Open House | “We Praise On Purpose” Sermon

Series: “Open House”  Sermon:  “We Praise On Purpose”

Hebrews 3:6 (NLT) “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, …”

Mark 1:37 “Everyone is looking for You.”

We Carry Mats

Mark 2:3 “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.” 

We Operate In Authority

The NEW COVENANT moves us from the realm of: Beggars  TO   Commanders

If we don’t pray, we serve no purpose in God’s framework of eternity.  Charles Stanley

We Praise On Purpose

Wayne Gretzky — From a small child he manifest extraordinary skill

Mozart — composed songs at age of 5 … first orchestra when he was 8 … Prodigy

Prodigy:— a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.

Matthew 21:16 “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”

Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

Psalm 149:6-9 “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples;  To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints.  Praise the Lord!”

Praise (Sing / Worship) is not a Christian thing it is a human thing.

You are designed for it and you are world class.

The question is, “What do you praise?”

Follow your time and your treasure and you will find out.

Psalm 34:1-3  “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.”

Praising God Changes You

Physically … heal your body.   Mentally … make you smart.    Emotionally … shift attitude

Praise will rearrange your whole inner world. Who do you think designed it that way?

“Praising God and engaging in religious practices can increase the production of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that regulate mood and provide a sense of pleasure and satisfaction.”

U. Schjoedt

“Worship and praise involve focused attention and reflection, which engages the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, planning, and regulating social behavior.” SMART.   A. B. Newberg

“Studies show that activities like (Corporate) singing, prayer, and worship activate the strengthen the limbic system, helping individuals regulate emotions better, fostering positive emotions like joy, love, and peace … a significant reduction in depressive symptoms”.  L. Miller / M. Gur

“The default mode network (DMN) is activated when people worship and praise. When this network is engaged people find deeper meaning and purpose in life.”   D. Kapogiannis

Newberg, A. B., et al. (2003). The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during the complex cognitive task of meditation: A preliminary SPECT study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 123(2), 113-122.

Schjoedt, U. (2009). The religious brain: A general introduction to the experimental neuroscience of religion. Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, 21(3), 310-339.

Koenig, H. G. (2005). Religion, spirituality, and medicine: Research findings and implications for clinical practice.Southern Medical Journal, 98(12), 1231-1235.

Miller, L., & Gur, M. (2002). Religiousness and depression: Evidence for a main effect and the moderating influence of stressful life events. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(3), 149-161.

Schjoedt, U., et al. (2013). High levels of oxytocin are associated with religious participation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 8(7), 771-776.

Kapogiannis, D., et al. (2009). Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(12), 4876-4881.

Psalm137:1-4 “By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept … We hung our harps Upon the willows … For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?”

Some people can’t praise because they attach their soul to: 

Circumstances  — Places  — Personal disappointment  —  Insults — Contradictions

Psalm 42:5 “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19.  Everything around me is failing:

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s (Hind) feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.”

The rear feet of the hind step in precisely the same spot where the front feet have just been.

Every motion of the hind is followed through with single-focused consistency, making it the most sure-footed of all mountain animals.

You have to lean into your knowledge of who you are when you find yourself in a strange land, a dark place, a painful trial.    YES God will breakthrough!    YES even there! 

Hebrews 13:15 (NLT).  “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

You are not a captive You are a conqueror. 

You are not a victim You are a victor.

You are not a wimp you are a warrior. 

Acts 16:25-26   “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

Matthew 26:30 NLT “Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.”

They ae wrapping up the “Last Supper.” Passover meal.

Jesus is heading to redeem the cosmos. What did they sing?

During Passover Psalms are sung. Traditionally they are the Hellal Psalms which are 113 – 118.

Before Jesus headed towards the cross, and as the Lamb of God bearing sins of the whole world, He sang Psalm 118.

Psalm 118:24. “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.’

Praise Is The Key To Your Breakthrough.

The Solution To The Problem Is In Your Mouth.

Praise Overcomes Your Preference 

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