Give God ALL the Praise
2005 Cheryl Floyd
Praise comes from a Latin word meaning "value" or “price." To give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth…
- Chuck Pierce, A Time to Express Violent Praise July 27, 2005 - http://www.glory-of-zion.org/outmail/7-26-05_ViolentPraiseOnline.htm
1)Ascribe
Credit, attribute, lay at the door of - Ascribe to the LORD the glory due (owing and payable) his name. Bring an offering (contribution or gift) and come before him; worship (love, adore, revere, respect, show devotion to) the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 1Chron. 16:29
a)Stolen Money
When we don’t give to the Lord HIS tithe the Bible tells us in Malachi 3 we are robbing God. Are we trying to “save” our money to pay a bill? What kind of savings is it if it is stolen money?
b)Stolen Praise
Psalm 111 verse 10 tells us: to him belongs eternal praise. We OWE God ALLLLLL our praise! Are we saving our praise for something? Our boss? Our spouse? Our Children? – Children? That’s a hard one; but if our praise is not to God first, what praise are we giving our children? Stolen praise? Undue praise? Your tithe is all you’re required; your offering is your best gift. Let’s make our praise like our tithes and offerings– give it your all; give Him your best.
2) Saving our Pride? David Danced – 2 Samuel 6:13-16, 20
13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. (David didn’t take many steps before he sacrificed to the Lord) 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, (He put on his garment of praise) 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David (denotes his position not her possession – but that’s a whole other teaching – when you can’t submit to the man submit to the position) leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. (His own wife? A member of his family? Sometimes your friend, your lover, your church brother will despise your praise.)
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul (She was acting like the daughter of his enemy not the wife of his youth) came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"
21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone (including her) from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel-I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. (He wasn’t dancing for man or even for himself) But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." (When you give God what’s his; he will give you what’s yours!)
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (She could not receive the blessing David came to bring to his house - v20.)
Are we saving our pride by not giving all our praise? What pride do we have if not in the Lord and the Lord alone? David danced – I mean he danced HARD v14 – with all his might! - “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”– so he didn’t care about saving his pride; he wanted to spend his praise! He was giving what was due God - an overly abundant offering to him, a contribution, a gift of devotion.
Cost me nothing?
Praise costs you. "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2 Sam. 24:24) David knew if he didn’t pay for it, it wouldn’t mean as much to him. My mom offers to pay for everything if she is with me. Even if I am buying a gift for someone else she’ll offer to pay for it. But it just doesn’t seem right to me; I don’t like it! I feel like David did: I don’t want to give a gift that I didn’t pay for.
COSTS – What are some of the costs of praise?
Your reputation – what if people think I’m weird or a “religious fanatic”? Jesus made himself of no reputation. David said – I’ll be come even more undignified…
Your pride – I look stupid, I feel stupid. Is this right? Maybe I’m doing it wrong. David said – I’ll humiliate myself in my own eyes…
Your breath – I’m out of shape. I can’t dance like I used to. I’m hurting and sick. I can’t shout like I used to. My throat is sore now. My body’s gonna ache tomorrow. My body’s aching now! Romans says – offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… this is your spiritual act of worship… I remember Miss Jane used to stand in the congregation while being eaten alive with cancer and raise her hands and worship the Lord. How can I not worship the Lord as well.
What does God say about David? – A man after my own heart.
What does God do with praise?
Inhabits it! Not visits –
INHABITS! David was looking for the habitation not the visitation of the Lord,
so he praised - and he sacrificed doing it. David died desiring to have built a
temple of worship for the Lord; I say he was one according to
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who
is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…
Lev 3:16 –Fat
What if you jiggle a little bit – the fat belongs to the Lord! – Leviticus 3:16. Now if you are dancing for the Lord and someone else is looking at you – that’s their sin. If you are dancing to draw someone’s attention to you – that’s your sin. WORK IT OUT!
3) Steal, kill, destroy your praise
The Bible refers to garments of praise (Is.61:3). Back in Genesis, Joseph had a coat of many colors for which his brothers were jealous. His father gave it as a symbol of his great affections – praise! See Joseph had himself a garment of praise and his brothers wanted to take it from him! You can steal my garment; BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY MY PRAISE! His brothers tore it up and spilled blood all over it – they thought they killed his praise – but you can’t kill my praise! They sold him to their illegitimate brothers the Ishmaelites to destroy his praise! But you can’t destroy what you can’t touch. You can lay your hands on my body, you can take away my finances, but you can’t touch my praise. My praise wells up out of my spirit where the Lord is sovereign. Where I trust him at all times and this makes his praise continually to be upon my lips – out of the heart the mouth gives utterance! Joseph was sold to Potipher but he said PRAISE GOD! – God gives me favor, God gives me success. What success, Joseph – you’re in slavery – BUT GOD gives me favor EVEN in my bad situation! Potipher’s wife lied on you – BUT GOD gives me favor with my jailor so that I make even HIM look good! Then, at the bottom of the dungeon where Joseph is still faithful – God gives the interpretation of dreams – man forgets; but God remembers Joseph and calls him up to be second in command of the most powerful nation of his time. AND the same brothers, who tried to steal his praise, kill his praise, destroy his praise, GIVE him praise! See – When you give God what’s His; he’ll give you what’s yours!
Don’t let anyone steal from you your praise put it on the inside and let it flow out.
And finally…
Praise God first
Praise God only
"Praise God First/Praise God only" - Nic Gonzalez, Lead Singer Salvador
Psalms 27:1-6 - v6… at his tabernacle will I sacrifice
with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
[Why?]
1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh, [a]
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident. – [Why? How?]
4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle (where you sacrifice)
and set me high upon a rock.
6
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
When you praise God first you’ll praise God only. Then you will have given him all the praise.
photos used by permission: http://www.ngc.edu/Campus_Ministry/
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