Third Saturday Sermon in January – “THE POWER OF PRAISE “- By Brother Kenson Fenelon

Sometimes we take the wisest man in history too seriously. Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, and those who take this as the last word can become pessimistic. What is the point of being an explorer if there are no new continents to be discovered. The poles have both been reached, and all the highest mountains have been climbed. There is nothing new to do, and so we are born to late. Such is the thinking of one who takes Solomon too seriously.

The fact is, the Bible is filled with new things, and one of the most common references is to the new songs we can sing to praise God. Not only does our text say, “Sing unto the Lord a new song,” but this theme is repeated over and over so that it becomes a major duty of believers to be ever involved with the new.

Psa. 33:3-Sing unto Him a new song.

We sing Onward Christian Soldiers, and Fight The Good Fight, but we do not take the issue of spiritual warfare very seriously. The result is we let our weapons be neglected, and they get rusty and ineffective for the battle. Israel did the same thing on the physical level. When she ceased to praise God she fell before the armies of her enemies. When she praised God she was victorious. One of the great examples is in II Chron. 20. A vast army of Moabites and Ammonites came against Israel. When king Jehoshaphat was told of it he went to prayer, and in verse 12 we read, “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

God promised to be with them and so in verse 19 we read that the Levites, “Stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.” As they marched to war, verse 21 says that Jehoshaphat, “Appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” As they marched into battle singing, the Lord gave them the victory over this far superior enemy. It was such a total victory they called the place the Valley Of Beracah, which means the valley of praise. They went there to praise God, then went back to the temple in Jerusalem to praise Him more with harp and lutes and trumpets. From then on Jehoshaphat had peace on all sides.

Words are weapons for good or evil. Jesus said in Matt. 12:34, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” If the heart is full of awful crud, the mouth will bring forth evil, complaining, gossip, and foul words. If the heart is full of gratitude, awe, and joy in the Lord, the mouth will overflow with praise. Praise is an external symbol of the inner life. You reveal the state of your heart by your words. If you are always gripping and complaining, people will know what your heart is like, and God knows you are fighting life’s battles with a dull sword. You are as ineffective as one trying to slice cheese with a golf club. But if praise flows from your mouth you reveal a heart filled with love, joy, and peace in the Lord. Your sword is like a laser beam able to cut through solid steel, and you are a weapon that God can use to defeat the schemes of principalities and powers. There is power in praise that we cannot measure, for we can never fully know how God uses praise for the conquering of the forces of darkness.

Praise brings us into the presence of God, and in His presence there is power. Don Moen wrote this song:

I just want to be where you are,

Dwelling daily in your Presence.

I don’t want to worship from afar,

Draw me near to where you are.

I want to be where you are,

Dwelling in your Presence;

Feasting at your table,

Surrounded by your glory,

In your Presence,

That is where I always want to be.

Heaven is the final fulfillment of this desire, but praise is the present experience of this desire. Praise takes us into God’s presence, and in that presence there is power. May God help us to keep this weapon clean, oiled, and very active, that we might experience in the daily battles of life, the power of praise.