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Lesson #5

THE EFFECT OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING Selected Scriptures

Presented by recording on April 26, 2020

I. Introduction and review A. Many of us are facing rather difficult times

1. There is grave concern of the pandemic which has been killing our people

2. How do we avoid it, how do we protect our loved ones 3. At the same time there are other, maybe even more pressing

concerns 4. Some of us have lost our jobs, others face financial restraints in

their business affairs 5. Businesses are closing down or facing sever restrictions 6. Government help was promised, but seems to many to be

evaporating into counterfeit commitments 7. Some politicians are endeavoring to use this crisis to advance

their own agenda or political plans 8. Others are seeking to wildly profit from the misfortune of

others 9. In the midst of all of this, it seems that our spirits are being

deflated

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10. We face danger and ruin, and there seems no “practical” way of escape

B. Under circumstances like these we face, what do we do? 1. We must turn to the only source of real answers to be found 2. And that source is the Word of God 3. But what will it tell us to do?

C. The answer to that question will be revealed to us in two parts 1. One part of that answer will be what you would have expected 2. But a second part may not only be unexpected but seem counter

intuitive D. And it seems to me that we should start with the second part of the

answer first II. What should the believer do when faced with the dire and potentially

crippling crush of a global pandemic? A. He or she should of course seek the answers to that and other

questions from the Scriptures as the sole and authoritative source of truth 1. But what will it tell us 2. What should we do

B. Consider this, the Bible will tell you to praise the God of your salvation

C. If that is true, what is “praise” D. Consider a story very early in the life of our Savior, its found in the

first chapter of Luke 1. Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, 47

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 51 "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has

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exalted those who were humble. 53 "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever."

2. Praise is the grateful response of a child of God, to His working in their life a. The one who knows God and experiences Him intimately

responds with the deepest of praise b. Mary was overwhelmed by her Lord’s goodness to her c. In response she provided us with one of the most

profound praise songs found anywhere in Scripture 3. Let’s recount the means that Mary used to praise her Lord

a. She speaks of how she exalts and rejoices to be in her Lord and Savior (1) What does that mean? (2) To exalt can mean to praise and to hold in high

regard, but it can also mean to raise to a higher rank or position (a) Exalting our God means to praise Him for

who and what He is and has done (b) But also to raise Him to a higher experiential

position in our life (3) To rejoice in this context means to feel great joy

on account of what has been done for you b. Mary next claims that God has regard for her, that is that

He thought of her when deciding to include her in His plan

c. She prophecies that all generations will know of her name and consider her to be blessed to be the one to mother God’s only Son

d. Then she recalls who God is and what He has done (1) His mercy which is everlasting (2) His mighty deeds

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(3) How He brought down the proud and exalted the humble

(4) How He fed the hungry (5) How He helped her people and spoke to her

forefathers 4. The child of God should never have difficulty thinking of

reason to praise their God a. Praise should be both private and public b. Public praise encourages other who are listening c. Praising God is evidence of your appreciation for His

merciful activity in your life d. Maybe the easiest way to learn to praise God is to thank

Him and extol Him, for what He saved you from E. Most of us don’t participate is praising our God that often

1. At special times we will 2. But praise is essential to a mature believer 3. Why is that?

F. Eight important principles of praise 1. Through praise you can strengthen your faith

a. As your express yourself through praise, the act of praising God strengthens your faith

b. Its not some magical incantation, but as we focus on God, our inner eyes are enlightened by Him [see Eph. 1:18]

2. Through praise you can tune in God’s enriching presence a. The Scripture tells us that God inhabits the praise of His

people b. Psalm 22:3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned

upon (inhabit) the praises of Israel. c. When we praise our God, we invite Him into and in

control of our everyday lives and circumstances 3. Through praise you can activate God’s power

a. Praise can play a very significant role in moving the mighty hand of God in your life

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b. Psalm 50:23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God."

4. Praise can help you experience Christ as your life a. Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is

gain. b. Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed,

then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5. Praise can help you demonstrate God’s reality in a secular,

materialistic world a. Praise can free you from wasting your energies on

speculating just exactly how each circumstance in your life can be part of God’s plan

b. Romans 11:33-34 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?

