Praise Paves the Way to Presense | Week 4 | Worship Series

“Praise Paves The Way To Presence”

The Call to Unity and Sacrifice

¹⁵ So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; ²⁰ always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; ²¹ and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. ~ Ephesians 5:15-21 NASB

Understanding Unity as Sacrificial

⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” ⁷ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief cornerstone,” ⁸ and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ~ 1 Peter 2:4-9 NASB

• • The spiritual sacrifices of the New Testament priest are:
    • The presentation of the body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
      • Romans 12:1 – Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
    • The sacrifice of praise.
      • Hebrews 3:15 – Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.
    • The sacrifice of good works.
      • Hebrews 3:16 – And do not neglect doing good… , for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
    • The sacrifice of possessions, or pocketbook.
      • Hebrews 3:16 – And do not neglect… sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
    • The sacrifice of service.
      • Romans 15:16 – to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Unity as an Act of Worship

³ He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of His name. ~ Psalm 22:3 NASB

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity! ² It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes. ³ It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever. ~ Psalms 133 NASB

The Atmosphere of Expectation and Encounter

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. ² For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. ³ Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. ~ Isaiah 60:1-3 NASB

¹⁸ Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. ~ Isaiah 60:18 NASB 

¹⁰ Go through, go through the gates, Clear a way for the people! Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a flag over the peoples. ~ Isaiah 62:10 NASB

²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. ~ Revelation 21:21 NASB

The Impact of Unified Worship on the Church Environment

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out. ~ Acts 2:1-4 NASB 

¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant, ¹⁶ and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” ~ Mathew 21:15-16 NASB

² From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength Because of Your enemies, To do away with the enemy and the revengeful. ~ Psalms 8:2 NASB

WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE

• We believe the Lord wants to heal married couples suffering with infertility issues.
• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has a sore or wound on their foot that is not healing.
• We believe there is someone who recently went to the doctor with multiple symptoms and was told they are all stress related. The Lord wants you to know that He loves you and He wants to set you free of fear and anxiety today.