise is that it is a dividend God receives as a result of delivering & blessing us.
A Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. Psalms 106:47 (NASB)
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalms 30:11-12 (NASB) We’re delivered so we can praise Him!
B How can I say "thanks" lyric in the song, My Tribute
1 We praise Him! (publically, privately, perpetually)
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalms 103:1 (KJV)
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalms 103:1 (NIV) Bless is praise!
a I can be a blessing to God by praising Him!
b No greater thought comes to mind
3 Do you take the Bible literally? God’s promises? Old & New Testament? (Transitional sentence)
IV The 4th factor in praise is that there is a God-given garment to ward off the spirit of depression.
A The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives nd freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3 (NASB) (Luke 4:18-19)
1 If a take Isa. 61 literally, I must assume that there is a garment of praise & a spirit of despair & depression.
a Nothing strikes terror in the hearts of demons & the devil like praise (God inhabits praise, manifested presence).
b No exercise/medication will cure the ill of discouragement like praise.
2 Depression & praise can’t live long in the same heart.
B Since praise is a garment, we can choose to put it on or take it off. (shirt, blouse, coat). CHOICE
1 My coat does me little good hanging in the closet.
2 When I wear a garment of praise constantly, it will ward off any Spirit of despair, depression, discouragement.
3 Let’s round out our top five factors of praise with one of my personal favorites (transitional sentence).
V The 5th factor of praise is that it’s our chief weapon in our arsenal against the enemy.
A From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. Psalms 8:2 (NASB)
...and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said* to them, "Yes; have you never read, ’OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?" Matt 21:16 (NASB) Strength is Psalms & praise in Matthew-who’s right?
1 The truth is that praise is strength, & strength is praise!
a The Psalms passage is AWESOME when seen closely.
aa Children, babies (simple people) can silence/stop the enemy by PRAISING God.
bb The enemy must halt! Cease and desist!
b It’s a mystery! I don’t understand it, but I believe it.
2 Why is the devil, formerly Lucifer, stopped dead by praise?
a (Ezek. 28:13) I believe Lucifer was possibly the praise leader in heaven, & he thought of the possibility of being greater than God was worth the risk of giving up the high privilege of praising God (WRONG).
aa Rebellion, division-defeat!
bb Angels who rebelled were put in Lucifer’s custody (choir)
b I believe when we praise God it’s like they’re hearing fingernails on a blackboard. Why?
aa It reminds them of what they gave up, the biggest mistake they ever made.
bb Driven into panic, ranks are broken-only relief is to attack us. Praise sends them packing!
B Every time we choose to praise God instead of questioning, doubting-the enemy runs.
1 Easier to question, doubt-that’s why the enemy uses them against us.
2 The moment we praise God the devil & his demons must hush!
a For them to flee, we must praise
b We can step through the mess
Conclusion
A Review M M B W W
B Memorize Psalms 8:2; 50:23; 100:4 (Objective)
1 In your quiet time, start by quoting 100:4 several times & break into a time of thanksgiving & praise.
2 Commit? Repent? Salvation?
C Prayer
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