6. Praise can help you overcome Satan and his crafty strategies a. Psalm 149:6 Let the high praises of God be in their

mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7. Through praise you can bring glory and pleasure to God, and 8. Through praise you can profit more from your trials

G. Is that last one really true? Is praise and thanksgiving a proper response to difficulties, fears and calamity?

III. Maybe that concept should be viewed a different way – praise before victory A. Consider what Jesus did as He and his disciples left the upper room

heading for the Garden of Gethsemane 1. Mark 14:26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount

of Olives. 2. Jesus led His disciples in a praise hymn as He headed for arrest,

torture and death 3. But following His death came the victory that changed the

world

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4. Praise before victory B. But we ought to consider a second account of praise before victory

1. 2 Chronicles 20:1-25 Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi)." 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, 6 and he said, "O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. 7 "Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 "They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 9 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.' 10 "Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), 11 see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. 12 "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 13 All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their

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children. 14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 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." 18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice. 20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed." 21 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. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When Judah came to the lookout of

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the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

2. The opposition forces were made up primarily of nations that Israel wanted to attack when Joshua was leading them into the Promised Land a. But their God forbade them from attacking these people b. And instead required them to travel around their borders c. Now the Israelites feel as if they are ungrateful

3. When Jehoshaphat learned of the coming invasion, Judah was not expecting to be attacked a. Israel had done nothing wrong to these people b. This malignant alliance simply wanted Israel’s land, the

land that God had given to them 4. Jehoshaphat was afraid

a. The enemy was coming when they were unprepared b. Their numbers were so great that the kingdom of Judah

seemingly had little chance of standing up to them c. We have learned that fear is the enemy of faith d. So when fear raises its ugly head what do you do

(1) The world would respond that you have to get control of yourself

(2) Tamp down your fear (3) Its all in your mind

e. But fear is real and the world’s advice is never the answer

f. Instead of focusing on your fear you must turn your focus to your faith (1) Fear will overcome weak faith (2) And so the response must be to strengthen your

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faith g. But how does one strengthen one’s faith? h. Jehoshaphat knew the answer – get closer to God

(1) The closer you get, the stronger your faith becomes

(2) So what did Jehoshaphat do? 5. Jehoshaphat decided to fast and to pray

a. But he also decided not to do it alone b. He called for a national fast and prayer meeting c. And his people responded d. They met at the Temple e. When Solomon was dedicating the Temple to the Lord,

he said this, 2 Chronicles 6:28-30 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men

f. Now consider 2 Chronicles 20:8-9 "They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 9 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.' (1) Do you notice the similarity (2) Did Jehoshaphat know the words of his great, great

grandfather g. That is exactly what Jehoshaphat was doing

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h. And that brought him and the people closer to God i. And resulted in the growth and hardening of their faith j. And God responded

6. God had His Spirit come upon a man named Jahaziel a. And he spoke what God directed b. He told the king and the people that God would fight for

them c. All that they would have to do was to stand and watch d. How do you respond to that kind of statement?

7. Their first response, led by their king, was one of worship [20:18] a. That worship was characterized by an attitude of:

(1) humility, and (2) gratitude

b. And next came praise (1) It appears that the choir could not contain

themselves (2) They stood and in one voice praised their heavenly

Father c. Early the next morning everyone gathered once again in

an attitude of excitement and joy (1) Why? God had not done anything as of yet (2) They would not know that what Jahaziel really

came from God until the prophecy came true, right?

8. It may be instructive to step back and recollect what faith really is a. Look together with me at Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the

assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

b. That is not very many words to describe such an important thing as faith, but it is highly pregnant with meaning

c. If you boil that statement down to its base understanding

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it would be understood as this: faith sees the not yet, as if it were the already

d. It was the faith of God’s people which had grown so much the day before that caused the excitement filled with joy

e. Which could be described by my introduction to beignets 9. As Jehoshaphat spoke to his people that morning, he reminded

them that they need to not to try and downplay their fear but instead, to emphasize their faith a. But how was it that their faith increased as it had? b. They did these things:

(1) They submitted themselves humbly before their God

(2) They elected to move close to their God (3) In His presence they worshiped, they expressed

their gratitude and they praised Him (4) And it was praise, before victory, buoyed by faith

that brought the salvation of God (5) Is that really true? How can we know that?

c. What did Jehoshaphat do that morning? (1) He marched his army toward the location where

God had foretold the battle would be (2) He had the choir march in front of the army (3) And as they did he had them sing praises to their

God (4) Now note what it says in, 2 Chronicles 20:22-24

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. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When Judah came to the

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lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.

10. I believe that the lessons of 2 Chronicles chapter 20 are so important that a song has been written based on this narrative

C. Let me share with you the lyrics

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