Embracing Praise: Preparing Hearts for Worship

Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the significance of praise and worship, particularly focusing on the distinction between the two. Praise and worship are often lumped together, but they serve different purposes. Praise is an outward expression of God's goodness, while worship is a deeper, more intimate act of reverence. We explored how praise prepares our hearts to receive God's word by breaking down the pride and distractions that can harden our hearts. This preparation is crucial because it allows us to enter God's presence with a heart ready to receive His message.

We also discussed the concept of "abandoned worship," which means worshiping without concern for how we should behave, much like King David did when he danced before the Lord. This kind of worship requires us to shed our pride and societal expectations, focusing solely on expressing our love and reverence for God. We examined various forms of praise as outlined in the Psalms, such as singing, shouting, and lifting hands, emphasizing that praise is not about our comfort but about God's preference.

The story of Cain and Abel was used to illustrate that God desires specific forms of worship and offerings, not just what we are comfortable giving. Cain's offering was rejected because it did not align with what God had instructed, highlighting the importance of following God's guidelines for praise and worship. We concluded by encouraging everyone to step out of their comfort zones and engage in expressive praise, as it prepares our hearts to receive God's word and aligns us with His will.

### Key Takeaways

1. Praise Prepares the Heart: Praise acts as a plow that breaks up the hardened soil of our hearts, making us receptive to God's word. It helps us shed the week's burdens and distractions, allowing us to enter God's presence with a clean heart. This preparation is essential for receiving the full impact of God's message. [47:45]

2. Abandoned Worship: True worship involves letting go of societal expectations and personal pride. King David's example of dancing before the Lord illustrates that worship should be expressive and uninhibited. This kind of worship focuses solely on God, not on how we appear to others. [39:39]

3. God's Preference Over Our Comfort: The story of Cain and Abel teaches us that God has specific preferences for how He wants to be worshiped. It's not about what we are comfortable giving but about what God desires. This principle challenges us to step out of our comfort zones and align our worship with God's instructions. [01:10:00]

4. Expressive Praise is Biblical: The Psalms provide numerous examples of how to praise God, including singing, shouting, and lifting hands. These forms of praise are not just cultural expressions but are biblically mandated ways to honor God. Engaging in these practices helps us fulfill God's desire for our worship. [01:18:35]

5. Praise Breaks Down Pride: Engaging in expressive praise requires us to shed our pride and societal inhibitions. This act of humility prepares our hearts to receive God's word and aligns us with His will. By focusing on God's preference rather than our comfort, we open ourselves up to deeper spiritual growth. [01:24:24]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[28:56] - Introduction to Local Missions
[29:44] - God Sends Us to Impact Our Community
[30:29] - Partnering with Local Organizations
[31:13] - Ways to Give
[31:55] - Prayer for Tithes and Offerings
[34:53] - Introduction to Abandoned Series
[35:50] - Misconceptions About Praise and Worship
[36:51] - Difference Between Tithe and Offering
[38:02] - Changing Trends in Church Preferences
[39:39] - Abandoned Worship Defined
[41:07] - The Issue of Worship Styles
[42:27] - Understanding Praise
[47:45] - Praise Prepares Us
[01:10:00] - Cain and Abel's Offerings
[01:18:35] - Biblical Forms of Praise
[01:24:24] - Praise Breaks Down Pride
[01:31:50] - Closing Prayer and Worship

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 100:1-4: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
2. 2 Samuel 6:14-16: "Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 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 leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart."
3. Genesis 4:3-5: "In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast."

### Observation Questions
1. According to Psalm 100, what are some specific actions we are encouraged to take when we praise God?
2. How did King David express his worship in 2 Samuel 6:14-16, and what was Michal's reaction to it? [39:39]
3. In Genesis 4:3-5, what were the differences between Cain's and Abel's offerings, and how did God respond to each? [01:10:00]
4. What does the sermon suggest is the purpose of praise in preparing our hearts? [47:45]

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might God have specific preferences for how He wants to be worshiped, as illustrated in the story of Cain and Abel? [01:10:00]
2. How does the concept of "abandoned worship" challenge societal norms and personal pride, according to the sermon? [39:39]
3. What are the implications of Psalm 100:1-4 for our daily lives and worship practices?
4. How does expressive praise, as described in the Psalms and the sermon, help break down pride and prepare our hearts to receive God's word? [01:24:24]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own worship practices. Are there ways you can incorporate more expressive forms of praise, such as singing, shouting, or lifting hands, as encouraged in the sermon? [01:18:35]
2. Have you ever felt uncomfortable or self-conscious during worship? How can you overcome these feelings to engage in "abandoned worship" like King David? [39:39]
3. Think about a time when you felt your heart was hardened or distracted during worship. How can you use praise to prepare your heart to receive God's word more fully? [47:45]
4. In what ways can you step out of your comfort zone to align your worship with God's preferences rather than your own? [01:10:00]
5. How can you apply the lesson from Cain and Abel's story to ensure your offerings and worship are pleasing to God? [01:10:00]
6. Identify one specific form of expressive praise mentioned in the Psalms that you have not practiced before. How can you incorporate it into your worship this week? [01:18:35]
7. How can you encourage others in your small group or church community to engage in more expressive and abandoned worship? [01:24:24]

Devotional

### 5-Day Devotional

#### Day 1: Praise as Heart Preparation
Description: Praise acts as a plow that breaks up the hardened soil of our hearts, making us receptive to God's word. It helps us shed the week's burdens and distractions, allowing us to enter God's presence with a clean heart. This preparation is essential for receiving the full impact of God's message. [47:45]

Bible Passage: "Break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10:12, ESV)

Reflection: Think about the distractions and burdens you carry from the week. How can you use praise to prepare your heart to receive God's word today?

