Shout Hallelujah to Your Walls: Ten Reasons to Praise God
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 12 min, Part 2 of Ten Reasons to Praise God (2008)
Originally recorded as “Ten Reasons to Praise God at All Times”
Sermon outline
Praise is how you work your own miracle: do not wait to feel like it, because God commands it, it marks a Spirit-filled life, and the walls in front of you fall when you shout.
Main text
- Joshua 6:1-20
Opening
He leads confessions of joy, then stops the worship team to teach them to stand in front, face the church at an angle, smile and sing under the anointing so that it transfers to tired people who have come straight from work: church is a petrol station. He leads the church in holy laughter, teaching that it drives out heaviness, and has them give their offering laughing. Then he turns to Joshua 6 to continue 'ten reasons to praise God at all times', begun on Sunday.
Jericho: the shout that brings the walls down
God told Joshua 'I have given you Jericho' before Israel possessed it: things manifest spiritually before they manifest physically, and there are keys to taking possession. The difference between walls standing and walls falling is a child of God praising Him. Do not wait to feel like it, because nine times out of ten you won't; praise before the answer comes and you work your own miracle.
Illustration: Shout hallelujah over your bank balance or your empty pocket instead of moaning about rising rates; if your boss sees you on CCTV, tell him you were praying for him.
“The difference between walls that are standing up and walls that are falling flat is a child of God praising Him.”
- Joshua 6:1-5
- Joshua 6:20-21
1. God commands it for New Testament Christians
Hebrews 13:15 tells believers to offer the sacrifice of praise continually. Do not only go to God when you need something; sometimes go just to thank Him because you love Him.
“I just came to give you thanks, because I love you so much.”
- Hebrews 13:15
2. It was the vow of David
David, a man after God's own heart, vowed to bless the Lord at all times, not sometimes, with His praise continually in his mouth instead of cursing.
“He didn't say, I'll bless the Lord sometimes. He said, I'll bless the Lord at all times.”
- Psalm 34:1
3. It was the practice of the first Christians
The early disciples were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Praise together in one accord should be the trademark of God's children.
- Luke 24:53
4. It is the will of God for every Christian
In everything give thanks: not only in nice things. Because you walk by faith and not by sight, you praise when something bad has happened, knowing God will work it out.
“He didn't say in some things. He says in everything, give thanks.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
5. It is vital proof of a Spirit-filled life
Praise is the automatic response of a person filled with the Spirit, while sad, empty people find it hard. If praise is difficult, you need a fresh infilling: seek God in the Word, worship, and perhaps a fast of a few days.
“When you find it difficult to praise God, what do you need? You need another infilling of the Holy Ghost.”
- Ephesians 5:18-20
6. It is the chief function of a royal priesthood
You are a peculiar people, not like the world that is happy only when something good happens, and you exist to show forth His praises. If you can find nothing else, thank Him for salvation, and while you praise He will give you ten or twenty more reasons.
“If you can't find something in that day to praise God about, at least thank God for salvation.”
- 1 Peter 2:9
7. It is the way Bible believers begin every gathering
Begin church, the family altar and the home cell with praise. You can make an altar anywhere and enter His gates with thanksgiving.
“You can make an altar anywhere you are.”
- Psalm 100:4
8. It is a message to be heeded from the throne
A voice from the throne commands all God's servants, small and great, to praise Him, from tiny children to the grandparents. Even if you cannot pray, you can praise, and God inhabits praise and gives the desires of your heart.
“Even if you can't pray, you can praise him.”
- Revelation 19:5
- Psalm 22:3
- Psalm 37:4
9. It is the Christian's obligation as long as he has breath
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. You cannot pull a cross face and say 'praise the Lord', so saying it is therapy for your face and your spirit.
Illustration: Try being cross and saying 'praise the Lord' at the same time: you can't do it.
“Just saying praise the Lord is good therapy for your face.”
- Psalm 150:6
10. It is a habit to be practised all day long
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. David praised seven times a day and rose at midnight to give thanks, so find seven times a day to shout hallelujah, and when the Spirit wakes you at night, praise instead of heading for the fridge. Life will bring challenges at school, work, home and even church; choose to praise rather than look for a back door.
Illustration: When the Spirit wakes you in the night, you think you need a pie and run for the fridge; maybe He just got you up to praise Him.
“You prayed many times and you fasted many times, but then something still didn't work. Well, try to add the last dimension of praise.”
- Psalm 113:3
- Psalm 119:164
- Psalm 119:62
Putting it into practice
- Decide to praise before you feel like it, at home and in church.
- Shout hallelujah ten times a day, building up to seven times a day.
- Shout hallelujah over your finances and the walls in front of you instead of moaning.
- Start every gathering, family altar and cell group with praise.
- On Sunday, don't wait for the musicians: make your feet dance and your hands clap.
Closing
He tells the church to meditate on the ten reasons and practise them all week until Sunday, coming ready to praise without waiting for the singers. He gives the week's announcements, including prayer meetings, a new children's church arrangement and an early Sunday lunch, and hands over to Pastor Wesley to welcome visitors and close.
Declarations he led
- I'm full of joy. I'm full of the Holy Ghost. I'm full of the power of God. I'm full of the anointing of God.
- Today I choose to praise Him. I choose to bless Him. I choose to forgive.
- I'll leave behind all those things that held me down, and I press forward.
- I choose tonight to praise the Lord.
- I'm a praiser. I choose to praise God.
- Lord, this is my offering, this is my tithe, I gladly give it to the house of the Lord.
In his words
- “Church is a petrol station.”
- “Joy is very contagious. And sadness is also contagious.”
- “If you wait to feel like praising God, nine out of ten times, you won't feel like praising Him.”
- “Don't wait for something good to happen before you start to praise Him.”
- “We are not reliant on the economy of the world. We have a higher economy.”
Every scripture in this message
- Nehemiah 8:10
- Philippians 3:13-14
- Psalm 2:4
- Luke 6:38
- Joshua 6:1-5
- Psalm 119:164
- Psalm 119:62
- Revelation 19:1-6
- Joshua 6:20-21
- Hebrews 13:15
- Psalm 34:1
- Luke 24:53
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
- Ephesians 5:18-20
- 1 Peter 2:9
- Psalm 100:4
- Revelation 19:5
- Psalm 150:6
- Psalm 22:3
- Psalm 37:4
- Psalm 113:3
- Proverbs 18:22