#### Day 2: Abandoned Worship
Description: True worship involves letting go of societal expectations and personal pride. King David's example of dancing before the Lord illustrates that worship should be expressive and uninhibited. This kind of worship focuses solely on God, not on how we appear to others. [39:39]

Bible Passage: "And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod." (2 Samuel 6:14, ESV)

Reflection: What societal expectations or personal pride are holding you back from fully expressing your worship to God? How can you let go of these barriers today?

#### Day 3: God's Preference Over Our Comfort
Description: The story of Cain and Abel teaches us that God has specific preferences for how He wants to be worshiped. It's not about what we are comfortable giving but about what God desires. This principle challenges us to step out of our comfort zones and align our worship with God's instructions. [01:10:00]

Bible Passage: "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts." (Hebrews 11:4, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on an area where you have been offering God what is comfortable for you rather than what He desires. How can you align your worship with God's preferences today?

#### Day 4: Expressive Praise is Biblical
Description: The Psalms provide numerous examples of how to praise God, including singing, shouting, and lifting hands. These forms of praise are not just cultural expressions but are biblically mandated ways to honor God. Engaging in these practices helps us fulfill God's desire for our worship. [01:18:35]

Bible Passage: "Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!" (Psalm 47:1, ESV)

Reflection: Which form of expressive praise (singing, shouting, lifting hands) do you find most challenging? How can you incorporate this form of praise into your worship this week?

#### Day 5: Praise Breaks Down Pride
Description: Engaging in expressive praise requires us to shed our pride and societal inhibitions. This act of humility prepares our hearts to receive God's word and aligns us with His will. By focusing on God's preference rather than our comfort, we open ourselves up to deeper spiritual growth. [01:24:24]

Bible Passage: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a specific area of pride in your life that hinders your worship. How can you humble yourself before God in this area today?

Quotes

1. "Whenever God wants to visit a place, he always sends us. He always sends us to the people. So there are churches here because God wants to visit Sand Springs. I believe there are churches in Tulsa because God wants to visit Tulsa. I believe there are churches in OKC because God wants to visit OKC. He always sends his people where he wants to visit because his people, his church, become the hands and the feet that he uses to impact this world." [29:44] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "I believe that there are people who think that just because they stand and sing songs on Sunday, that they have worshipped. Well, as you'll find today, singing songs is a part of worship. But it is not what worship is. And what we're finding out today is that this generation is much different than previous generations. Because in previous generations, if I were to pick up and leave Sand Springs and I were to move out west somewhere, I were to move to California or to Oregon or to Washington State. I would look for another church that was within the same denomination or organization that I was originally a part of." [37:02] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "People would much rather go to a church that is alive but may differ on specific theological issues than to go to one where they completely align theologically, but that's dead. And so, a lot of that stuff, the thought pattern behind all of that stuff really kind of led us to do this. Now, we named it abandoned worship because growing up, I grew up in a Pentecostal denomination. And we were accustomed with what we knew as worshiping with abandon." [38:39] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We often times come to worship. And we want to, we have this mindset about what is proper. And what we should act like or shouldn't act like. And so on the one side we've got the folks who are, I mean, Pentecostal to the core. And they're like, yeah, wild and uncontrolled, let's do it, you know. And they're like ready to run around the building and jump over pews and do all of the excessive stuff. And then on the other side you've got the folks who go, well, the presence of God is holy. He is God. He should be revered. We should be quiet. We should be reverent." [41:07] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Praise prepares us. The reason that we come into church on Sunday and we enter into praise and worship is because a lot of times, and I can't speak for everybody, but maybe you've had some stuff throughout the week that's kind of clung on to you. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Like you've had some stuff that's caused some trouble, some attitudes or some discouragement to cling to you. You've had some reports that came in that you didn't particularly like. And so you walked in on Sunday and that's still clinging to you." [46:22] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The way under the new covenant that we prepare ourselves for the presence of God is through praise. Now, I'm going to run through this. I'm not even going to turn to it. But in Mark chapter 4 and Luke chapter 8, both of them give a story about a sower. And when Jesus starts to give this story, he says there's a sower who went out to sow. And he said some seed fell by hardened soil, by the wayside. Some fell by rocky soil or shallow soil. Some fell among the thorns or the distracted soil. And then some fell on good soil." [48:54] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Your praise is the plow that will break up the hardened soil of your heart to receive the seed of the word of God. And too often when, and if we would just get out of our comfort zone and praise. Praise is the plow that prepares the soil. I'm trying to, trying to, praise prepares us. Can he says praise in the dance. Psalm 150. Praise me in the dance." [57:31] (84 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Praise is a declaration of the goodness of God. It is an expression of how good he has been in and to you. So why? Because it prepares me. It breaks the pride in me. It clears the soil of my heart so that my heart is ready to receive whatever God has to say." [01:02:15] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "We praise according to God's preference, not our personality. Here's what I want you to understand today. Praise has a purpose. It's not just to sing a song. Come on. It's not just to, we used to, you know, we used to call it preliminaries back in the day, right? I mean, any y'all in the old church, you remember we call it preliminaries. That was everything prior to the sermon, right? We would have, well, we had preliminaries and we had song service, which was a preliminary to the sermon, right?" [01:22:29] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Praise prepares your heart so that you can step into his presence and receive what he has to say. Because here's the thing, I don't think we ever have to get to a sermon for you to hear from God. We just have to get into his presence and he is more than willing to speak to each and every one of us. And so as we gather together, as we gather in worship, as we gather in praise, I'm going to encourage you again this week, ask God to take you outside of your comfort zone." [01:24:24] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?